Special Education, Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis (MEd)
Application Requirements
Applicants to the Master of Education in Applied Behavior Analysis program must submit the following:
- Completed UofL graduate application submitted at https://apply.graduate.louisville.edu/apply/
- Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent by the issuing institution to the UofL Graduate School. Transcripts issued to the candidate, and/or uploaded by the candidate, are considered unofficial.
- International transcripts must be evaluated per UofL Graduate School requirements: https://graduate.louisville.edu/admission/international/evaluation
- Personal statement – Candidates should upload a personal statement describing their professional goals, interest in the program, and whether they plan to pursue as a part-time or full-time student
- Current resume
- Recommendations – Two (2) recommendations are required. Requests are automatically sent to the recommenders’ emails once the graduate application is submitted. Adequate time should be given for recommenders to respond to the request by the application deadline. Candidates may log into their admission portal to check the status of the recommendations.
International Applicants:
- International applicants must submit additional application items, and meet additional admission requirements. Information on the international application and admission requirements can be found here: https://graduate.louisville.edu/admission/international
Admission Requirements
- Complete application (including all checklist items above and payment submitted).
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Candidates enrolled in the final semester of their bachelor’s degree can be reviewed for provisional admission - pending a final, degree transcript.
- Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75. This is a competitive admission program and preference will be given to candidates with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Admission is competitive. Meeting the GPA minimum and all other admission requirements does not guarantee that prospective students will be accepted into the program. Preference will be given to candidates who have course work and experience in education, counseling and/or behavioral health services.
Program admission dates: Fall semester only
Application Deadlines: August 1 for Fall
Please note that the program director will begin reviewing applications in early Spring for admission. Capacity for this program is limited and applicants are encourage to apply early for consideration.
MEd in Special Education, concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDSP 546 | Behavior Analytic Approach to Communication | 3 |
| EDSP 603 | Experimental Analysis of Behavior | 3 |
| EDSP 605 | Concepts and Principles in Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| EDSP 650 | Behavior Assessment | 3 |
| EDSP 651 | Professional and Ethical Practice of Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| EDSP 654 | Radical Behaviorism | 3 |
| EDSP 669 | Single Case Research Methods and Designs | 3 |
| EDSP 671 | Behavior Intervention | 3 |
| EDSP 678 | Comprehensive Review of Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| EDSP 680 | Behavior Analytic Supervision and Consultation | 3 |
| Supervision (optional) | ||
| Practicum in Applied Behavior Analysis 1 | ||
| Minimum Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
Students in the Intensive Practicum Option will enroll in EDSP 653 each semester in the program. The Intensive Practicum Option is designed to prepare students for licensure as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Students in this option will complete a verified course sequence (VCS) for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Certification Exam. In addition to coursework requirements, students must complete 2,000 hours of supervised field experience to be eligible to take the BACB exam. With careful planning, students in this option may complete the 2,000 hours of supervised field experience during their time in the program. However, many students choose to complete a portion of the required supervised field experience hours after finishing the program and earning the degree. It is important for students to understand they will not be eligible to sit for the BCBA exam until they have completed all requirements, including 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork.
Exit Assessment: Successful completion of all required coursework; scored target or better on rubrics for Advanced Candidates; “B-” or higher required in all course work.
Degree Candidacy: Students not enrolled during the semester in which they intend to graduate must register for degree candidacy as outlined in the Graduate Catalog.
The program offers two different options for students: the Intensive Practicum Option (Degree & Fieldwork) which requires in-person practicum coursework with all other courses online, and the Traditional Option (Degree only) that is completed 100% online.
The Master's in Special Education concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis program’s Intensive Practicum Option is designed to prepare students for licensure as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Students in this option will complete a verified course sequence (VCS) for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Certification Exam. In addition to coursework requirements, students must complete 2,000 hours of supervised field experience to be eligible to take the BACB exam. With careful planning, students in this option may complete the 2,000 hours of supervised field experience during their time in the program. However, many students choose to complete a portion of the required supervised field experience hours after finishing the program and earning the degree. 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.
Students in the Master's in Special Education concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis program’s traditional option 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. In addition to coursework requirements, students must complete 2,000 hours of supervised field experience to be eligible to take the BACB exam. In this option, students will complete the required supervised field experience hours on their own outside of the program. 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 traditional option within the MEd in Special Education concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis at University of Louisville is not designed to prepare students for licensure immediately upon graduation in any US state or other jurisdiction.
More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website: https://louisville.edu/about/departments/academic-planning-accountability/disclosures/professional-licensure.
For programs with an online option, more information about certification or licensure is available here:
https://online.louisville.edu/resources/compliance/license.
