Online Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis

Join a community of scholars whose mission is to deliver high-quality behavioral services under challenging, real-world conditions and to develop and extend behavioral technology to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.

 

Certificate Overview

Peabody College's Online Post-Master's Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis features coursework verified by the Association for Behavior Analysis International. The program is grounded in educational research and technology, and challenges students to integrate applied behavior analysis into practice. This program is housed within Peabody's top-ranked Department of Special Education, home to groundbreaking research, innovative practices, and widely used methods. The ABA certificate is designed for non degree-seeking individuals who have already completed a master's degree in a related field. Students who complete the program will be equipped to pursue careers working with individuals with disabilities. Coursework is offered online through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous coursework.

ABAI VCS program logo

Careers

There's a growing need for board certified behavior analysts. According to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, annual demand has grown each year since 2010, with job postings increasing by 190 percent from 2018 to 2021 alone, with a 14% increase from 2022 to 2023. 

Headshot photo of Joey Staubitz

Johanna Staubitz, assistant professor of the practice and ABA program director

“The goal of Vanderbilt’s online certificate program is to make our high-quality ABA course sequence accessible to any practitioner, regardless of their geographic location, who aspires to more effectively support the needs of individuals with disabilities."

Certificate Details

Certificate Director: Johanna Staubitz

Admission Coordinator: Kelly Limina

Email Us: ABACertificate@Vanderbilt.edu

This is a post-master's, non-degree, credit-bearing certificate program. Upon completion of the certificate, students will have satisfied all coursework required to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination. Note: Applicants will have to meet additional field work requirements to qualify for the BCBA exam.

Admission Term: Fall 2024

Application Deadline: July 5, 2024

Required Hours: 21

Program Length: Approximately 1 year

Course Format: Courses are offered in a synchronous and asynchronous combination 

Tuition: $1,000 per credit hour

Funding: Tuition awards are not available for certificate programs since they are offered at a reduced rate.

Home Academic Department: Special Education

Application Requirements

  • Completed application
  • Undergraduate and graduate transcripts (A master’s degree in a disability-related field such as education, psychology, social work or counseling 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, three 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.

  • Statement of purpose

    This is a short essay 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 be 1-2 pages long, not to exceed 2 pages single-spaced. 

  • Resume or or curriculum vitae
  • 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
  • English Proficiency Testing

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

Certificate Curriculum

The certificate consists of 7, 3-credit courses of the ABA verified course sequence (VCS)

  • Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
  • Experimental Analysis of Behavior
  • Theory in Behavior Analysis
  • Administering Ethical Behavior Analytic Services
  • Instruction and Learning in Early Childhood Special Education
  • Introduction to Single Case Research Design
  • Personnel Supervision and Management in Applied Behavior Analysis

Certificate Faculty

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