Four UCR Options for Behavior Analysis Careers
University of California-Riverside appears in our ranking of the 10 Best ABA Master’s Degree Programs in the West.
In Sproul Hall, the Graduate School of Education launched the M.Ed. Applied Behavior Analysis Specialization in 2018 for University of California-Riverside students learning the assessment and intervention methods to clinically address disabilities. Led by Dr. Katherine Stavropoulos, the 64-unit BCBA certification track applies topics like Social Skills Development with 15 weekly practicum hours, even at the on-site SEARCH Family Autism Resource Center.
The M.A. in Special Education and Autism offers teachers executive-style Inland Empire sessions from 4:10PM to 7:00PM for better meeting children’s exceptional needs. Directed by Dr. Jan Blacher, the 36-unit curriculum ends with thesis research or written exams after 18 months of courses from Behavioral Phenotypes to Developmental Consultation.
Satisfying Pupil Personnel Services credentials, the Ph.D. in School Psychology has graduated 41 since 2008 as Southern California’s only such APA-accredited degree. The 5.5-year sequence advised by Dr. Austin Johnson builds atop courses like Advanced Child Behavior Therapy with 1,500 internship hours and dissertations.
The Ph.D. in Psychology headed by Dr. Christine Chiarello also grants a 60-unit Behavioral Neuroscience Specialization.
About the University of California-Riverside
The University of California-Riverside originated on February 14, 1907, when the UC Board of Regents started the Citrus Experiment Station on Mount Rubidoux. Ten years later, it expanded to a 475-acre Box Springs Mountain location for cutting-edge entomological research. After World War II, Governor Earl Warren signed legislation in 1949 to erect a liberal arts college that welcomed an inaugural class of 127 in 1954. Enrollment spiked above 5,000 during Herman Theodore Spieth’s tenure, leading to its inclusion in the 10-campus system in April 1959. Architect A. Quincy Jones finished the University of California-Riverside’s landmark Carillon Bell Tower by October 1966. Expanded further by Proposition 209 in 1997, UCR debuted the 540-acre Palm Desert Graduate Center for Coachella Valley in 2005. Generating $2.7 billion yearly, UC-Riverside now enrolls 23,278 Highlanders, including M.Ed. in Applied Behavior Analysis majors, from 65 countries.
The U.S. News & World Report ranked UC-Riverside the 85th best national university, 35th top public college, 70th top education school, and 66th best psychology program. On Niche, UCR boasts America’s 38th most liberal academics, 143rd best faculty, 196th most Greek life, and 355th top psychology courses. Education Trust featured the University of California-Riverside among its top 18 for Latinos and African Americans. Money magazine labeled UCR the 32nd best value with median starting pay of $51,600. Forbes deemed UC-Riverside the 108th most impactful research institution and 64th best buy. The Princeton Review picked UCR for the 29th greenest school practices. Times Higher Education placed the University of California-Riverside 212th overall. The Center for World University Rankings noted UCR for the country’s 149th most influence and 240th highest quality publications. UC-Riverside landed eighth for low-income opportunity on the Social Mobility Index.
University of California-Riverside Accreditation Details
On October 24, 2018, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission sent a review team to the University of California-Riverside for renewing the Level VI accreditation under its ninth chancellor, Dr. Kim A. Wilcox, who accepted the 2016 APLU Project Degree Completion Award. Located 420 miles north via Interstate 5 in Alameda, this elite eight-territory Pacific Coast accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Education Department to evaluate academic excellence standards in UCR’s 83 bachelor’s, 51 master’s, and 42 doctoral offerings. Specifically, the Graduate School of Education has had a Verified Course Sequence (VCS) for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) since 2018. The American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) also approved the School Psychology Ph.D. on February 24, 2004.
University of California-Riverside Application Requirements
Attending the University of California-Riverside is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because 25,001 of the 43,682 Fall 2017 applicants were okayed for 57 percent acceptance. Post-grad Highlanders climbing into the M.Ed. Applied Behavior Analysis Specialization must culminate 120 credits of accredited bachelor’s study. Unconditional admission requires meeting the 3.0 GPA minimum during the junior and senior years. The M.A. in Special Education and Autism requires a GRE General Test composite score above 308. On average, graduates present 161 Verbal and 168 Quantitative marks. Pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology necessitates a cumulative bachelor’s GPA of 3.5 or higher in behavioral or social science majors. The Behavioral Neuroscience Concentration particularly seeks prerequisites in Biology and Biochemistry. Ph.D. in School Psychology candidates must pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test with at least 41 in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Non-native English speakers also need a 550 TOEFL pBT, 7.0 IELTS, or equivalent score.
The University of California-Riverside’s Graduate Division posts general priority deadlines of September 1st for Fall, November 15th for Winter, March 1st for Spring, and June 1st for Summer starts. However, the Ph.D. in School Psychology only considers candidates until December 15th yearly. Behavioral Neuroscience Ph.D. Concentration students apply until December 3rd. Accordingly, submit the $105 ($125 if international) UC Graduate Application online. Have collegiate registrars mail official transcripts to 900 University Avenue in Riverside, CA 92521. Submit test scores from the last five years using GRE code 4839. Don’t forget the two personal essays, three recommendation letters, curriculum vitae or résumé, Supplemental Fellowship form, and proof of English proficiency. Please contact (951) 827-3313 or grdadmis@ucr.edu to inquire further.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2018-19, the University of California-Riverside is charging graduates quarterly tuition of $3,814. Non-resident supplemental tuition adds $5,034 each quarter. Unless waived, health insurance premiums are $1,200. Post-grads pay the $376 services fee, $149 Recreation Center fee, and $90 Student Commons fee. Annual master’s or Ph.D. attendance averages $13,675 in-state and $28,777 out-of-state. Living at the Inland Empire campus’ housing like Bannockburn Village then adds $545 to $1,230 per month. Standard meal plans for Lothian Residential Restaurant are $4,920. UCR also budgets $1,316 for textbooks and $3,888 for extra necessities yearly.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office in the Student Services Building gets 81 percent of UCR Highlanders soaring with $17,363 on average for $279.59 million total. Graduate funds include the Katherine & Gilbert Mahaney Opportunity Award, Ronald Eldredge Neumman Award, Barricelli Memorial Research Grant, Dr. Douglas Mitchell Endowed Scholarship, Flutie Fund Scholarship, Nel Little Calfee Doctoral Fellowship, Ernest Propes Endowed Fellowship, Yvonne Ida Danielsen Scholarship, and Mary E. Swor Endowed Fellowship. The Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan gifts system-wide tuition for California families making under $80,000. The Eugene Cota-Robles Award provides outstanding Ph.D. in Psychology candidates with $24,000 stipends. Completing FAFSA documents coded 001316 takes out Federal Unsubsidized and Graduate Plus loans. The $4,000 TEACH Grant can help M.A. in Special Education and Autism majors working in high-need schools. Graduates who received Cal Grant A as undergrads have 15 months to claim another $1,551 award too.
Find more about the University of California-Riverside at the Graduate School of Education website.
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