Higher Education
The mission of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) is “to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and practice.” In education, ABAI’s main objective is to recruit and train individuals well versed in the science and application of behavior analysis.
Since 1993, ABAI has been accrediting quality higher-education programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. In recent years, ABAI has also been verifying course sequences (VCS) for institutions offering coursework to individuals seeking BCBA and BCaBA credentials and/or a certificate of coursework completion of Culturo-Behavior Science (CBS). ABAI supports academic training programs through the work of the ABAI Accreditation Board and ABAI Verified Course Sequences Board. ABAI offers four types of designations for higher education programs worldwide: 1) Accreditation, 2) Recognition, 3) Verified Course Sequence, and 4) Concentration.
Accreditation
The ABAI Accreditation Board is the governance body responsible for the accreditation of training programs in behavior analysis at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The Accreditation Board operates as a board of ABAI and carries out its responsibilities in a manner consistent with the ABAI bylaws and articles of incorporation.
- Accreditation: Accredited bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs (Tier 1) have undergone a rigorous quality review process and successfully met the ABAI Accreditation Board's standards. Only degree programs in higher education institutions may apply for accreditation. A degree from an ABAI-accredited program meets the BACB's coursework and degree requirements for BCBA and BCaBA examination applications (via Pathway 1). Visit the Accreditation website locate an accredited program, and for information about the standards, application process, and other resources.
Tiered Model of Education
The Tiered Model of Education is the quality recognition of academic training programs in behavior analysis at the bachelor's and undergraduate-level equivalent, master's and graduate-level equivalent, and doctoral level. This new system has four main tiers, arranged by program structure, and the standards are modeled from the accreditation system. The goal of the Tiered Model of Education is to help programs systematically achieve a quality-based recognition.
- Recognition: Recognized degree and non-degree programs in (Tiers 2a through 4b) have undergone a similar peer-review process and approximate the accreditation standards. A degree from an ABAI-recognized master's or doctoral (Tier 2a/2b) program meets the BACB's coursework and degree requirements for the BCBA examination applications (via Pathway 1). Visit the Tiered Model of Education website for additional information about the standards, application process, and other resources.
Verified Course Sequences
A Verified Course Sequence (VCS) is a set of courses that has been verified by ABAI as meeting specific coursework requirements, content hours, and faculty standards for the BACB's coursework requirements of the examination applications. Coursework is verified at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Visit the VCS website for additional information.
- BACB VCS: The BACB VCS status indicates the coursework meets the BACB's coursework requirements for BCBA or BCaBA examination applications (via Pathway 2).
Concentration
A concentration is a set of courses and experiential learning in a specific area of behavior analysis. The concentration has been reviewed and verified by ABAI as meeting a focused area of content area and hours, including rigorous competencies, and a specialized area of faculty standards. Visit the CBS website for additional information.
- CBS Concentration: The CBS concentration status indicates the program offers focused training and competencies in culturo-behavior science. Students who complete the entire CBS concentration are eligible for a certificate of coursework completion from ABAI.
Directories
ABAI has two directories for constituents to locate behavior analysis training programs and instructors for teaching-related services.
- Programs Directory: ABAI provides a list of ABAI-accredited programs (Tier 1) and all academic training programs (accredited programs, and programs offering VCSs and CBS Concentrations). The Tiered Model of Education opened in 2022 - updates to the directory are forthcoming.
- Instructor Directory: ABAI provides a directory of instructors to help advance the science by facilitating eligible instructors who may be available to provide teaching-related services. Search for an instructor by geographic location, discipline, experience, and availability for services - many instructors hold advanced degrees, licensure, and certification. By serving programs globally, ABAI's role is to establish the minimum qualifications for instructors. Instructors must also meet requirements of their institution's regional/national accrediting agency. Individuals listed in the directory have met instructor requirements of ABAI accreditation and/or of verified course sequences – such verification is the extent of ABAI's vetting. Not all instructors are members of ABAI. If you are an instructor in an ABAI accredited program, tier program, or verified course sequence (VCS) and want to be listed in the Instructor Directory please email us.