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College of Behavioral and Social Sciences > Psychology > M.S. in Psychology Programs > M.S. in Psychology, Behavior Analysis

M.S. in Psychology, Behavior Analysis

Degree: Master of Science in Psychology, concentration in Behavior Analysis
Format: In Person on the Armstrong campus
Credit Hours: 31 Hours
Completion Time: Five semesters (Fall admission only)
Admission Deadline: December 15, 2024

Southeast Georgia’s ONLY psychology master’s program in behavior analysis!

Are you interested in why people behave the way they do?

As a behavior analyst, you’ll help children, adults, families and businesses diagnose behavioral issues and guide them to improve. More than that, you’ll join a rapidly growing and rewarding career path. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, behavior analysis positions will grow by 23% — almost four times the national average — between now and 2030.

And the demand for behavior analysts is highest in five states — California, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida, and Georgia.

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Our MS in Psychology, Behavior Analysis Degree

Georgia Southern University’s psychology master’s degree with a concentration in behavior analysis is a 31-hour program on the Armstrong Campus in historic Savannah, Georgia — the hostess city of the South.

VCS program verified course sequences ABAI Association for behavior analysis international

Our behavior analysis master’s program will give you a deep understanding of the basic, applied and philosophical roots of behavior analysis. Instead of focusing on one area, our master’s degree offers core training in behavior analysis and offers students the opportunity to take additional coursework in specific applications of the science.

You can also take additional elective courses in…

Independent Research – make yourself more marketable for doctoral-level training in behavior analysis.
Supervised Practicum – get valuable practicum hours toward your professional certification in behavior analysis.

Psychology Master’s Program Courses in Behavior Analysis

In the behavior analysis master’s degree program at Georgia Southern, students get a broad range of study across the philosophical and applied aspects of behavioral psychology.

Concepts and Principles of Behavior Analysis.
The first course in the behavior analysis masters’ sequence. This course introduces students to the foundational concepts and principles of behavior analysis as they apply to both human and non-human organisms.
Concepts and Principles of Behavior Analysis LAB.
The laboratory course associated with PSYC 6400. This course extends the concepts and principles learned during the lecture, and allows students to apply and observe these concepts and principles with non-human organisms.
Behaviorism as a Philosophy of Science.
This course will build on the students’ conceptual understanding of behavior analysis, and will introduce the philosophical underpinning of behavior analysis. While a variety of philosophical viewpoints will be shared, emphasis will be placed on Skinner’s philosophy of radical behaviorism.
Seminar in Behavior Analysis Research.
This class will focus on the advanced applications and study of behavior analysis to a variety of areas. The topics and themes of the course will rotate based on faculty expertise.
Ethics for the Behavior Analyst.
This class introduces students to ethical principles in the field of behavior analysis, as well as the compliance disciplinary systems involved in the professional practice of behavior analysis.
Assessment and Treatment of Challenging Behavior.
This course involves a variety of methods for assessing the variables responsible for and maintaining disruptive behaviors. Students will learn the wide range of assessment techniques including direct, indirect, and experimental functional behavior assessment. Students will learn and appropriately select a variety of methods for decreasing challenging behaviors, while building socially valid alternative behaviors.
Establishing and Strengthening Behavior.
This course will teach students how to assess current levels of a variety of social, academic, and functional skills for learners of all kinds. Based on assessment results, students will learn to select and apply a variety of techniques to establish and strengthen new behaviors.
Measurement in Behavior Analysis.
This course focuses on precisely defining, measuring, and graphing behavioral data. Students will learn how to quantify behaviors and behavioral changes in a variety of methods, with an emphasis on a natural science approach to measuring behaviors.
Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis.
This course builds on the material covered in PSYC 6410 and introduces research methods commonly used in behavior analysis research and practice. Students will learn how to conduct behavioral research using inductive and deductive research methods. A strong emphasis is placed on single-case design research methodologies.
Instructional Design.
This course introduces students to instructional design principles. Students will learn how to analyze instructional content, select appropriate teaching, practice, and testing stimuli, as well as sequence their instruction in a way to promote generativity.
Designing, Implementing, and Supervising Behavioral Programs.
This course will combine the information learned in previous courses. Students will learn how to write behavioral programs, train staff to implement the programs, as well as methods for ethical and kind supervision.
Independent Research in Behavior Analysis.
This course allows students the opportunity to engage in and conduct behavior analytic research. Instructor approval is required for this course.
Practicum in Behavior Analysis.
This course provides students with the opportunity to engage in the applied practice of behavior analysis under the supervision of trained behavior analysts. Instructor approval is required for this course. Graduate students will learn how to apply behavior analytic principles to a variety of situations and populations. Students will get explicit practice and feedback on implementing and supervising behavioral programs.

Courses and Curriculum

sea turtle behavior analysis psychology masters programs in georgia — *Sea Turtle Project – Applied animal behavior analysis*

What Can You Do With a Master’s in Psychology, Behavior Analysis?

According to the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board, certified behavior analysts have a base salary of $75,000 per year. And from 2010 to 2020, demand for certified behavior analysts grew by 4,000%!

$75,000
base salary

Behavior Analysis Areas of Practice

Education and schooling
Assessment and treatment of severe destructive behavior
Analysis of industrial/organizational systems and processes
Animal training and welfare
Early-intensive behavioral interventions
Instructional design and curriculum development

Job titles include:

Behavior Analyst
ABA/Behavioral Assistant
Behavior Interventionist
BCBA Clinical Supervisor
Behavior Clinician

Behavior analysts work in:

Hospitals
Schools
Nonprofits
Mental Health Centers
Government Agencies

Career environments include:

School settings working on academic and social behavior
Assessment and treatment of problem behavior
Consultants in industrial/organization settings
Applied animal behavior analysis
Residential settings for individuals with disabilities
Clinic-based settings for students with and without disabilities
Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) for students with autism
Instructional design and curriculum development

Admissions Requirements

New students in the MS in Psychology, Behavior Analysis are admitted to the program in the Fall semester only. The program is limited to 15 new students.

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To apply, each applicant must have:

Completed requirements for the bachelor’s degree in a college accredited by the proper regional accrediting associations.
Taken Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Special Education, Introduction to Behavior Analysis, or a course in a similar discipline.
A 3.0 (4.0 scale) cumulative grade point average or higher on undergraduate work.
The GRE is optional for applicants applying for Fall 2024 admission. You may still provide GRE scores but you are not required to do so.

Each applicant must submit:

A personal statement that includes a description of career goals and how behavior analysis and/or professional certification in behavior analysis helps you reach your career goals, reasons for applying for graduate study at Georgia Southern University, a list of academic achievements, non-academic achievements, relevant work experience, a self-evaluation of maturity level and character. We strongly encourage students to obtain applied clinical or research experience as an undergraduate.
Recommendations from three individuals who can speak of the applicant’s undergraduate academic performance, potential for graduate study, and maturity level and character. At least one letter must be from a faculty member.
Curriculum Vita of your academic and professional achievements.

Behavior Analysis Degree Program Assessment

At the end of their program, students will take an exit exam that is an independently created mock-BCBA exam. The specific exam has its own metrics to account for student pass rates for the actual BCBA exam. The mock exam assesses areas including their scientific knowledge, decision-making skills, ethical awareness, clinical skills, as well as cultural competence in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Professional Licensure and Certification

The Department of Psychology anticipates that graduates of the MS in Psychology, Behavioral Analysis concentration program will seek state licensure or certification as a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst. Georgia Southern’s program meets the licensure or certification requirements for all 50 states that require such certification/licensure. The following states do not require certification or licensure: AR, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, ID, ME, MN, NH, NM, PA, SC, WV, however, certification may provide better employment opportunities. The Department is unable to determine if the program meets licensure/certification requirements in the territories of AS, GU, and MP, and therefore does not meet the educational requirements for those territories. For up-to-date information on BCBA certification visit the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board.

Georgia Southern makes every effort to ensure information about educational requirements for licensure or certification is current; however, state requirements may change. Separate from educational requirements, state licensure boards may require applicants for jurisprudence examinations, background checks, proof of RN license, proof of clinical hours, or additional training. For more information, as well as for a list of applicable state boards, visit the Georgia Southern State Authorization and Professional Licensure web page.