Location:

Northridge, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Undergraduate Certificate

Specialty:

Applied Behavior Analysis

Program Overview

Program Description:

The BCBA program at CSUN is a post-master's university-certificate program. BCBA students will earn a CSUN certificate upon completion of the BCBA program, but will not be professionally certified BCBA's until they complete and pass the BCBA certification test through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board: BACB®. The career options of behavior analysts are many and diverse, since the research, scope and practice of these practitioners vary tremendously. Behavior analysts are concerned with improving and understanding human behavior and are trained to use direct observation and experimentation to find causes for desired and undesired behaviors. They design strategies to alter socially significant behavior by changing existing behaviors, teaching new behaviors, teaching what behaviors are appropriate to use in different situations, and consistently evaluating the effectiveness of their behavioral interventions. A behavior analyst is Board Certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) after passing the BCBA certification exam. To sit for the exam, a candidate must apply to the BACB® and provide evidence of having a minimum of a master's degree, completion of 225 classroom hours of graduate level instruction in the specified content areas established by the BACB®, and accumulated supervised experience hours that meet the BACB® standards. For more specific information regarding the certification process, you may visit the BACB® home page. Behavior analysts work with people of all ages, from early childhood to geriatrics, and in multiple settings such as homes, schools, hospitals, residential facilities, rehabilitation centers, research labs and places of business. Behavior analysts may also work directly with or act as consultants to organizations or specific programs. The scope of such work can include developmental disabilities such as autism and mental retardation, more severe problems such as schizophrenia, anxiety, parenting problems, marital conflict, gerontology, behavioral medicine, sexual dysfunction, addiction, and delinquency, among many others.

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission