About BACB

About BACB

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, Inc. (BACB®) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 1998 to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behavior analysis services. The BACB adheres to the national standards for boards that grant professional credentials. The BACB certification procedures and content undergo regular psychometric review and validation, pursuant to a job analysis survey of the profession and standards established by content experts in the field.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board's BCBA and BCaBA credentialing programs are accredited by the National Council for Certifying Agencies in Washington, DC. NCCA is the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. The BACB is endorsed by the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts, the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) of the American Psychological Association, and the European Association for Behavior Analysis.

The BACB’s mission is to develop, promote, and implement an international certification program for behavior analyst practitioners. The BACB has established uniform content, standards, and criteria for the credentialing process that are designed to meet

The legal standards established through state, federal and case law;
The accepted standards for national certification programs; and
The "best practice" and ethical standards of the behavior analysis profession.

The BACB program is based on the successful Behavior Analysis Certification Program developed by the State of Florida. Similar programs were established in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Oklahoma. All of these programs transferred their certificants and credentialing responsibilities to the BACB and closed.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board credentials practitioners at three levels. Individuals who wish to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBA®) must possess at least a Masters Degree, have 225 classroom hours of specific Graduate-level coursework, meet experience requirements, and pass the Behavior Analyst Certification Examination. Persons wishing to be Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts® (BCaBA®) must have at least a Bachelors Degree, have 135 classroom hours of specific coursework, meet experience requirements, and pass the Assistant Behavior Analyst Certification Examination. Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral must have be BCBAs with doctorate degrees and meet other criteria. BACB certificants must accumulate continuing education credit to maintain their credentials.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board has developed:

Eligibility Standards to take the BACB Certification Examinations;
Renewal and Recertification Standards to maintain certification;
Guidelines for Responsible Conduct for Behavior Analysts;
Professional Disciplinary Standards with appeal procedures;
A Certificant Registry;
A process to approve university course sequences and practica;
Procedures to approve continuing education providers;
Professionally developed and maintained certification examinations.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board contracts with Pearson VUE for examination administration, and contracts with Professional Testing Incorporated for psychometrics and examination development. The BACB administers the examinations three times per year in over 200 sites within the United States and over 150 sites outside the US. The BACB has approved course sequences in over 170 universities.

Nondiscrimination As provided in the BACB’s bylaws, in conducting its activities, the BACB shall comply with all applicable laws that prohibit discrimination in employment or service provision because of a person’s race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, national origin, or because of any other protected characteristic.

FAQ | International FAQ

Board of Directors

JAMES E. CARR, PH.D., BCBA-D
Board of Directors Member
Auburn University
Auburn, AL (term ends 5/12)

CHRISTIE ENZINNA, MA, BCBA
Masters BCBA Member
Behavior Training and Treatment Center
Richman, TX (term ends 5/11)

JUDY FAVELL, PH.D., BCBA-D
Board of Directors President
AdvoServ, Inc.
Mount Dora, FL (term ends 5/12)

JOSE MARTINEZ-DIAZ, PH.D., BCBA-D
Board of Directors Co-Treasurer
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL (term ends 5/10)

DEBORA HARRIS, BCaBA
BCaBA Member
The ELIJA School
Levittown, NY (term ends 5/12)

JANE HOWARD, PH.D., BCBA-D
Board of Directors Co-Treasurer
Cal State Stanislaus
Modesto, Cal (term ends 5/11)

JOEL HUNDERT, PH.D., BCBA-D
Board of Directors Member
Behaviour Institute
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (term ends 5/10)

JENNICA NILL
Consumer Representative
Center Moriches, NY (5/05 - 5/08)
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HENRY ROANE, PH.D., BCBA-D
Board of Directors Member
State University of NY Upstate Medical University
Syarcuse, NY (term ends 5/10)

GERALD L. SHOOK, PH.D., BCBA-D
Chief Executive Officer &
Board of Directors Secretary
Behavior Analyst Certification Board
Auburn, Cal

HAYDEE TORO, PH.D., BCBA-D
Regulatory Agency Member
Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities
Ft. Lauderdale, FL (term ends 5/10)

Executive Committee
JUDY FAVELL
JANE HOWARD
JOSE MARTINEZ-DIAZ
GERALD L. SHOOK

Florida Behavior Analyst Certification Committee
MARK KOORLAND
JOSE MARTINEZ-DIAZ
GERALD L. SHOOK

Standards Committee
Chairperson
GERALD L. SHOOK

Elections Committee
Chairperson
HENRY ROANE

Hemingway Award Committee
Chairperson
HAYDEE TORO

Behavioral & Cognitive Psychology Specialty Council
BACB Representative
GERALD L. SHOOK

The trademarks "Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc.," "BACB®," "Board Certified Behavior Analyst®," "BCBA®," "Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst™," and "BCaBA®" are owned by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®. Unauthorized use or misrepresentation is strictly prohibited.