Applied Behavior Analysis

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a rigorous science with a heart for improving people’s lives through ethical behavior change. ABA is grounded in effective procedures that focus on interactions between people and environments, and how those interactions lead to both problematic and adaptive behaviors.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts are primarily known for serving people with autism and developmental disabilities in clinics, schools, and homes. Often, service is provided through direct clinical work, training, supervision, management, or consulting. However, the science of ABA has been shown to be effective across various settings and populations with and without disabilities. Behavior Analysis is very useful and complementary to any field or setting that relies on human behavior to succeed (business organizations, sports, education, childcare, gerontology, animal training & husbandry, etc.).

Behavior Analysts can make the world a better place, one client at a time, one caregiver at a time, one supervisee/employee at a time. And that in turn can improve the families, organizations, and communities in which we all belong. ABA’s core ethical principles are well aligned with Georgian Court University’s Mercy Core Values.

In 2025, the Nation-wide pass rates for the BCBA exam was 51% for first-time takers (23% for retakes). https://www.bacb.com/about/bacb-certificant-annual-report-data/

As of May 2026, University Pass Rate reports showing the pass rates of individual universities are only available through 2024.  In 2024, Georgian Court’s pass rate for first-time takers was 50%.

To improve the success of GCU students on their first attempt at the certification exam, our ABA program has been making substantial program-enhancing changes since 2024 & 2025. Students currently enrolling in the program will benefit from them. We predict the results of these improvements should begin to appear in the 2026/2027/2028 University Pass Rate reports.

These changes include:

• Adding high-quality BCBA® exam preparation software for course credit, built into the required coursework of MA students in their last semester.
• Enhancing the structure and learning goals of the Clinical Master’s Project (Thesis equivalent) for MA students.
• Strengthening courses Content Alignment with Exam Task Content Outline, 6^th ed.
• Ensuring courses are taken in a sequence with content that builds upon each other, and also allows more opportunity for presenting at local ABA conferences.
• Adding a new introductory prerequisite course (ABA500) in Fall 2026.

As of June 2026, Clinical Master’s Project manuscripts from individual students are publicly available through Georgian Court’s SMJC Library.

The master’s thesis-equivalent projects showcase how students incorporate single-subject research designs to help clients assigned to them at their supervision sites, while getting course credit (in ABA550/551).

In addition, past students (both master’s and post-master’s) have gained research experience through coursework projects.  For example, during the Introduction to OBM course (ABA512), small groups of students apply assessments and interventions in organizational settings while monitoring and assessing effectiveness with a variety of single-subject designs. The timing of this course offering for students incoming in 2026 will help facilitate poster/presentation submissions at local ABA conferences prior to graduation.

Our program has relationships with schools and behavioral agencies to help you identify opportunities to earn supervised fieldwork experience hours, which may lead to full-time work opportunities.  We regularly host organizational representatives/recruiters who speak to our students in person about working for their organization. Currently, only anecdotal data on employment outcomes exist. However, a survey will be systematically sent to alumni to obtain objective employment data in the near future.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts are primarily known for serving people with autism and developmental disabilities in clinics, schools, and homes. Often, service is provided through direct clinical work, training, supervision, management, or consulting. However, the science of ABA has been shown to be effective across various settings and populations with and without disabilities. Behavior Analysis is very useful and complementary to any field or setting that relies on human behavior to succeed (business organizations, sports, education, childcare,  gerontology, animal training & husbandry, etc.).

Yes. The Georgian Court University graduate assistantship program gives graduate students the financial resources necessary to pursue their degrees. This financial support—stipend, tuition remission, and benefits—is part of GCU’s commitment to the success of our graduate students.

Yes! Our Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis is a 39-credit degree, but GCU undergraduate students can take 12 of those 39 credits and begin accruing supervised fieldwork hours.

Anytime! We recommend applying as early as possible.

A new cohort begins each Fall. In the Fall, prerequisite courses (ABA500 & ABA510) are offered, and the rest of the program’s courses build upon them (limited Spring/Summer starts are available, subject to demonstration of prerequisite ABA knowledge).