Applied Behavior Analysis (Plus One/Certificate/MS/CAGS)

Learning Partnership Program

The Northeastern University Applied Behavior Analysis Programs are based on learning communities that include students, instructors, and members of the educational or human services organizations in which students work. Partnerships are formed between Northeastern University and students’ workplaces that integrate work supervision into the education process. Each partnership is individually designed based on workplace resources.

Students may achieve their supervised experience hours by completing Independent Fieldwork at their place of work, with supervision by an onsite BCBA. Alternatively, students may elect to take Intensive Practicum I and Intensive Practicum II, receiving supervision by an NU faculty member. In either case, Northeastern University works closely with the student’s workplace, tailoring project requirements to incorporate students’ work responsibilities and teaching competencies that address immediate workplace needs. For more information about BACB requirements regarding supervision hour requirements, please visit www.bacb.com.

Each partner program may select an employee to serve on the Northeastern University ABA Programs Professional Advisory Board. This board provides an on-going source of information regarding the Northeastern ABA programs and informs course content, design, and revision. Organizations interested in participating in the Learning Partnership may contact Dr. Laura Dudley for more information: [email protected].

Professional Portfolio

The Professional Portfolio is the capstone for the Applied Behavior Analysis Programs at Northeastern University. This portfolio documents the student’s behavioral competency in critical clinical skills. These skills include:

Each student completes projects associated with the above clinical skills, and each project culminates in professional documents to be included in the student’s Professional Portfolio. A faculty member reviews and signs each project in the Professional Portfolio. The faculty member’s signature indicates that the student has achieved the faculty-established standards for the project. Graduates are encouraged to use their Professional Portfolio when applying for employment.

Students interested in research may combine two or three of the Professional Portfolio items into a research project. For example, the student may complete a literature review on stereotypic behavior, then conduct a functional analysis and intervention with a participant who exhibits that behavior. The research project is then prepared in journal format for inclusion in the Professional Portfolio.

What is the difference between the Master’s Program, the Certificate Program, and the CAGS Program?
Our Master of Science in ABA (MABA) Program is open to applicants who possess a Bachelor’s degree. This program is comprised of 10 courses. Students typically take 2 courses at a time and are thus able to complete the required coursework across 5 semesters. The Certificate Program is open to applicants who possess a Master’s Degree. This program includes 7 courses taken across 3 or 4 semesters. The CAGS Program is also open to applicants who possess a Master’s Degree. This program includes the 7 core courses that make up the Certificate Program, plus an additional 3 courses in a related area such as Early Intervention, Public Policy, etc.

Are all courses provided online?
Yes, all of our courses are provided exclusively in an online format.

Do students have to log in at a certain time each week to participate in online classes, or can students participate on their own schedule?
Our courses are asynchronous. That is, students are not required to log in at a specific time each week to participate. Rather, course materials are made available each week, and students are expected to complete required readings, view lecture materials, and complete assignments and discussion requirements by the end of the week. Some of our courses do include optional synchronous video discussions during select weeks of the semester.

How many students are in each class?
Classes have up to 19 students.

Are there opportunities to interact with other students and with faculty members?
There are many opportunities to interact with other students and with faculty members within our courses. Weekly discussions, projects, presentations, and other assignments allow for students to interact with one another and with the instructor on a weekly basis. Our courses make use of cutting edge technology such as Tegrity Lecture Capture and BlueJeans Video Conferencing to optimize communication between students and instructors.

How do students accrue supervised experience hours required to sit for the BCBA exam?
Students may either achieve their supervised experience hours under the supervision of a BCBA at their place of work, under the category of Independent Fieldwork, or they may achieve their experience hours under the supervision of an NU faculty member, by taking our elective Intensive Practicum courses. One semester of Intensive Practicum provides students with up to 375 supervised experience hours. (See the BACB Experience Standards here)

When do students take the Intensive Practicum courses if they elect to do so?
Students may take the Intensive Practicum courses at any point after their first semester in the program, alongside their other coursework. Alternatively, students may take the Intensive Practicum courses after they have completed their other coursework.

I have completed previous coursework in ABA. Can I transfer those credits to Northeastern’s ABA Program?
In some cases, students may transfer credits from a previous institution, but only if those courses align closely with our own. Students may transfer up to 3 graduate level courses (9 credit hours), provided they received a 3.0 or better in those courses, provided the coursework was completed within the last 5 years, and provided the course did not lead to a terminal degree (e.g., a Master’s degree). It is important to note that our program is a verified course sequence (VCS); when students transfer coursework from a previous institution, they are no longer following an approved course sequence. Students who transfer coursework will need to submit evidence of all coursework to the BACB in order to sit for the BCBA. It is ultimately up to the BACB to determine if students have completed all of the necessary coursework prior to sitting for the BCBA exam. In order to transfer credits, students must first apply to the program. Once accepted and enrolled, students complete a Petition to Transfer Credits form which must be approved by the Program Director and the Bouve Graduate Office.

Are the GREs required to apply?
We do not require GREs for admission to our programs.

When do students start in the program?
We enroll students in the fall and in the spring. The deadline to apply for the fall is 8/1, and the deadline to apply for the spring is 12/1.

How much does tuition cost?
As of the spring 2019 semester, tuition was 1140 dollars per credit hour. Each course is comprised of 3 credit hours.

Is the tuition rate different for out-of-state students?
Tuition is the same for in-state and out-of-state students.

Is financial aid available?
Students may take advantage of financial aid opportunities. For more information about financial aid, please visit: https://studentfinance.northeastern.edu/applying-for-aid/graduate/

What do students do after graduation?
Most of our graduates plan to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts after completing our program. Many of our graduates work in schools or private agencies, providing oversight of behavioral and educational programming for individuals with autism and related disabilities. Many of our graduates also work in research or in academia. See our website for a sampling of our alumni and where they work.

Who are the ABA program faculty?
Nicole Davis, PhD, BCBA, LABA (Program Director)
[email protected]
Maeve G. Donnelly, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA (Director of Supervision)
[email protected]
Laura Dudley, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA (Associate Clinical Professor)
[email protected]
Paula Braga-Kenyon, PhD, BCBA-D
[email protected]
Shawn Kenyon, PhD, BCBA
[email protected]
Mike Dorsey, PhD, LABA, BCBA-D
[email protected]
Amanda Laprime, PhD, BCBA, LABA
[email protected]
Ashley Williams, PhD, BCBA, LABA
[email protected]
Rob Volpe, PhD (Department Chair)
[email protected]