Special Education Teacher

Train Yourself to Better Help People

SRU's program in Applied Behavior Analysis helps you support individuals with exceptionalities

Special Education: Applied Behavioral Analysis (Master of Education)

Offered by: Special Education

Are you empathetic and caring, kind and patient? If you enjoy helping others, consider becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). BCBA's can support all persons with exceptionalities and have been instrumental in the support of persons having Autism Spectrum Disorders. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, behavior analyst jobs are growing rapidly and the overall employment rate is expected to grow much faster than the average for all professions combined between 2012 and 2022.

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Description

Slippery Rock University's M.Ed. in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a 36-39 credit program aimed at training practitioners in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) services consistent with the standards set forth through the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB). The Association for Behavior Analysis International has verified the following courses toward the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® examination. Applicants will need to meet additional requirements before they can be deemed eligible to take the examination.

Learn more about SRU’s ABA program by listening to Dr. Bieniek’s podcast.

Highlights

Slippery Rock University's Master of Education in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) offers:

  • 100% Online courses
  • World class faculty considered to be the leaders in Special Education in Pennsylvania
  • A program curriculum grounded in theory and research supported by a practical, hands-on approach
  • Course sequence alignment with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) that meets eligibility requirements to take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Exam

Requirements

Attention: To apply for admission, please use the following link to apply now.

  • $25 Application Fee
  • Resume 
  • Two electronic recommendation forms: two professional references or one academic reference from a former or current college or university faculty member with knowledge of the applicant’s academic abilities and one professional reference from a school administrator, teacher, or supervisor with knowledge of the applicant’s professional attributes
  • Official undergraduate and any graduate transcripts (official transcripts must be sent by institution via electronic transcript e-share to graduate.admissions@sru.edu or via mail - faxed copies will not be considered official)
  • SRU current/Alumni/former students click here to order your official SRU final transcript and have it sent to graduate.admissions@sru.edu

*If you are requesting review of your graduate transcripts for transfer of credit, please complete the transfer of credit form and submit to the Office of Graduate Admissions with official graduate transcripts. Please review SRU's transfer of credit policy.

Program Mission / Objectives

Program mission: 

In line with the SRU College of Education, the primary goal of the master’s in special education, with a concentration in the ABA graduate program, is to prepare teacher candidates and related professionals for service in a diverse global community. Within this context, teaching, scholarship, and service are viewed as a triad in which teaching is enlightened by scholarship and applied through service. 

Program objectives: 

To achieve this mission, upon graduation, students will be able to:  

  1.  Demonstrate fluency regarding technical terminology of the concepts and principles of behavior analysis
  2.  Implement culturally responsive methodological approaches, skills, and techniques reflecting an understanding of the role of culture in the life of the client in cross-cultural applications with clients of different racial,   ethnic, religious, spiritual, and/or socioeconomic class 
  3.  Promote active involvement in the selection of behavior change interventions and the evaluation of the social validity of the goals, procedures, and outcomes of behavior change interventions, all to promote self-   determined success for all clients with whom our students will work.  
  4.  Understand and implement a single case experimental research design study to answer a socially meaningful research question or questions and become an informed and critical consumer of the existing literature to     promote the dissemination of evidence-based practices. 
  5.  Apply data-based, ethical decision-making frameworks using a behavioral systems analysis using descriptive and functional analyses to address problems of practice in behavioral research and practice 
  6.  Utilize objective, impartial, and data-based approaches (including but not limited to behavioral systems theory, functional behavioral assessment, and evidence-based intervention planning) to identify and define a   problem objectively and measurably, design a method to address the problem, and conduct and report an investigation that carries out the given method to a conclusion in an objective and measurable format that is   appropriately understandable for the intended audience being serviced.