Programs

Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy Programs in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)

Visit Website
Contact: Aleatha Neal
aneal@usf.edu | 813.974.3096

Program Description:

The programs in applied behavior analysis (ABA) at the University of South Florida are designed to meet growing needs in Florida and nationally for practitioners who can work effectively in the fields of developmental disabilities, education, autism, child protective services, rehabilitation, mental health, and business and technology. ABA provides an approach for developing, implementing, and evaluating practical strategies to produce changes in socially significant behaviors of individuals in the context of community settings. Three important features characterize the scientific basis upon which ABA is built: a) it focuses upon objectively measurable behavior of individuals; b) it studies environmental influences upon the targeted behaviors; and c) it places a premium upon single-subject research designs to analyze the effects of different environmental variables. The 46 credit hour master's degree and 54 credit hour doctoral degree in ABA is interdisciplinary and is housed in the College of Behavioral and Community sciences. It provides coursework and practical supervision across three colleges (College of Behavioral and Community Sciences College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education).

The ABA master's program at USF prepares graduates in applied behavior analysis to work in a variety of fields including autism, education, developmental disabilities, child protective services, mental health, and rehabilitation. Our goals are a) to provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and b) to contribute to the field of applied behavior analysis by producing quality research and increasing the number of practicing behavior analysts.