Earn Your Master's in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Online from Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University’s online Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis program provides you with a thorough understanding of how to leverage applied behavior analysis (ABA) techniques to enrich lives.
Featuring online course work and in-person field experiences, students learn the skills necessary to improve behaviors of individuals diagnosed with impairments such as autism, developmental disabilities, or traumatic brain injury.
Pepperdine is proud to offer its students a verified course sequence from the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), which meets the course work requirement to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) exam.
Once you graduate from the ABA online program, and complete all necessary experience hours, you will be eligible to sit for the BCBA exam.
Online Master of Applied Behavior Analysis Program Highlights
As a student in the online applied behavior analysis master’s program, you will develop a deep understanding of analytical behavioral health and the modern techniques used to recognize, assess, and treat human behaviors. You will study concepts and principles of ABA, assessment procedures, and applications of ABA for behavior change.
The ABAI-verified course sequence is designed to teach you foundational knowledge of a wide range of clinical interventions for children, adolescents, and adults. You will help patients develop adaptive skills for optimal functioning in educational, family, social, and occupational roles.
Upon completion of the program’s 31–37 units and all necessary experience hours, you will be eligible to sit for the BCBA exam. Throughout the ABA program, you will have mentors that facilitate learning, positioning you to qualify for BCBA certification.
5–7 sessions
31–37 units
6
units of supervised
field placement
On-Campus MSABA Program
Pepperdine's MS in Applied Behavior Analysis prepares you to sit for the BCBA exam in 18 months to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. The course sequence is verified by ABAI. Gain clinical experience with over 50 practicum sites. Pursue your passion through meaningful service and purpose at Pepperdine GSEP.
Admissions Overview
OnlinePsychology@Pepperdine seeks students who are committed to cultivating a deep understanding of human behavior while advancing their capability to serve those in need. We accept applications on a rolling basis and offer you the option to start earning your applied behavior analysis degree at various times throughout the year.
To apply, you must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. You are not required to provide GRE scores as part of your application. Applicants who take advantage of the priority submit deadline will have their application fee waived.
Visit our Application Requirements page for further details.
Cohorts start in:
Winter|Spring|Summer|Fall
Financial Aid
Financial aid opportunities are available for Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology students. Students may utilize military education benefits, employer tuition assistance, federal student loans, private loans, or scholarships to assist with program expenses. To gain a better understanding of the total cost of your degree, Pepperdine offers a calculator tool to approximate the cost of tuition.
Pursue Your Purpose
Learn more about earning your Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis online from Pepperdine University.
ABA Master’s Online Curriculum Overview
The applied behavior analysis master's program curriculum gives you the opportunity to understand behavioral psychology from an evidence-based, data driven perspective. Students learn to observe and assess behavior patterns, determine target behaviors, and select strategies to promote positive change.
As a student, you will learn the principles and techniques of applied behavior analysis while exploring deeper topics such as ABA experimental design, ethical and professional conduct, and multicultural counseling.
The online program can be completed in 15–21 months.
ABA Online Program Courses
The following list is a sample of ABA course topics you will study in the online master’s in applied behavior analysis program:
- Concepts and principles of applied behavior analysis.
- Autism spectrum disorders.
- Selecting and implementing interventions in ABA.
- Assessment procedures for ABA.
In addition to the ABAI-verified courses, you will have the opportunity to take two out of nine offered elective courses. The following list is a sample of ABA electives:
- Multicultural Counseling.
- Psychopathology.
- Individual, Couple, and Family Development: A Life Cycle Approach.
- Clinical Interventions with Children and Adolescents.
If you completed the above courses at the undergraduate level from a regionally accredited institution within the last seven years, you may be eligible to have up to six semester units, or two elective courses, waived. You must have earned a grade of B or better in each course. We will evaluate the transcripts you provide with your application for potential waivers.
Read course descriptions for the classes you will take in the online master’s in applied behavior analysis program.
Clinical Training
Pepperdine’s clinical practica are focused on providing you with close mentorship in conjunction with a BCBA at your ABA-based fieldwork setting to create opportunities for you to develop your behavior analytic skills. Clinical training focuses on the practitioner-client relationship, diversity, and multicultural considerations, enabling you to gain real-world experience while employed at a Pepperdine-approved ABA agency in your community.
The BACB has updated its fieldwork experience and supervision requirements for any individual wishing to take the exam beginning in 2022. This is to ensure that all new practitioners are prepared for success in the field. Additional fieldwork hours are required to take the BCBA exam and must be obtained following program completion. Learn more about the changing requirements here.
We highly recommend you begin looking for employment at an ABA site as soon as you apply to the program. Our placement team can advise you as you search for a Pepperdine-approved ABA agency in your community; however, it is ultimately up to each student to secure employment in a behavioral health site. Finding employment helps ensure you can take the practicum course when it’s time.
While enrolled in PSY 620 Practicum in ABA, you will be required to complete the BACB’s monthly minimum fieldwork requirements, which includes a minimum of 20 hours of clinical training per month supervised by a BCBA (i.e., at a minimum, approximately 165 hours over three terms) in order to graduate from the program. You must continue your fieldwork experience independently until you accrue the hour requirement listed in the BACB’s fieldwork standards to qualify to take the BCBA exam. To learn more about clinical training requirements, read our FAQs.
Passionate and Purpose-Driven Faculty
The faculty at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) are active practitioners and experts in their disciplines who are dedicated to helping you grow as you pursue your master’s education. The practitioners and professors who you’ll collaborate with have a deep passion for inspiring future leaders in the field. During your study, you’ll be exposed to a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences from professionals who work in all segments of the behavior analysis landscape.
Mentorship is a key component of the ABA master’s online program. Pepperdine faculty will teach you how to design programs, conduct data analysis, and discern multicultural considerations for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Careers for ABA Online Program Graduates
By applying scientifically validated principles and techniques of learning, BCBAs help children and adults with disabilities develop the adaptive skills needed to function in educational, social, family, and occupational settings.
When you become a certified behavior analyst, you can work in a range of professional settings, including government entities, education settings, hospitals, and mental health facilities.
After completing all courses and necessary experience hours, and passing the BCBA exam, you can pursue certification and employment in a variety of roles, such as:
- Behavior analyst/coach/specialist
- Clinical supervisor/manager/director
- Behavioral consultant
- Educational consultant
- Organizational consultant
People diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities need evidence-based treatments that allow them to reestablish positive behaviors and improve their potential for a better future. BCBAs work in a variety of settings; however, most fall into three categories: health care, education, and social assistance.
When you become a BCBA, you will conduct a number of processes used to:
- Determine patient behaviors.
- Understand and control patient environments.
- Establish achievable strategies over time.
- Promote independence and self-capability.
- Modify behavioral variables.
- Evaluate goals and expected outcomes.
After you graduate from Pepperdine’s online ABA program, you’ll be equipped to enter numerous career settings, including:
- Treatment planning
- Case management
- Human development
- Data collection
- Employee training
Applied behavior analysts are renowned for advances in autism treatment and support. They use evidence-based treatments in response to human behavioral or societal needs. Other applications of ABA include behavioral parent training, organizational behavior management, and behavioral gerontology.
BCBA Online Program Certification
To become eligible to take the BCBA certification exam, you must:
- Earn a master’s or doctoral degree in an acceptable field of study.
- Complete course work that covers the required content from the BACB.
- Complete the BACB’s monthly minimum fieldwork requirements (i.e., 20 hours of supervised clinical training per month with an appropriate supervision frequency and intensity) while enrolled in PSY 620 Practicum in ABA.
- Complete the required fieldwork hours that comply with the BACB’s fieldwork standards following graduation.
- Take and pass the BCBA examination.
Earning your Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis degree is the first step to becoming a BCBA. Pepperdine’s ABAI-verified course sequence will provide you with the course work required to sit for the BCBA exam, once all necessary experience hours are completed.
The BACB exam pass-rate data can be found here. Pass-rate data are not published for verified course sequences within their first four years of operation.
Earn Your Master’s. Enrich Lives.
Learn more about earning your ABA master’s online from Pepperdine University.
