Online Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit their application by December 15, 2024.

Our application requirements reflect a thorough vetting process that we take very seriously in selecting students for this certificate program and are in line with our standards for admitting candidates who we think will not only complete the coursework but excel in the program and eventually thrive as Board-certified Behavior Analysts. We encourage you to email us with any questions.

• Completed application
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts (A master’s degree from an accredited college or university is required.) Please scan and attach your unofficial transcript(s), or a copy of your official transcript(s), to your application. Note: Unofficial transcripts are accepted for the application. We understand that requesting official transcripts can be expensive, so we only require official, sealed transcripts if you are admitted and enroll at Peabody College.

• Two letters of recommendation are required, and three are preferred for our certificate program. Their letter should speak to your academic and/or professional abilities. We recommend choosing recommenders that have taught, supervised, or have worked with you for a period of time as they will have the clearest evaluation of your potential for the program.

• A brief purpose statement on why you want to enroll in the Applied Behavior Analysis Certificate Online Program at Vanderbilt University. Be concise with your reasoning but leave no question unanswered for the review committee. Describe your background and experiences relevant to your choice to pursue further training in applied behavior analysis, your career goals, and how training at Vanderbilt will help you achieve those goals. The statement of purpose should not exceed 1 single-spaced page.

• Resume or or curriculum vitae

• English Proficiency Testing (if applicable)

  TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores are required of all international applicants unless you have received a college degree and completed coursework from an accredited institution in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.

  Students who complete coursework on campuses of U.S.-based institutions not in one of the above listed locations still need to submit English language scores.

  An official score report sent directly from the testing agency is required. Our TOEFL institutional code is 1871, and there is no department code. The minimum recommended TOEFL score is 100.

  There is no institutional code for the IELTS. A minimum recommended score is 7.0 for the composite score with no individual band score below 6.5.

  Duolingo scores are also accepted. Test results must include subscores. If you took the test prior to July 15, 2019

• Transcripts

  The transcripts you submit must have an English translation.

  International students with degrees from non-U.S. institutions are required to have their transcripts evaluated by an approved credentials evaluation agency and to have an official report sent by the agency to the Vanderbilt University Registrar's Office before enrollment.

  Approved evaluating agencies include:

  • International Education Evaluation (IEE) - Note: students who use the Vanderbilt University Institution Portal will receive their evaluation at a discounted rate in three days with standard processing
  • World Education Services (WES)
  • Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)

    When subscores are added, you should retake the test to comply with the subscore requirement. A minimum recommended score is 120.

• Please note: This program is open to individuals in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Some courses meet synchronously and therefore the program is best suited for those in United States and Canadian time zones.