BCBA Sub Plan

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. The BCBA examination provides an opportunity for individuals to become internationally board certified as a behavior analyst at the master’s degree level. This certification can substantially improves an individual’s marketability as a special educator and professional behavior analyst on the local, regional, national, and international levels.

Candidates who have been accepted into the MSED or MAT programs are eligible to apply for the BCBA VCS. For both MSED and MAT candidates, the BCBA VCS consists of 7 courses (21 credits). For MSED candidates, 3 courses (9-credits) are embedded within the regular MSED programs and 4 courses (12-credits) are required in addition to the 36-credit MSED programs. The total number of credits for the MSED BCBA VCS program is 48-credits. For MAT candidates, the total number of credits to complete the MAT BCBA VCS is 63-credits, which includes the 21-credits of the BCBA VCS. See the course sequence tables below for details.

1. ​​Acceptance into the three-year MSED or MAT sequence. Please note the BCBA VCS cannot be completed as part of the two-year course sequence for any program (see tables below);
2. Submit a  BCBA Application Form in the first semester of matriculation into the MSED or MAT program;
3. Successfully interview with the BCBA VCS program coordinator;
4. Demonstrate a strong interest in becoming a BCBA and the field of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Program Completion Requirements:

1. Completion of the MSED or MAT sequence with a GPA of 3.0 or better;
2. Pass all BCBA VCS courses with a grade of C or better;
3. Successfully complete the capstone project using a single-subject research design;
4. Maintain a professional disposition during interactions throughout the program.

Requirements to Qualify for the BCBA Exam:

1. A conferred Master’s degree;
2. Completion of the BCBA VCS with grades of C or better for each course;
3. 2000 hours of supervised fieldwork or 1500 hours of concentrated supervised fieldwork;
4. Approved application to the BCBA Exam Portal.

Special Notes:

• ​This BCBA VCS program does NOT lead to a New York State Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA)​. This program is designed to provide the coursework for Certified Special Education Teachers to qualify to become a Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and work in school-based (exempt) settings.
• Due to New York State Regulations on the Scope Restriction for the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis, only professionals holding a LBA can practice ABA outside of an exempt setting. Please refer to section 8807 Exemptions under Article 167 of New York State Education Law.
• Although this program does not lead to a LBA in New York State, it does offer a bridge program with the Post Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis program in the Psychology Department at Queens College. This bridge program allows graduates of the MSED/MAT BCBA VCS to pursue a Post Master’s Advanced Certificate that leads to NYS LBA. It is strongly encouraged that all graduates complete this bridge program. See the BCBA program coordinator for details.
• The BCBA VCS program does NOT provide direct supervised fieldwork hours. It is the candidates responsibility to acquire supervised fieldwork in settings that are appropriate. However, the BCBA VCS program does provided connections to job opportunities that are in appropriate settings for BCBA supervised fieldwork. Please see the BCBA program coordinator for details.

Program Completion

To graduate, all GPSE candidates are required to meet the following requirements:

• Maintain a 3.0 GPA and complete all coursework.
• Perform successfully on all program-level and divisional-level assessments.

Candidates are responsible for ensuring that all requirements have been met for graduation. Incompletes must be resolved and ample time must be allowed for processing the change of grade forms. Candidates must apply for graduation on their CUNYFirst account. It is the candidate’s responsibility to follow up to ensure that all paperwork is processed in time for graduation.

Admission Requirements

​​Applicants to the Post Master’s, Advanced Certification Programs in Special Education must:

• Have completed a master’s degree in education.
• Have an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or better in their master’s program.
• Have completed a 3-credit course in Foundations of Special Education or equivalent. ​
• Have New York State Teacher Certification at the Initial (Provisional) and/or Professional (Permanent) level in general education (either in early childhood education, childhood education, or in a secondary content area).
• Write a well-organized, well-conceptualized essay that clearly communicates their reasons for pursuing a degree in special education. Indicate the nature of their current and past experiences with people with disabilities.
• Provide three letters of recommendation from professional sources. The letters must demonstrate the applicant’s superior abilities, qualities, and potential as a graduate candidate in special education.
• Candidates with master’s degrees and existing certification in a secondary content area (e.g., history, mathematics, chemistry, English) are eligible for the adolescent special education advanced certificate program.

Academic Prerequisites
Additionally applicants for the Post Master’s Advanced Certification in Adolescent Special Education Generalist Program must have had an undergraduate course distribution in the following prerequisites:

• English Language Arts: Successful completion (i.e., a grade of B or better in each course) of 2 English courses (6 credits), one must be English Composition.
• Social Sciences: Successful completion (i.e., a grade of B or better in each course) of 2 Social Sciences courses (6 credits). At least one of these courses must be a U.S. history course.
• Math: Successful completion (i.e., a grade of B or better in each course) of 2 mathematics courses (6 credits). Must include college algebra, geometry, or comparable course. Up to 3 credits of statistics course is acceptable.
• Science: Successful completion (i.e., a grade of B or better in each course) of 2 science courses (6 credits). One of the courses must have a lab component.

Adolescent Special Education Generalist PREREQUISITE WORKSHEET​