Applied Behavior Analysis

Overview

Launching Fall 2025, the B.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) will provide a pathway for undergraduate students who wish to pursue a career in the fast-growing field of ABA. The ABA major degree program is designed to provide education, training, and experience to students with the goal of preparing them for practice in real-world settings.

The mission of the ABA programs at MSU is to prepare students to provide high quality behavior analytic services to a diverse population of individuals by offering excellent training, supervision, and research experiences.

More specifically, the mission of the ABA undergraduate program at MSU is for students to begin to acquire the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to demonstrate competency in applied behavior analysis, as demonstrated by their mastery of criteria outlined by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in the 6th edition test content outline. Further, the mission of this program is to provide mentorship and guidance to undergraduate students regarding the incorporation of behavior analysis into their long-term career goals.

The ABA programs at MSU adhere to the scientist-practitioner model, where both faculty and students are expected to be (a) consumers of empirically based practice, (b) evaluators of their own empirically based practice, and (c) informed consumers and producers of research that contributes to the field of behavior analysis. While there are no specific research requirements for students in the program at this time, engagement in research at any capacity is encouraged and fostered by faculty in the ABA program.

The ABA major will consist of 120 credit hours and include coursework that will allow students to be eligible for the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification. The major also includes the coursework that meets one of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB) eligibility requirements for credentialing as a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) and is a Verified Course Sequence (VCS) as recognized by the Association of Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).

Content Area	Courses
BACB Compliance Code and Disciplinary Systems; Professionalism	EPY 4603: Ethics and Supervision in Behavior Analysis
Philosophical Underpinnings; Concepts & Principles	EPY 4113: Principles of ABA
Measurement, Data Display and Interpretation; Experimental Design	EPY 4443: Basics of Single Subject Design Research
Behavior Assessment	EPY 4493: Behavior Assessment
Behavior-Change Procedures; Selecting and Implementing Interventions	EPY 4113: Principles of ABA EPY 4223: Applications of ABA
Personnel Supervision and Management	EPY 4603: Ethics, Supervision, and Personnel Management in Behavior Analysis

Curriculum

To graduate with a B.S. degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, students will need to complete the 120-hour degree program as outlined in the curriculum outline. Students are required to take two semesters of supervised experiential learning during their time in the program. Students must earn at least a C or better in all ABA major core courses.

Please find a copy of the curriculum outline and examples of 4-Year Degree Plans below:

Program Faculty

Beca Spencer, M.A., Assistant Professor of Practice & Undergraduate Program Coordinator
Hallie Smith, Ph.D., Assistant Professor & Graduate Program Coordinator
Stephanie Mattson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Jordan Spencer, Ph.D., Assistant Teaching Professor
Meme Staggers, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Resources

If you are interested in learning more about behavior analysis and working in the field, here is a list of resources you may find helpful.

FAQ's

What is applied behavior analysis?

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the science of applying the principles of learning to change socially significant behavior. This basically means that we use principles of learning to change behavior that matters. We can use ABA to increase academic skills, communication skills, and functional life skills; we can also use ABA to decrease inappropriate or problematic behaviors that may be negatively impacting a person.

If I took courses through the ABA minor/emphasis area, will they count if I switch my major to ABA?

Yes! All of the courses required for the ABA minor/emphasis area are also part of the required coursework for the ABA major.

How many credit hours will I be expected to take each semester?

If you would like to complete the degree program in 4 years without taking any summer classes, you will need to plan on taking a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester.

Can I sit for the BCaBA exam after completing the ABA major?

After completing the ABA major degree program requirements and graduating, you will have completed all the required coursework to make you eligible to take the BCaBA exam. However, in order to sit for the BCaBA exam, you will also need to have accrued all the required experience and supervision hours. Students will take two semesters of supervised experiential learning as part of the curriculum requirements which will allow them to accrue some hours towards this requirement. Students may choose to get additional experience and supervision hours independent of the supervised experiential learning courses we offer to put them on track to have accumulated the required experience and supervision hours required to sit for the exam.

Is there a student organization for students interested in behavior analysis?

Yes! The Behavior Analysis Student Organization (BASO) launched fall 2024 and is open to any undergraduate student with an interest in behavior analysis.

Minor in ABA

Our ABA program offers a 15 credit-hour minor (5 courses) in ABA that any student, regardless of their major, can add. If you are an educational psychology (EPY) major, we also offer a concentration in ABA within the major that consists of 18 credit hours (6 courses). All courses can be completed within two semesters (fall and spring) if needed.

EPY 4103: Behavior Analysis for Behavior Technicians*
EPY 4113: Principles of Behavior Analysis
EPY 4223: Applications of Behavior Analysis
EPY 4443: Basics of Single Subject Design Research
EPY 4493: Behavior Assessment
EPY 4603: Ethics, Supervision, and Personnel Management in Behavior Analysis

*Course is required for EPY majors. While the course is not required for non-EPY majors, it is strongly recommended as it meets the 40-hour training requirement to be eligible for the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification.

The ABA program also offers a single course (EPY 4103) that allows students to be eligible for the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification. This course is available to students enrolled at MSU at either the undergraduate or graduate level. If you are interested in enrolling in this course, please follow the link below for more information.

RBT Course Information

For more specific information about the minor, please review the information in the ABA Undergraduate Handbooks (linked below).

For Non-EPY Majors:
- Applied Behavior Analysis Minor Handbook
- ABA Minor Declaration Form for Non-EPY Majors
For EPY Majors:
- EPY Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis Handbook
- ABA Declaration Form for EPY Majors

If you are interested in adding the minor, please talk to your advisor first, and then complete and email the completed declaration form (linked above) to ABA Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Beca Spencer at bspencer@colled.msstate.edu.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about the ABA major or minor, please feel free to reach out! We are happy to talk to you more about the program or answer any specific questions you may have. Mrs. Beca Spencer is an assistant professor in the ABA program and serves as the Undergraduate Program Coordinator. She can be reached at bspencer@colled.msstate.edu. You can also follow us on social media to keep up with program updates and announcements, as well as learn more about ABA. We are on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.