Gwynedd Mercy University - ABA Degree Programs

Applied Behavior Analysis Programs at Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Mercy University appears in our ranking of the Top 30 Online Master’s in School Counseling

The main program available from Gwynedd Mercy University for students with an interest in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is its Master of Science in Pre-K-8 Special Education. This is available as a general program that includes 30 credits of classes or as a program with an autism endorsement that includes 42 credits. Both programs are available from the online branch of the university. Students learn how to manage a classroom and work with individual students as well as how to stage interventions when needed and create lesson plans for students with special needs.

Students must take 15 credits of classes that use the knowledge they have of education. The Learning and Teaching Process is a course that looks at the top teaching methods and the process of educating students with special needs. Other requires courses include Research Skills for Reflective Practitioners, Foundations in Special Education in an Inclusionary Setting, Effective Communications for Educators and Special Education Law and Ethics. The autism endorsement program features nine additional courses, including Behavior Management Skills for the Special Learner, Foundations of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Diagnosis, Assessment, Prescriptive and Intervention Techniques for Special Learners and Standards-Aligned Systems and Seminar on Current Issues in Special Education.

Also available is an online graduate program in school counseling. Students learn how to handle the unique needs of students with autism and related disorders and how to manage a classroom setting. This program includes 60 credits and asks students to take 30 credits of school counseling classes and 30 credits of core education classes. At least nine of their credits will come from the internships they do. Online students can do their internships in Pennsylvania or another state. Some of the classes in the program include Disabilities in the School Counseling Setting, Intervention Techniques in School Counseling, Organization of School Counseling and Group Counseling and Facilitation Skills for the School Setting.

The university can help students prepare for ABA graduate programs through two undergraduate majors: psychology and applied psychology. In the psychology major, students can choose between Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science tracks based on whether they want to take more science classes. Both programs include a Psychology Practicum and courses such as Social Psychology, Psychology of Personality and History of Psychology. Courses in the applied psychology online program include Counseling and Communication Skills, Human Services Administration, Career and Vocational Counseling and Policy and Social Change.

About Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Mercy University is a private university in Pennsylvania affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Established in 1948, it opened as the Gwynedd Mercy College in honor of the Sisters of Mercy and Lower Gwynedd Township. The college became Gwynedd Mercy University after earning the right to offer bachelor’s degree programs and now uses the names Gwynedd Mercy and GWU. It follows a liberal arts education system that allows students to take courses in their majors and other fields. Much of the campus today was part of the large estate owned by Francis Bond who was a banker in the early 20th century.

Gwynedd Mercy University Accreditation Details

Gwynedd Mercy has regional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Psychology and other majors who earned credits at other campuses can transfer their credits to GWU because of that accreditation. It also allows them to take their credits when they transfer to a different college and use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see what financial aid they qualify for every year. The course sequence in the autism endorsement program has approval from the board that offers the licensing exam for ABA professionals.

Gwynedd Mercy University Application Requirements

To enroll in either of the special education graduate programs or the counseling program, students must meet all admission requirements. They need a bachelor’s degree from a college or university that has regional accreditation and an undergrad grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Students who have a lower GPA can request an evaluation and interview with the admissions committee. They also need a Level 1 certificate in one of several fields, including reading specialist and Pre K-6. Gwynedd Mercy asks for a completed application and application fee as well as a resume and a college or university transcript. They will also provide a one-page writing sample that includes a goals statement and two letters of recommendation from supervisors familiar with their professional work.

Undergrads need to meet certain requirements too. GWU does not have an application deadline and notifies students of its decision within a few weeks of receiving their applications. They need to submit official high school transcripts but can have their schools submit electronic transcripts through two different sources. They also need to show on their transcripts that they took one unit of history, three units of math and science and four units of English as well as three units of college prep courses. GWU encourages students to submit a letter of recommendation if it will make their applications stronger.

Tuition and Financial Aid

At GWU, students pay $630 per credit hour to take classes on the main campus. They can also enroll as full-time students and pay $33,800 each year. They also pay $17 per credit hour as part-time students for fees or $780 in fees each year if they are full-time students. For room and board packages, they pay a minimum of $5,520 for a dorm room and $6,180 for a meal plan every year. That meal plan gives them 10 meals every week. Students can pay more for a plan that provides them with 15 to 19 meals a week. Graduate students pay $617 per credit hour, which includes both the university fees and tuition.

As soon as Gwynedd Mercy receives an application and a FAFSA, it will build a financial aid package based on the unique needs of that applicant. This often includes loans from the federal government that include subsidized programs for undergrads and unsubsidized loans for graduate students. There are PLUS loans available as well as alternative loans and programs for the parents of undergrads. GWU can also help students qualify for work-study, grants, and scholarships. Gwynedd Mercy University offers financial aid packages for students in the education, counseling and psychology programs related to Applied Behavior Analysis.