Master of Science in Psychology – Applied Behavior Analysis

To become licensed as a behavior analyst in the state of Kentucky (and in most other states), an individual must be certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), the leading international credentialing agency for behavior analysts accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.

Certification by the BACB requires completion of content-specific, approved coursework; a graduate degree in a relevant discipline; supervised experience; and a passing score on a professional examination developed by the BACB.

This program meets the educational requirements for pursuing certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). In addition to their educational requirements, graduates of this program will need to pass an exam, complete supervised experience requirements, and complete an application process to become certified. Passing the BCBA exam provides eligibility to pursue independent practice and insurance reimbursement for services provided.

See the Behavior Analyst Certification Board website for up-to-date details.

If you already hold a master’s degree in any subject area, look at our 21 hour ABA graduate certificate.

• Annual reporting period: Academic Year 2022-2023 (Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023)
• Number of students whose degrees were conferred by the program: MS – 37, CERT – 2
• Median years until graduation for students whose degrees were conferred by the program: MS – 2 years, CERT – 2 years
• Number of students enrolled in the program: MS – 112, CERT – 13
• Number of students no longer enrolled for any reason other than conferral of degree: 8 students considered active by the Graduate School but did not enroll in courses during Academic Year 2022-2023.
• Number of completed applications received: 134
• Number of students admitted: 107
• Percentage of first time candidates passing the BCBA certification examination: 71% pass rate in 2022
• Number of graduates obtaining a master’s-level state license as a behavior analyst: 6 (in Kentucky) for the 2022-2023 academic year reporting period
• Time to Completion: Mean years to completion – MS: 2 ½ years, CERT: 2 years; Range to program completion – MS: 1 ½ years – 3 1/3 years, CERT: 1 1/3 years – 2 ½ years