Student Advising Office
Chilton Hall, 360E
(940) 565-3318
Graduate Faculty: Ala'i-Rosales, Ellis, Glenn, Hyten, Rosales-Ruiz, Smith, Vaidya.
The Department of Behavior Analysis offers a program of general and applied course work leading to the master's degree with a major in behavior analysis.
This program prepares students to apply behavioral principles to solve performance problems in work, home, institutional and educational settings. Graduates may work in human service or business settings, or they may go on to doctoral training in one of a number of fields.
University library holdings in behavior analysis are extensive. The Donald L. Whaley Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to one or more students in behavior analysis. Research and teaching assistantships are available for qualified students, as are opportunities for paid work in behavior analysis. Students in other fields may minor in behavior analysis.
Both laboratory and applied research are conducted at the Department of Behavior Analysis, and scholarly work in the theory and philosophy of a science of behavior is ongoing. Applied research in a variety of field settings is supervised by faculty.
Departmental laboratories accommodate multiple ongoing experiments in human operant behavior.
Current research is in the areas of stimulus equivalence, relations between verbal and physiological measures, functional analysis and treatment of self-injurious behavior, nature and causes of behavioral variability, organization of behavior in human repertoires in home and in school, treatment of children with autism, functional assessments and behavioral interventions in classrooms, and stimulus control.
Admission to the master's program in behavior analysis is based on combined information from several sources: GRE scores; undergraduate GPA and, where applicable, GPA in post-baccalaureate courses; letters of recommendation; demonstrated skills and serious interest in behavior analysis (as evidenced by previous course work/grades, completed research and/or applied projects in behavior analysis undertaken at the undergraduate level or in work settings under the supervision of a behavior analyst), and a personal statement (letter) as to the applicant's goals and interests in behavior analytic research and practice. The departmental admissions committee considers every applicant on an individual basis in an attempt to ensure that a student who is accepted to the program will be capable of completing the rigorous curriculum.
Although no specific undergraduate major is required, an appropriate background is desirable. Students must have a minimum of 6 semester credit hours in behavior analysis, including a course in behavioral principles before beginning course work toward the master's degree. After the first semester of course work, and on a continuing basis, students are advised regarding ways in which they can best achieve the level of expertise required to master the subject matter included in the curriculum.
Master of Science in Behavior Analysis
The purpose of the program is to:
The graduate program is designed to enable students to follow either of two career paths upon graduation:
1. Professional employment in the applied field: conduct behavioral assessments and behavioral interventions in human service or business settings, train employees in program interventions and conduct applied research in public and private agencies and institutions; or
2. Doctoral study in behavior analysis: enter PhD programs at other universities to continue advanced study in applied behavior analysis or the experimental analysis of behavior.
Students focusing in either area will take courses from a core curriculum, take elective courses tailored to their interests and complete a thesis.
Students with disabilities should contact the department office for the name of the graduate adviser.
Students focusing on application will complete 48 semester hours, including 24 hours of core courses and thesis, designated and free elective courses, and 7 hours of practicum/internship. Others will complete 42 semester hours of work in the same categories, but will have one 2-hour practicum.
Full- or part-time study is possible, as long as a satisfactory pace is maintained. Ordinarily, students will take a minimum of 6 hours per semester and finish in five to eight semesters.
All Courses of Instruction are located in one section at the back of this catalog.
The "Course and Subject Guide," found in the Courses of Instruction section of this book, serves as a table of contents and provides quick access to subject areas and prefixes.
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