Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis
Unit: College of Education and Human Development (GE)
Department: Special Education, Early Childhood, and Prevention Science
Program Webpage
Academic Plan Code(s): AABACAA, AABACAAO
Program Information
This program can be completed in a traditional classroom format or entirely online.
The University of Louisville's Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis provides practitioners with advanced knowledge in behavior analytic research and approaches to skill development and the treatment of challenging behavior.
Students receive rigorous academic work within the program's carefully designed course sequence that is taught by faculty with practical and research experience in special education and applied behavior analysis.
Students in the graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis will complete a verified course sequence (VCS) for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Certification Exam, allowing them to meet the educational requirements for board certification. However, the graduate certificate does not require or include practicum hours for field experience. In addition to coursework requirements, students must complete 2,000 hours of supervised field experience to be eligible to take the exam. To earn licensure as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), students will complete all the required supervised field experience hours on their own outside of the program after earning the certificate. Candidates are strongly recommended to review and follow the BCBA Fieldwork Standards. It is important for prospective students to understand that they will not be eligible to sit for the BCBA exam until they have completed all requirements, including 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork. Because the supervised fieldwork hours are not completed during the program, the graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis at University of Louisville is not designed to prepare students for licensure immediately upon program completion in any US state or other jurisdiction.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the program requires a graduate application to the Graduate School.
Applicants must also have the following:
- A master's degree in any field from an accredited institution
- Official transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation related to the applicant's work with individuals with autism
- Professional Goals Statement
- Current Resume
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo) is required of all students who completed their degrees from outside the United States in which English is not the native language.
Program Requirements
Program Coursework
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| EDSP 644 | Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| EDSP 650 | Behavior Assessment | 3 |
| EDSP 654 | Radical Behaviorism | 3 |
| EDSP 669 | Single Case Research Methods and Designs | 3 |
| EDSP 546 | Behavior Analytic Approach to Communication | 3 |
| EDSP 651 | Professional and Ethical Practice of Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| EDSP 671 | Behavior Intervention | 3 |
| Minimum Total Hours | 21 |
Midpoint Assessment: Completion of EDSP 650 Hallmark assessment task with a rating of Satisfactory. Grades of “B-” or better in all certificate courses prior to Midpoint: EDSP 644, EDSP 654, EDSP 669 and EDSP 650.
Exit Requirement: Completion of intervention project and presentation with a rating of Satisfactory and grades of B- or higher in all certificate courses.
