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Updated BACB Accounts: BACB accounts have been updated.
Please review the following resources to help you get started: Portal Transition Guide, Portal Knowledge Base, Portal Updates and Known Issues web page, and our New BACB Portal Tutorial video.
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Should I apply for my BCBA certification through Pathway 1 or Pathway 2?

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Updated
ByBACB NEWS


Start by using the flowchart below.

Open the BCBA application pathways PDF in a new tab. Use Pathway 1 if your graduate program was ABAI-accredited or recognized, or APBA-accredited, when you graduated and your transcript’s degree matches the listed program. If any answer is no, use Pathway 2.

If you are unsure whether the program you attended is ABAI-accredited or ABAI-recognized (Tier 2a or 2b), please review ABAI’s Accredited and Recognized Programs web pages to determine whether your program is listed. Pay close attention to exactly which program you completed, as an institution may offer multiple behavior analysis programs with similar names, but only some may be accredited. At this time, APBA does not have any accredited programs, so you do not need to check their website.

Completing the Application

When completing the application, pay close attention to the feedback and options available, as that will also help provide guidance.

When completing a Pathway 1 application, you will only be able to select institutions with eligible ABAI-accredited or -recognized degree programs from the drop-down menu. For each institution, the accredited or recognized program(s) will then be listed. If you do not see your institution or the degree you completed listed, you will be prompted to switch to a Pathway 2 application.

BCBA Pathway 1 application showing the Institution field’s search results after ‘University of’ is entered. Instructions indicate that applicants who cannot find their institution or degree should delete this application and select Pathway 2.
Pathway 1 education entry showing a drop-down menu for selecting an eligible ABAI-accredited or -recognized degree program.

When completing a Pathway 2 application, you will need to enter information about both your master’s degree and your behavior-analytic coursework. If you select an institution that offers an ABAI-accredited or -recognized degree on the master’s degree tab, you will receive the following message:

Pathway 2 application warning that the selected university has an ABAI/APBA-accredited degree program and advises checking whether Pathway 1 is appropriate. Selecting Yes deletes the current application; selecting Cancel continues with Pathway 2.

Please keep in mind that you may delete an application and begin a new one at no cost before submitting it. However, once an application has been submitted, you can no longer delete it, and a new application fee will be required to submit another application under a different pathway.