Applied Behavior Analysis Programs at the University of Utah
The University of Utah appears in our ranking of the 10 Best ABA Master’s Degree Programs.
The Department of Special Education at the University of Utah offers Master of Education and Master of Science (MS) in Education programs that are open to licensed teachers and students who do not have their licenses. Students can pick from concentrations based on who they want to work with and where they will work. One of those concentrations is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) track. The BCBA is the organization that awards licenses to counselors who work with clients on the autism spectrum. Students meet the requirements to take the board’s licensing test when they complete the program.
BCBA majors take 20 applied behavior analysis (ABA) and required classes, including Professional Writing in Education, Single Subject Research Design, Interventions in the Schools, Ethics and Professional Behavior for Behavior Analysis and Principles of Instruction and Behavior Support. They will also do three practicums that the university requires they take over three semesters. Students do one practicum in the fall and another in the spring but can do the third in the summer or another semester. Those who do not have teaching licenses can follow this curriculum. Students with a teaching license can take fewer courses and get an endorsement on their licenses.
The university’s graduate program in school psychology includes a BCBA track too. Students take three foundation courses that include Lifespan Development: Child and Adolescent and Cognition, Learning and Behavior. They will also take a research course and earn six credits from individual research or a thesis. The university requires that students take a minimum of 50 credits of other classes, including Cognitive Assessment, Individual Child and Adolescent Assessment, Interventions in the Schools, Professional Issues and Ethics in School Psychology and Counseling Theories and Procedures. Students also do two practicums and one internship.
Through the University of Utah, students can earn a doctoral degree in school psychology too. Both the doctoral and graduate programs include fieldwork and required classes. They allow students to learn about the unique needs that those with disabilities have. The doctoral program includes a one-year internship that students do after finishing four years of classes. It requires that they do a minimum of 2,000 hours of fieldwork. There is a dissertation requirement in the doctoral program that awards students 14 credits. They must get approval from an advisor before they can get any credit for their dissertations.
About the University of Utah
The University of Utah is a public university often called The U or U of U. Established in 1850 as the University of Deseret, it opened as one of the region’s first colleges. The college had no campus and asked locals to open their homes to students and teachers. Though the university had a close connection to Brigham Young and the Mormon faith during its early years, it became a public university in 1892 and adopted the U of U name. Both Washington Monthly and ARWU rank The U within the top 100 of all colleges in the US. The reputation of the university grew in recent years and led to it appearing on lists of the world’s best schools released by U.S. News and World Report and QS World University Rankings.
University of Utah Accreditation Details
Students can transfer to U of U and get full credit for the classes they took because it has regional accreditation. That accreditation comes from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and also gives students in need of financial support to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The U also has accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA) for its school counseling program and Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) for all its education degree programs.
University of Utah Application Requirements
The U asks that students who want a BCBA endorsement apply to the university and select the non-matriculated option on the application. They can then pay their application fees. Students will need to pick the BCBA concentration from those available and schedule a time to speak to an academic advisor from within the department. The advisor can approve or reject the student’s application and also give them more information about the documents they need to submit.
Graduate students seeking a full degree from the university need to meet other requirements. U of U asks for official transcripts to see what the student studied as an undergrad and whether the applicant took prerequisite courses. Students must submit to a fingerprint and background check to ensure that they have a clean record and can work around children. The application deadline for the fall semester is May 16 and increases to October first for the spring semester. Students can also start in the summer if they apply by March first. U of U offers detailed instructions for students who need to pass a background check. Other requirements include a resume, professional statement of two pages and three letters of recommendation.
Though the doctoral program doesn’t have an application deadline, students need at least two years of teaching experience and a master’s degree when they apply. U of U recommends that they have a GPA of at least 3.5 but will accept those with a 3.0 GPA. Students must pass a background check and submit their transcripts, letter of intent, professional statement, essay, GRE score and three letters of recommendation.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The College of Education at the U of U sets the tuition rates for school psychology and special education majors. Utah residents pay $3,577.67 for tuition and fees to take nine credit hours as a full-time student. This cost rises to $12,347.45 for nonresidents enrolled in a graduate program. Doctoral students pay the same rates. The university also charges some fees when students do internships and practicums or work on their dissertations.
Scholarships are available for students from five different departments and organizations. The Urban Institute for Teacher Education offers 15 scholarships for students who plan to work in urban schools. Students can apply for more than 10 scholarships that are available from the Department of Education too. Other scholarships go to students with disabilities. Through the FAFSA, graduate and doctoral students can qualify for student loans and grants. The University of Utah also offers fellowships and assistantships for incoming ABA majors.
Related:
- 20 Best Online ABA Master’s Degree Programs 2020
- 10 Best ABA PhD Degree Programs 2020
- 10 Best Online ABA Degree Programs (Bachelor’s) 2020
- Top 20 Online Master’s in Educational Psychology 2020
- Top 30 Online Master’s in School Counseling 2020
- 10 Best Online RBT (Registered Behavioral Technician) Training Programs 2020
- 10 Best ABA Master’s Degree Programs 2020
- 10 Best ABA Master’s Degree Programs in the East 2020
- 10 Best ABA Master’s Degree Programs in the West 2020
- 20 Most Affordable Online ABA Graduate Certificate Programs 2020