Admissions | Applied Behavior Analysis

Admission Requirements
Possess a degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for any undergraduate and/or graduate coursework Experience with persons with disabilities

Admissions Timeline
*Priority Application Deadline	January 15
Final Application Deadline	June 15
Program Start	Fall

*If you submit by our priority deadline, you will have access to our scholarship application, which is due by February 1st.

Who should apply?

The ABA program is a cohort-based program that can be combined with the MS in Special Education. Students can complete the graduate certificate/Verified Course Sequence (VCS) in six terms/two years and the MS + VCS coursework in seven terms/about two and a half years. Admission to this program is competitive and candidates must meet all admission requirements including documented experience working with individuals with disabilities.

Graduate certificate
- Individuals with undergraduate degrees (GPA at least 3.0) in human service areas of study such as behavior analysis, education, psychology, social work, child and family studies, etc. who are only in need of a VCS toward the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® examination*.
Master's degree and graduate certificate
- Individuals with undergraduate degrees (GPA at least 3.0) in human service areas of study such as behavior analysis, education, psychology, social work, child and family studies, etc. who would like to receive a master’s degree (MS) in Special Education in addition to a VCS toward the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® examination.*

*Applicants will need to meet additional requirements before they can be deemed eligible to take the examination. Please refer to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board for additional requirements.

The ABA program is fully aligned with the Department of Special Education’s Vision, Mission and Beliefs.

Required Application Materials

Below is the list of the materials and information you will need to provide as part of your online application. We recommend preparing these materials in advance of submitting your application.

Unofficial Transcripts: from your bachelor’s degree-granting institution and from any institution at which you have earned graduate-level credit
English Language Proficiency: Automatically assessed in your application materials. Learn more about your options for proving proficiency.
Résumé.
Statement of Purpose.
References: Submit contact information for at least two references via the application. Portland State University will contact your references and provide them with instructions for submitting recommendation forms.

Admissions instructions

Create an account or sign into the Portland State University Admissions Application system.
Select "Start New Application"
Then select "Graduate Application"
For the college, select "College of Education"
For the program of study, select "Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Graduate Certificate"
If you are planning to pursue the MS in addition, you will add that to your student account at a later date. No additional application is required.
Select the term you plan to start the program

Once your submitted application is complete, you will be contacted to schedule an interview with a faculty member. Once the entire admission process is complete, you will be notified of your official admission status via email from the Graduate School. Only after you are officially admitted will you be able to register for courses.

To validate your admission you must take a course during the term in which you have requested to be admitted. Should you not take a course in that term, your application will be cancelled and you will need to reapply.

Questions? Please connect with Stefanie Randol.