Five ABA Training Options at South Florida
The University of South Florida appears in our ranking of the 10 Best ABA Master’s Degree Programs in the East.
On Bruce B. Downs Blvd, the College of Behavioral & Community Sciences led by Dr. Julianne Serovich grants a 120-credit B.S. in Behavioral Healthcare at a 22:1 student-faculty ratio with six concentrations, such as Applied Behavior Analysis, and two 15-week practica for BCaBA certification. Chaired by Dr. Ray Miltenberger, the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis builds a 44-credit, two-year Tampa curriculum with 1,000 internship hours at partners, such as Ages Learning Solutions, Early Autism Project, Neuro Restorative, and Pivot Point Family Growth Center. Online via Canvas since 2014, the M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis has a 78 percent BCBA certification rate after its accelerated, eight-week courses like Observational Methods plus 1,000 supervised practice hours and directed research. The Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis plots a 54-credit, ABAI-accredited sequence coordinated by Dr. Catia Cividini-Motta using a scientist-practitioner approach to BCBA-D prep with fourth-year dissertations. Headed by Dr. Sarah Bloom, the 40-hour Registered Behavior Technician Training Program also has 11 online modules for $200.
About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida originated on June 18, 1955, when Governor LeRoy Collins signed Rep. Samuel Gibbons’ House Bill 1007 to found a Hillsborough County school. In 1956, the Florida Cabinet acquired the former Henderson Air Field to begin today’s 1,913-acre, smoke-free Tampa campus. In Fall 1964, President John S. Allen advanced USF with the first Master of Arts degree. Fully accredited in 1965, South Florida expanded to a 46-acre St. Petersburg location that July. On May 25, 1971, the RU/VH research institution granted the first Doctor of Philosophy. In 1986, the University of South Florida notably opened the Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. Admitted to the Big East in 2003, USF launched its College of Behavioral & Community Sciences in 2008. Budgeting $2.27 billion, South Florida is now a 2018 Active Minds Healthy Campus Award winner serving 50,755 Bulls from 128 nations online and on-site with events like Cycling for Autism. The U.S. News & World Report ranked USF the 124th best college, 71st top value, and 81st best psychology school. On Niche, the University of South Florida boasts America’s 89th most diversity and 44th best big campus too.
University of South Florida Accreditation Details
On April 7, 2015, the University of South Florida submitted a Quality Enhancement Plan to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) before another on-site evaluation to renew Level VI accreditation through 2025 under its 11th president, Dr. Judy Genshaft, who received the Donna Shavlik State Leadership Award. Based 452 miles up Interstate 75 in Decatur, this grand 11-state Gulf Coast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to analyze USF’s 89 undergrad and 139 post-grad degrees. Specifically, the College of Behavioral & Community Sciences was accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) through 2021. The American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation reaffirmed South Florida in 2017. The Child & Family Studies Department was also approved by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) in 2011.
University of South Florida Application Requirements
Starting the University of South Florida is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s since 13,349 of the 28,623 Fall 2017 applicants were okayed for just 46 percent acceptance. First-year Bulls seeking the B.S. in Behavioral Healthcare must graduate high school or pass GED Test sections over 145. Eighteen approved college-prep units are required with extra quality points for AP/IB courses. Admitted freshmen have a mean GPA of 3.86. Median exam ranges are 1220-1350 on the SAT and 27-30 on the ACT. Undergrad transfers must have completed 67 percent of attempted credits up to 60 with a minimum 2.5 average. The M.S./M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis both require a regionally accredited baccalaureate with GPAs over 3.0. Course prerequisites like Introduction to Psychology and Statistics are mandated. Online cohorts should have 2+ years of relevant human services experience and BCBA job supervision. Median GRE scores are currently 160 Verbal and 158 Quantitative. The Doctor of Philosophy requires scoring in the top 40th percentile and reaching a 3.5 GPA minimum. Only master’s graduates who’ve finished 10 credits of practicum and thesis research are welcome.
The University of South Florida has final undergrad deadlines of March 1st for Fall/Summer and November 15th for Spring starts. Campus M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis cohorts must apply by February 15th yearly. Online M.A. entrants have deadlines of June 1st and October 15th. Only Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis candidates applying by December 5th are considered. Accordingly, log into a USF account via VeriSign for the $30 application online. Request official transcripts for eScrip-Safe or 4202 East Fowler Avenue in Tampa, FL 33620. Choose institutional codes 5828 (SAT/GRE) or 0761 (ACT) when testing. Other attachments include the GED verification, fee waiver, English proficiency exam, three reference letters, one-page personal narrative, résumé or vita, practicum evaluation, and master’s thesis copy. Please pose further questions to (813) 974-4640 or admissions@usf.edu.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2018-19, the University of South Florida charged in-state B.S. in Behavioral Healthcare majors $6,410 annually. Non-resident undergrad tuition was $17,324 yearly full-time. Studying part-time incurs $211 to $575 per credit. Living at the Tampa campus’ dorms like Pinnacle Hall adds $11,610 for room and board each year. USF budgets $1,200 for books and $4,100 for personal expenses. Annual bachelor’s attendance equals around $23,320 in-state and $34,234 out-of-state. The Registered Behavior Technician Training Program costs $200 per person. Online M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis students spend $347 per credit with a $50 distance learning fee. The M.S. bills Floridians $7,840 and non-residents $15,864 each year. Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis tuition is $27,857 to $35,881 before assistantships.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Services Office on Leroy Collins Blvd. gets 89 percent of incoming USF Bulls assistance averaging $7,937 each for $25.33 million combined. College of Behavioral & Community Sciences funds include the Moms Project Scholarship, Dick Rotsell Endowed Scholarship, Wiley Mangum Scholarship, Margaret Wright Scholarship, Sertoma Endowed Scholarship, Calvin Pinkard Scholarship, Kymberly Jane Harris Endowed Scholarship, Mary Agdamag Scholarship, Study Abroad Scholarship, and FMHI Faculty Scholarship. Project ABA covers full in-state M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis tuition for cohorts of five yearly. The Presidential Award gifts $20,000 total for freshmen exceeding the 1430 SAT and 32 ACT mark. Honors College entrants with 4.0 GPAs receive a $2,000 scholarship automatically. The Benacquisto Scholarship fulfills 100 percent unmet need after the National Merit Scholars Program. Other Florida options like the Bright Futures Scholarship, Student Assistance Grant, MetLife Foundation Scholarship, and NAJA Graduate Scholarship count. Submit FAFSA forms coded 001537 for Federal Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, Work-Study, and Ford Direct Loan eligibility too.
Learn more about the University of South Florida at the Child & Family Studies Department website.
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