Revised Standards for

Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®)

Also see: BCABA Standards

New Experience Eligibility Standards & Phase-In Policy

If You Applied Before Spring 2005 Deadlines

New College Teaching Option Standards Applicants no longer have to be in "tenure track" positions to qualify.

New Supervisor Requirement All experience begun after September 1, 2006 to qualify individuals for certification examination must be supervised by a BCBA. Details will be posted when they are available.

CHANGES IN THE STANDARDS
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they apply under the current BACB Standards. The current BACB Standards will be posted on the BACB website. The BACB Standards are subject to revision in the sole discretion of the BACB Board of Directors. Whenever possible, advance notice of any substantial standard changes will also be posted at this website.

Eligibility to sit for the BCBA certification examination requires completion of Sections A and B below and compliance with all other rules and requirements of the BACB.
A. Degree Requirement: Possession of a minimum of a bachelor's and a master's degree from any of the following:

  1. United States or Canadian institution of higher education fully or provisionally accredited by a regional, state, provincial or national accrediting body; or
  2. An institution of higher education located outside the United States or Canada that, at the time the applicant was enrolled and at the time the applicant graduated, maintained a standard of training equivalent to the standards of training of those institutions accredited in the United States.


B. Training and Experience Requirements

OPTION 1:  COURSEWORK OPTION

1.
Coursework: The applicant must complete 225 classroom hours of graduate level instruction (see Acceptable Coursework below) in the following content areas and for the number of hours specified:
  1. Ethical considerations – 15 hours
  2. Definition & characteristics and Principles, processes & concepts - 45 hours
  3. Behavioral assessment and Selecting intervention outcomes & strategies - 35 hours
  4. Experimental evaluation of interventions - 20 hours
  5. Measurement of behavior and Displaying & interpreting behavioral data - 20 hours
  6. Behavioral change procedures and Systems support 45 hours
  7. Discretionary – 45 hours
Acceptable Coursework: Instruction of the type(s) specified in either a, b, or c, below, will be accepted toward the coursework requirement.
  1. College or university courses in behavior analysis, that are taken from an institution that meets the requirements specified in Section A.
  2. Non-college or university courses approved for this purpose by the State of Florida (subject to rules).
  3. A combination of college or university courses and approved courses.
 
2. Experience:

New experience standards for qualifying for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst (BCABA) examinations were adopted and posted on BACB.com on March 17, 2005.  The new standards will be phased-in as follows:

In General:  Individuals may not mix experience accumulated under the old standards with experience accumulated under the new standards to qualify for examination – all experience must be obtained either under the old standards or under the new standards.

Prior to July 1, 2006:  Individuals may begin accumulating experience either under the old experience standards or under the new experience standards.

  • Individuals who begin accumulating experience under the old standards prior to July 1, 2006 must complete their experience under the old standards by July 1, 2007.  This means that individuals may need to accumulate their experience under supervision rather than mentoring to accumulate the required amount of experience by July 1, 2007.  Individuals accumulating experience under the old standards may use a mixture of Supervision and Mentoring as long as they have sufficient experience by July 1, 2007.

  • Individuals who begin accumulating experience under the new standards prior to July 1, 2006 will not have the abovementioned time limits imposed on completing their experience.  Individuals accumulating experience under the new standards may use a mixture of Supervised Independent Fieldwork, Practicum, and Intensive Practicum.

On July 1, 2006 and Thereafter:  Individuals who begin accumulating experience after this date must do so under the new standards.  Individuals accumulating experience under the new standards may use a mixture of Supervised Independent Fieldwork, Practicum, and Intensive Practicum.
 
 
 

OPTION 2:  COLLEGE TEACHING OPTION
1.

College Teaching: The applicant must complete a one academic-year, full-time faculty appointment at a college or university (as described in Section A above) during which the applicant:

  • Teaches classes on basic principles of behavior, single-subject research methods, applications of basic principles of behavior in applied settings, and ethical issues; and
  • conducts and publishes research in behavior analysis.
2. Experience:

New experience standards for qualifying for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst (BCABA) examinations were adopted and posted on BACB.com on March 17, 2005.  The new standards will be phased-in as follows:

In General:  Individuals may not mix experience accumulated under the old standards with experience accumulated under the new standards to qualify for examination – all experience must be obtained either under the old standards or under the new standards.

Prior to July 1, 2006:  Individuals may begin accumulating experience either under the old experience standards or under the new experience standards.

  • Individuals who begin accumulating experience under the old standards prior to July 1, 2006 must complete their experience under the old standards by July 1, 2007.  This means that individuals may need to accumulate their experience under supervision rather than mentoring to accumulate the required amount of experience by July 1, 2007.  Individuals accumulating experience under the old standards may use a mixture of Supervision and Mentoring as long as they have sufficient experience by July 1, 2007.

  • Individuals who begin accumulating experience under the new standards prior to July 1, 2006 will not have the abovementioned time limits imposed on completing their experience.  Individuals accumulating experience under the new standards may use a mixture of Supervised Independent Fieldwork, Practicum, and Intensive Practicum.

On July 1, 2006 and Thereafter:  Individuals who begin accumulating experience after this date must do so under the new standards.  Individuals accumulating experience under the new standards may use a mixture of Supervised Independent Fieldwork, Practicum, and Intensive Practicum.


OPTION 3:  DOCTORATE/BCBA REVIEW OPTION

1. Doctorate Degree: The applicant must have a doctoral degree, conferred at least ten (10) years prior to applying. The field of study must be behavior analysis, psychology, education or another related field (doctoral degrees in related fields are subject to BACB approval).

2. BCBA Review:
The applicant must have 10 years post-doctoral experience in behavior analysis. Experience must be verified independently by three Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and supported by information provided on the applicant’s CV (curriculum vitae). Applicants who are unable to obtain three BCBAs familiar with their experience may contact the BACB directly (christine@bacb.com) to discuss alternatives.

 
 
 
 


Coursework/Experience/Portfolio Option– Expired 12/31/2003

Instructor/Experience/Portfolio Option: Expired 12/31/2001

 

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Also see: BCABA Standards

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