M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis

• Application
• Application fee ($50)
• Generally, an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Official transcripts from all institutions where a degree was earned

Applicants with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 are required to submit additional documentation:

• Three letters of recommendation from academic professors or professional or volunteer experience supervisors
• Essay

Each applicant is reviewed holistically, taking factors such as personal and professional experience and accomplishments into consideration. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions to discuss their unique qualifications.

For information on whether a program at The Chicago School meets or does not meet licensure eligibility requirements for the state in which you wish to be licensed, please visit our licensure disclosures page.

Students enrolled in the Masters of Science ABA program are required to complete an Advanced Research Project in the research track or choose an Advanced Applied Project in the practitioner track.

The Advanced Research Project must be a data-based empirical evaluation but does not necessarily need to mark an original contribution to the published literature (it may be a replication and extension). The primary function of the research project is to demonstrate that students are actively learning to function as scientist-practitioners who are continually engaged in making data-based assessment and treatment decisions. The Advanced Applied Project is a demonstration that the student can assess and treat a client effectively and ethically from start to finish. The applied project process is as stringent as the research project option and demonstrates similar skills but focuses on application rather than research. The course sequences in the research track and practitioner track are carefully designed to facilitate completion of research or applied projects. The necessary steps toward research or applied project completion are embedded into the required coursework. Any student considering going on to a Ph.D. program could choose either option.

Experiential Learning

Students will complete practicum experiences through The Chicago School that are unique to each track within the M.S. ABA program. The training experience supplements supervised work experience necessary for supervision requirements to become a board certified behavior analyst.

In this program, courses are offered in a variety of modalities and scheduling formats.

• Courses may meet in person on campus or synchronously remote (live or face-to-face via Zoom technology); weekly on weekdays or evenings; or once a month executive-style on the weekends with asynchronous online work (i.e., not live) required between class meetings.
• Students may take some courses in the synchronous remote format (live or face-to-face via Zoom technology) with students at other Chicago School locations.
• Students may also take courses fully online and asynchronous (i.e., no required face-to-face or live meetings) with the Online program.

Below are a few examples of courses offered to students enrolled in the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis program.

Introduction to the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

This course addresses critical areas of the experimental analysis of behavior (EAB) literature and focuses on thematic research in several sample areas of EAB. Students read research articles and textbook chapters describing EAB procedures and conceptual issues. By the end of the course students will know how to read and understand basic research articles and will understand the implications of such research for the theoretical basis of the field and its application to human behavior.

Concepts and Principles in Behavior Analysis

This course instructs students in the basic principles of operant and respondent conditioning, selection by consequences, and the research literature from which the principles were derived. The course also addresses the philosophical assumptions of behavior analysis (i.e., radical behaviorism).

Diversity in Clinical Practice

This course encourages students to think critically about diverse peoples and examine their own thoughts about cultural groups different from their own. Students use a radical behaviorist/cultural-materialist approach to try to understand how racism, sexism, ageism, discrimination based on disability, sexual orientation and behavior, religion, and behavioral/mental health may develop.

This ABA online and in-person program prepares students to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), which is a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis. Professionals who are certified at the BCBA level can supervise the work of BCaBAs, Registered Behavior Technicians, and others who implement behavior-analytic interventions.

Graduates serve many different populations including children, adults, and seniors and may work in residential, school, and community-based settings. Individuals served may have no diagnoses (e.g., school children in a regular education class or teachers seeking to be more effective) or may have diagnoses such as autism, behavioral difficulties, developmental disabilities, mental illness, and a variety of geriatric conditions.

• Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®): A Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) is a certification of individuals meeting educational and experiential learning requirements of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board to support people from diverse backgrounds (e.g., people with autism or developmental disabilities) in a variety of settings, including classrooms, clinics, and community-based vocational sites. They may also support corporate or non-profit organizations through organizational behavior management.
• Clinical Supervisor/Manager of ABA Services: Clinical Supervisors manage a caseload at organizations who provide behavioral clinical services, such as conducting initial and ongoing assessments, designing behavioral intervention programs for clients, and providing training and oversight to behavior technicians who provide direct intervention services to clients.
• Clinical Director of ABA Services: Clinical Directors oversee and manage the clinical operations of organizations that provide behavioral clinical services, including developing the organization’s clinical processes and procedures, overseeing the various levels of clinicians, and directing Clinical Supervisors and Managers at one or more office locations.
• Supervisor of Fieldwork Experience: A Supervisor of Fieldwork Experience provides clinical oversight and mentorship to those seeking to become a BCBA® through group or individual supervision.
• Behavior Consultant: Behavior Consultants contract with individuals, schools, and organizations to provide their expertise in curriculum or program development or training staff.
• Behavior Specialist: A Behavior Specialist works with individuals from a variety of diagnoses and needs (e.g., developmental disabilities, emotional challenges, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) to help them meet their living, academic, and vocational goals.

The Chicago School is dedicated to keeping our professional degree programs accessible to anyone regardless of financial status. In addition to the scholarships that may be available, our Financial Aid Department will provide you with information to determine what financial arrangements are right for you.

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