College of Education

ABA Admissions

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Admissions

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.

Admission Instructions

  1. Check the application deadline for your program. Applicants are responsible for ensuring all application materials are received by the department by the application deadline!
  2. Make sure you have everything ready from the Application Checklist.
  3. Create an account or sign into the Portland State University Admissions Application system.
  4. Select "Start New Application" and then "Graduate Application." Do not select "Non-degree". You will not be able to upload the necessary documents with the non-degree application, and your application will not be considered.
  5. For the college, select "College of Education"
  6. 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.

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 admission. Should you not take a course in that term, your application will be cancelled and you will need to reapply for the next cohort. If you need to defer your term of admission, please contact spedadmit@pdx.edu.

Application checklist

  • BA/BS with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Experience with persons with disabilities
  • Program-specific application
  • Unofficial transcripts are accepted by the College of Education for the program application. You only need to submit transcripts from institutions that you earned a degree from and where any graduate coursework was taken. Additional unofficial transcripts may be sent in if it significantly improves your application GPA. If admitted, you must send in official transcripts from each degree-granting school and any graduate school. More information on submitting official transcripts can be found on the Graduate Admissions page.
    • Acceptable unofficial transcripts are:
      • Web-based transcripts downloaded from an institution: institution and student name must be visible on transcripts
      • Photocopies of official transcripts: these must include the front and back of all pages, including transcript key
    • Previous applicants:
      • If you’ve previously submitted official transcripts to PSU, you are still required to upload unofficial transcripts to complete your application.
  • After you are admitted, you must submit official transcripts to:
    • The Graduate School
      Portland State University
      PO Box 751
      Portland, OR 97207 - 0751
      Electronic official transcripts should be sent to graddocs@pdx.edu
  • Personal statement (writing prompt provided within application)
  • Résumé
  • Two recommendation forms (forms are provided within application)

Questions about the application process?

If you have questions about the application process, contact askcoe@pdx.edu.