Special Education ABA (M.Ed.)

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 the 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.

Please note: For more information, visit www.sru.edu/graduate. Transfer course evaluation information can be found on our graduate website.

Program Mission

In line with the mission of the SRU College of Education, the master’s program in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) prepares knowledgeable, ethical, and culturally responsive behavior analysts and related professionals. The program advances the science and practice of applied behavior analysis in service to a diverse global society. Through a triad of teaching, scholarship, and service, we empower graduates to apply behavior-analytic principles to improve the quality of life for individuals across diverse settings and populations. Our mission is to cultivate professional competence, critical thinking, and a commitment to data-based decision-making in the service of socially meaningful outcomes.

Program Objectives

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

• Demonstrate fluency across all content areas, including principles of behavior, research methods, conceptual analysis, basic behavior analysis, applied behavior analysis, and ethics
• Implement culturally responsive, evidence-based practices grounded in an understanding of the influence of race, ethnicity, culture, religion, spirituality, and socioeconomic status on behavior, particularly in diverse and inclusive service delivery contexts.
• Select, implement, and evaluate socially valid behavior-change procedures, emphasizing client autonomy and ethical standards. Students will critically assess the goals, methods, and outcomes of interventions to support client-centered success.
• Design and analyze single-case experimental research to evaluate behavior-analytic interventions and promote the dissemination of evidence-based practices through data-driven conclusions and professional communication.
• Apply systems-level behavioral analyses and ethical decision-making models to address complex problems of practice in education, human services, and community settings, using tools such as functional behavior assessments and behavior support planning.
• Demonstrate competency in independent problem-solving using behavior-analytic research and practice methods, including defining problems in measurable terms, designing appropriate interventions, and evaluating outcomes with a focus on objectivity, generalization, and social significance.

Program Mission and Congruence with Institutional and ABAI Missions

Institutional Mission: Slippery Rock University's Vision, Mission and Values can be viewed here.

The missions of Slippery Rock University (SRU), the graduate Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program, and the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) intersect through shared commitments to research, teaching, professional practice, and societal well-being. Collectively, these entities emphasize integrating science, education, and service to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.

Within the field of teaching and education, students in the ABA graduate program are introduced to the science of behavior analysis through structured coursework in foundational principles and applied methodologies. This preparation builds competency in evidence-based instruction, assessment, and intervention, aligning directly with ABAI’s mission to advance education in behavior analysis. Students learn to view learning as a measurable, data-driven process grounded in behavioral science.

In scholarship and research, the program cultivates students’ ability to critically consume and responsibly produce research that reflects the field’s scientific foundations. Through engagement with peer-reviewed literature and the application of single-case experimental designs, students develop the analytical skills necessary to evaluate interventions and contribute to evidence-based practice. This emphasis reflects both SRU’s commitment to scholarly inquiry and ABAI’s focus on advancing research within the discipline.

Service and professional practice are integrated through supervised field experiences that emphasize the ethical and effective application of ABA principles in authentic settings. Students are trained to operationally define problems of practice—real-world challenges in schools, homes, and community programs—such as reducing maladaptive behavior, increasing academic or communication skills, or addressing systemic barriers. They learn to analyze these issues using functional principles and data-based decision-making, implement interventions with fidelity, and evaluate measurable outcomes. Mentorship throughout these experiences reinforces professional ethics, cultural responsiveness, and accountability.

Finally, the shared commitment to fostering a diverse and global community aligns with ABAI’s broader focus on societal impact. The program emphasizes equity, inclusion, and respect in all professional interactions. Students are trained to consider client values, cultural contexts, and systemic influences in service delivery, ensuring that behavioral practice is socially valid and responsive to diverse populations. Through this integration of research, teaching, service, and societal engagement, the missions of SRU, the ABA graduate program, and ABAI remain closely aligned in promoting meaningful, measurable improvements in human well-being.

Our program is structured around three to four distinct curricular domains, intentionally aligned with the mission and learning outcomes of our ABA concentration. To ensure students remain current with contemporary issues and emerging trends in special education and applied behavior analysis, we have designed specific writing-intensive courses—particularly SPED 665 (Research Methods in ABA) and SPED 668 (master’s Thesis in ABA)—to promote the exploration and critical analysis of contemporary issues in the field.

In these courses, students are explicitly directed to research, analyze, and produce scholarly work on emerging methods, technologies, and interventions in behavior analysis. Assignments often include APA-formatted research papers, data-based discussions, and literature reviews that rely heavily on peer-reviewed sources from current behavior-analytic journals (e.g., JABA, Behavior Analysis in Practice). Syllabi for these courses include required readings that reflect recent advancements and debates in areas such as telehealth, culturally responsive intervention strategies, and trauma-informed ABA. (See supporting documents SPED 665 and SPED 668.)

As instructors, we require that research topics be relevant to students’ current professional roles or anticipated career responsibilities. This application-focused strategy promotes a practice-oriented perspective aligned with the goals of applied behavior analysis. Students have consistently reported that this approach enhances their ability to apply contemporary literature to real-world challenges. For example, several students have developed literature-based intervention proposals that were later implemented in school or clinic settings.

This deliberate alignment of coursework with real-world challenges, along with the consistent incorporation of current scholarship into student work, supports our program’s emphasis on lifelong learning and professional growth.

Student Profile

As a practitioner-focused program, the ABA graduate program at SRU is designed with the professional in mind. Coursework, projects, and assignments are designed to help you as a student immediately in your professional roles outside the classroom. Whether you are a recently graduated entry-level professional (teacher, registered behavior technician, etc.) or an experienced educator looking for a shift in your professional journey, we believe you will see your classroom experiences here as purposeful and the work completed in classes as easily translated to your professional settings. This results in immediate success for you as an adult learner and positions you for long-term growth after completion of your coursework.

Facilities / Resources Profile

Given the current online delivery of our graduate programming in the ABA concentration and the remote nature of our current body, we are primarily “virtual” in the execution of our overall programming, advisement, and courses. To that end, the program is primarily delivered through the Desire2Learn (D2L) learning module system. Courses provided through D2L are dynamic, using prepared online lectures, narrated PowerPoint lectures, synchronous discussion posts, small-group projects, and varied individual assignments based on the needs of the course. Students and instructors have access to and use a range of resources, including Kaltura Media Space, audio and video capture within the course shells, and virtual meeting tools like “Zoom” for voluntary synchronous learning events. D2L also provides instructional guides and tip sheets for both faculty and students using the platform. These resources have ensured that students and staff are successful in implementing virtual programming. All instructors currently teaching in the program have completed education in proper online instruction through Quality Matters, Inc. (QM) as well. While our programming is online and asynchronous, all courses are staffed by a primary instructor of record from the special education department. Moreover, all instructors teaching in ABAI-recognized classes are approved as program instructors as part of our ABAI recognition. Beyond participating in an effective and engaging online learning experience, students also have full access to opportunities for assistantships, scholarships, and campus employment. Students also have access to a range of research and library resources through the Bailey Library and its support staff. The Bailey Library is a full-service resource for our students, providing writing support, access to a range of peer-reviewed resources and databases, and interlibrary loans. Our instructors regularly include our library liaison, as assigned at the college level, to provide instruction on proper research techniques and guidance as students carry out various projects and papers throughout their coursework.

Research experiences will be carried out primarily through the completion of the Thesis components of this program. The purpose of the thesis experience is to meet the BACB’s intensive graduate supervision requirements and to develop, design, implement, and evaluate behavior-analytic techniques that produce meaningful change. The thesis project reflects the student’s research interests and ability to conduct research in applied behavior analysis. The thesis may be in any branch of behavior analysis: philosophical/conceptual, basic, or applied. Research conducted through this experience will contribute to the student’s knowledge base and be useful when sitting for the BACB certification examination, and it will also help students learn how to contribute to the field as active researchers within their applied settings.

Our ABA program is in the process of formally launching its applied practicum sequence (SPED 666 and SPED 667). These courses align with ABAI’s Supervised Experiential Learning requirements, providing students with structured opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence in applied practice under qualified supervision.

To support this initiative, we have established partnerships with Regional Behavioral Consultants and Allegheny Behavior Analysis Services of Pittsburgh. Both organizations are established providers of ABA services across school, clinic, home, and community settings. These environments will provide students with the opportunity to:

• Conduct behavioral measurement using varied data collection systems.
• Implement assessment procedures (e.g., functional behavior assessments, preference assessments).
• Design, implement, and evaluate interventions in collaboration with supervisors.
• Engage in ethical and culturally responsive service delivery consistent with the BACB Task List (6th edition).

Curriculum Vitae for our current partners can be found by reaching out to the program coordinator.