Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

BACB Required Content Areas of Study

*This certificate is due to sunset by summer 2025, meaning that courses will no longer be offered for this certificate past that date.

All students entering the program starting will participate in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Autism Studies Post-Baccalaureate courses that meet the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) Task List 5 requirements. (please see: https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/BCaBA-2022EligibilityRequirements_210513.pdf)

Current students completing their program of studies based on the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB®) Task List 5 requirements and must ensure that all requirements are met and documents are submitted to the BACB in time to sit for the Task List 5 Examination prior to it changing on January 1, 2026. Please note that the BACB and/or the Applied Behavior Analysis International (ABAI®) can make changes to eligibility requirements for certification at any time. Current and future students are required to review information from the BACB and remain current with updates (https://www.bacb.com/bcaba/).

For this program, students must complete a core set of six ABAI Verified Course Sequence (VCS) lecture-based courses (15 credits) and one practicum course (3 credits) for a total of 18 undergraduate credits. The student must already hold a Bachelor’s Degree prior to joining the program. The core ABA set of six classes has been approved by ABAI and is a registered VCS that meets the BACB Task List 5 Requirements. Students must earn a B- in all of the VCS core ABA courses and complete one competency exam, specifically the 40-hour RBT training series. Additionally, students who are enrolled in this program are subject to the policies and guidelines of the School of Education Program as stated in the current Felician University Catalog and Student Handbook.

Program length:  12 months (based on full-time enrollment)

The required courses are listed below:

Students will participate in a practicum experience that will follow the experience guidelines of the BACB. Small group supervision will be provided on a weekly basis. Students will apply the content of the ABA program courses and the BACB Task List while directly working with individuals with ASD and/or other Developmental Disabilities in their fieldwork experience. Students will receive the supervision and feedback needed to develop the professional repertoire of a BCaBA.

Please note, Felician University cannot guarantee practicum placement or a Fieldwork supervisor. However, we will help assist those students who need to find placements and supervisors. To be eligible to sit for the BCaBA exam, students are also responsible for accumulating 1300 supervised fieldwork hours as supervised by a qualified BCBA. Additionally, students do not earn the certification until they pass the BCaBA examination. Passing the exam is not a requirement for completing this certificate.

Required Practicum Experiences

As a major qualification to sit for the BACB Examination to become a BCaBA, an applicant must officially participate and document Supervised Fieldwork experience (https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/BCaBA-2022EligibilityRequirements_210513.pdf). The applicant is responsible for acquiring and documenting the fieldwork hours in accordance with the official procedures of the BACB. Students must review the BACB Fieldwork Requirements during their first semester.

To assist our students in accumulating hours and advanced training, Felician requires each student to participate in one semester practicum experience. During the practicum, students will participate in a minimum of 15 hours per week of applied behavior analytic work, that involves both hands-on training as well as program planning, development, and evaluation activities. The primary focus is on acquiring the skills necessary to demonstrate competence of relevant tasks on the BCaBA Task List 5 and the skills necessary to interact effectively with consumers, supervisors, parents, and others. Securing a supervision site and Responsible BCBA or BCBA-D is required prior to students enrolling in this course.

The practicum course experience will have two primary components: A seminar component for one credit along with a field component for two credits. Students must be enrolled in both simultaneously. Students may also participate in three additional practicum experiences as electives.

For a student to participate in the practicum experience, they must have an official background check as required by New Jersey. Students within the undergraduate minor are expected to comply with the BACB Compliance Code and Disciplinary Systems for Behavior Analysts (https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BACB-Compliance-Code-english_190318.pdf) at all times. In addition, specific practicum sites may have additional requirements.