Applied Behavior Analysis (MS)

Welcome to the Applied Behavior Analysis (MS) program home page. Use this page as a guide to the Applied Behavior Analysis (MS) program from acceptance to graduation.

Academic Plan

APBEH-MS

Total Credits

Earn at least 44 credits

Advisors

April N. Kisamore, Faculty Advisor Last Names A through I
Lauren K. Schnell-Peskin, Faculty Advisor Last Names J through R
Sal Ruiz, Faculty Advisor Last Names S through Z
Valerie J. Lyons, Graduation and Administrative Advisor

Newly Accepted Students

Getting Started and Orientation

New Student Checklist

Welcome to the School of Education! Visit the Newly Accepted Students page for a checklist to get you started at Hunter College.

New Student Support

If at any point you need support, please reach out to our New Student Liaison at newsoest@hunter.cuny.edu or make an appointment.

Orientations

Students will attend three orientations to cover all the information needed to start your program:

General New Student Orientation
Program Advising Session
Clinical Experiences and Fingerprinting Orientation

See “Program Related Events” for details about upcoming sessions.

Financing Your Degree

Visit the Financing Your Degree page for information.

Fingerprint Clearance Requirements

All students in teacher preparation programs as well as programs in school counseling need to be fingerprinted so that they are cleared to work with children in various settings including New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) public schools, charter networks, and other organizations. Visit the Fingerprinting page for requirements and procedures.

Program Sequences

Consult the program sequence guide for a suggested order of courses. The program sequence guide provides a suggested order of courses for the program based on start date. It also includes when to take exams and apply for clinical experiences in addition to other important non-course requirements. For technical registration support and troubleshooting, please visit the Register for Classes page.

5th Edition Verified Program Sequences

Transfer of Credits

A matriculated student may request a transfer of credit for a graduate-level course completed at another institution. To be eligible, the course must have been taken within the past five years and closely match the content of a required course in the student’s Hunter College program. The request will be reviewed by faculty for equivalence. Each program sets the courses for which a transfer will be considered. Graduate students are limited to 12 transfer credits.

Courses Permitted for Transfer

Graduate students are limited to 12 transfer credits. The program will review transfer of credit requests for the following courses:

EDABA 74000 Philosophy of Behaviorism
EDABA 75000 Analysis of Verbal Behavior
EDABA 79000 Single-Subject Research Design
EDABA 79100 Ethics and Professionalism for Applied Behavior Analysts

Transfer of Credit Not Approved

Transfer of Credit is never approved for the following courses:

CEDF 71500 Diversity in American Schools
EDABA 72000 Managing Behavior Analytic Records
EDABA 75500 Functional Behavior Assessment
EDABA 77000 Practicum in Applied Behavior Analysis I (KC)
EDABA 77100 Practicum in Applied Behavior Analysis II (KC)
EDABA 78000 Thesis I (KC)
EDABA 78100 Thesis II (KC)
EDABA 78200 Thesis III (KC)
EDABA 78500 Clinical Capstone I
EDABA 78600 Clinical Capstone II
EDABA 78700 Clinical Capstone III
EDABA 79300 Applied Behavior Analytic Autism Intervention for Adults
EDABA 79500 Applied Behavior Analysis I (KC)
EDABA 79600 Applied Behavior Analysis II (KC)
EDABA 79800 Behavior Analytic Approaches to Learning
EDABA 79900 Applied Behavior Analytic Autism Intervention

Transfer of Credit Form

Please complete the Transfer of Credit Request Form, sign digitally, pdf and attach all required documents. Then send it to your faculty advisor for review. Once you obtain your faculty advisor’s signature upload the required form to the School of Education form uploader.

Hunter College Catalog

Use the Hunter College Course Catalog to review descriptions of specific courses and academic progress standards for the program along with exit requirements.

Clinical Experiences

Students in the Applied Behavior Analysis (MS) program participate in supervised practicum.

Graduation

Graduation is the official completion of your program and conferral of an academic degree. In order to graduate, students must apply for graduation using CUNYFirst the semester before the semester of their planned graduation and complete any outstanding requirements by the stated deadlines. Visit the Graduation and Commencement page for complete information.

Certification and Licensure

There are two credentials that professionals in Applied Behavior Analysis can earn: New York State Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

Students who complete the Master of Science will have the graduate training necessary to sit for the national Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA) exam and obtain the New York State’s license in behavior analysis.

Types of Certification

Behavior Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

Behavior Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA) is a certification provided by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. In the field of applied behavior analysis, the BCBA is considered the necessary certification to practice ABA. The BCBA credential is broad and does not limit one to working with any particular population or in any particular site. The BCBA is a nationally recognized certification and many employers in New York and in other states prefer to hire individuals who possess the BCBA credential.

The curriculum of the Applied Behavior Analysis (MS) program is approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board for Task List 5 and will prepare students for the BCBA Test Content Outline (6th edition).

New York State Licensure as a behavior analyst (LBA)

New York State Licensure as a behavior analyst (LBA) is required by New York state to practice ABA outside of exempt settings in the state of New York. Most public schools (elementary, high school, colleges) are exempt settings if one is a salaried employee. This means that one does not currently need to have a license to practice ABA in these settings, but having a license is still preferred. Please note that the practice of ABA in New York State is limited to applications with individuals with a DSM diagnosis.

The curriculum of the Applied Behavior Analysis (MS) program meets the current educational requirements for the New York State LBA.

Applying to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

1. Complete a Behavior Analyst Certification Board application

Visit www.bcba.com to complete the application.

2. Order Official Transcripts

Visit One Stop to request transcripts.

3. Submit Monthly and Final Signed Experience Verification Forms

Submit Experience Verification Forms

Required Experience for Behavior Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

BCBA currently requires between 1500 and 2000 hours of supervised independent field experience doing relevant ABA work and has rules about the percentages of experience that can be direct implementation vs. indirect implementation and the percentages of supervision that can be done in a group vs. individually. BACB allows one to begin accruing hours once s/he has begun BACB-approved coursework. That experience must be supervised by a BCBA who has completed the supervisor training and the supervisor does not need to be affiliated with the location where the experience takes place.

Applying to become a New York State Licensed Behavior Analyst

There are two pathways to ABA licensure in New York.

Pathway One

Complete the Child Abuse Identification and Reporting workshop by registering through a New York State approved provider listed on the Office of the Professions website.
Upon graduation, complete the Office of the Professions Licensed Behavior Analyst application Form 1 and pay all required fees.
Complete the Office of the Professions Certification of Professional Education Form 2.
On page 2, be sure to include information about the name of your practicum site, the address of your practicum site, and the dates in which you completed practicum.
Once page 1 is completed, upload to the School of Education NYS Licensure for Counseling and ABA Form 2 uploader.
Once submitted, the School of Education Office of Academic & Student Affairs will review and submit to the Hunter College Registrar who will certify and submit to the Office of the Professions.
Order official transcripts through the Hunter College Registrar’s website and have them sent directly to the Office of the Professions at DPLSEduc@nysed.gov. Prior to submission, please review the full transcript request information on the Office of the Professions website under Electronic Education Documentation.
If you are still accruing fieldwork hours for licensure, complete and submit the Certification of Supervision for Limited Permit (Form 5CS).
Pass an examination acceptable to the Board and the Department.

Pathway Two

Individuals are eligible to apply under Pathway Two, if they are already a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA). Please note the BCBA alone is not sufficient to practice ABA in New York State outside an exempt setting. It is only a pathway to licensure.

Complete the Child Abuse Identification and Reporting workshop by registering through a New York State approved provider listed on the Office of the Professions website.
Complete the Office of the Professions Licensed Behavior Analyst application Form 1 and pay all required fees.
Submit a Verification of Certification by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (Form 3C) to the BACB. The BACB must then submit the completed form directly to the Department to verify your education, experience, and examination.

For support on either of these processes, please contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs at soe.oasa@hunter.cuny.edu.