Central Washington University - ABA Degree Programs

Applied Behavior Analysis Programs at Central Washington University

Central Washington University appears in our ranking of the 10 Best ABA Master’s Degree Programs.

At Central Washington University, students can choose between applied behavior analysis (ABA), special education and psychology programs. The university offers a Master of Science (MS) in ABA that follows the course sequence designed for those taking the Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) exam. It gives students 12 credits for their internships and up to 16 credits for the research they do on a thesis subject. The ABA program also features 28 credits of required courses that include Ethics in Applied Behavior Analysis, Basic Principles of Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Interventions and Behavioral Treatment of Autism.

An education specialist program is available from the university in school psychology, which prepares students for working with those diagnosed with autism and related disorders in a school setting. It is available as a cohort program that meets in the summer for professionals who practice in the field and as a standard program for traditional graduate students. In addition to practicums and internships, students take classes such as Applied Behavior Analysis, Advanced Human Growth and Development, Academic Assessment, Behavioral Interventions, and Behavioral Assessment and Observation.

The university offers an undergraduate psychology degree program too, which is available online and on-campus. Majors can take 45 credits of classes and either declare a second major or pick a minor in another subject. The university also offers a psychology major that includes 60 credits for students who will attend graduate school. Both majors feature some of the same classes, including General Psychology, Introduction to Psychology, Psychology of Language, Analysis of Everyday Behavior and Clinical, Counseling and Community Psychology.

Students can earn a special education degree at the undergraduate or graduate level too. The undergraduate program includes a K-12 track. Those with a bachelor’s degree can earn a Master of Education in Special Education too. It includes five required courses such as Teaching Diverse Learners, Learning Theories: Research and Applications and Designing and Writing Research. They will also do a thesis and an internship in a local school district. Some of the special education classes they will take include Beavjiroal Intervention for Students with Disabilities, Curriculum and Assessment for Students with Disabilities, and Instruction and Assessment for Students with Disabilities.

About Central Washington University

Central Washington University is a public university that originally offered programs for students living in and around the central region of the state. Established in 1910 as the Washington State Normal School, it had a curriculum designed to educate students on working in the public schools in the state. Barge Hall was one of the first buildings on the campus and named after the former principal of the school. That building is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The university also operated as the Central Washington College of Education and Central Washington State College before becoming Central Washington University in 1977. Also known as CWU and Central Washington, the university has a main campus in Ellensburg and eight regional study centers, many of which are attached to community colleges.

Central Washington University Accreditation Details

CWU has the approval from the BCBA for its MS in ABA because that program follows the organization’s course sequence. The university’s special education programs have accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) too. Students in a psychology program who do fieldwork can complete internships that have accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA). The accreditation that lets students transfer credits and use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) comes from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

Central Washington University Application Requirements

First-year CWU students need to apply online and pay a $50 fee that covers the processing of the application. The university asks for a high school transcript and will accept a home school transcript as long as it shows the names of all classes taken from the ninth grade on and includes the grades the student earned. Students need to submit an ACT/SAT score unless he or she transfers credits from another university. The university offers guaranteed acceptance for those who apply by February first and have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Students with a GPA of 2.0 to 2.49 need to submit transcripts that show they took advanced classes and score higher on one of the standardized tests.

Both the ABA and school psychology programs require that students meet the university’s general admissions requirements and the requirements of the program. The CWU School of Graduate Studies and Research offers an application portal where students can both apply and pay their application fees. They also need to submit an official GRE score and their college transcripts. CWU asks for three letters of recommendation and gives students the choice of using letters that demonstrate their academic and professional skills and talents. Students will write and submit a letter on why they want to study ABA or school psychology too. The university has a final application deadline of February first for the fall semester. CWU has the same requirements for students applying to the graduate program in special education.

Tuition and Financial Aid

CWU undergrads pay $2,012.20 to take up to 18 credits if they also live in Washington. The cost for non-residents is $6,714.50 per term for full-time enrollment. Students will pay additional fees if they take classes above this amount. Those enrolled in a graduate program pay $2,942.90 each term for full-time enrollment if they qualify for the university’s in-state rate. Graduate students who do not qualify for this rate will pay $6,851.50 per term. The rates let students take up to 18 credits of graduate courses each term. CWU charges different rates for students taking classes at one of its study centers.

Graduate students who need help paying for the ABA program or another track can apply for an assistantship. CWU looks for students who have research and/or teaching experience and will assign them a position that comes with a tuition waiver and stipend. Graduate students can get loans through the FAFSA and look into alternative loans too. The average financial aid package awarded to an undergrad will include work-study, federal student loans, grants, and university scholarships. Central Washington University offers help to students who want to study applied behavior analysis and have questions about the financial aid process.