Accelerated B.S. / M.S. Programs
Accelerated B.S. In Counseling and Human Services / M.S. in ABA
Students interested in the Accelerated BS in Counseling and Human Services and MS in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) degree program may apply as sophomores or juniors to reserve a seat and maximize the program and academic advising.
In order to meet the GPA requirements for the accelerated program, applicants must have a GPA of 3.5 after 64 semester hours, 3.4 after 80 semester hours, 3.3 after 90 semester hours, or 3.2 after 112 semester hours.
Admitted students may begin taking graduate classes as early as the fall semester of their junior year to maximize graduate credits during their undergraduate matriculation. Acceptance into the accelerated program is based on an analysis of the student's entire application.
Students must follow the program and GPA requirements as listed in the Graduate Studies Catalog. Once a student is admitted to this accelerated program, they will be permitted to take a maximum of 3 graduate credits per term (academic semester: Fall/Spring) while still classified as an undergraduate student, up to a total of twelve graduate credits. In accordance with the undergraduate catalog, accelerated undergraduate students may only register for a maximum of fifteen credit hours during any semester that they are registered for a graduate level course unless the responsible Dean gives their approval.
During the junior year, first semester, students will be registered for 16 credits, due to a one credit required career seminar. The ABA curriculum consists of 36 credits (8 required courses, 2 elective graduate courses, and 6 credits of either Thesis or Capstone. Any undergraduate student pursuing the accelerated BS in Counseling and Human Services and MS in ABA degrees will be allowed to apply up to 12 graduate credits toward their undergraduate degree. Note that some of the graduate credits are earned during two summer terms.
Twenty-four (24) graduate credits will be taken subsequent to the fourth (senior) year, starting in the Summer session (Summer 1). In a typical course of study for the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis, students will take 6, 6, 6, and 6 credits in the summer, fall, spring, and summer semesters, respectively. However, students will retain flexibility in course scheduling. Every effort will be made to provide students with flexibility to achieve both the BS in Counseling and Human Services and the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis degrees.
The Association for Behavior Analysis International has verified the following courses toward the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® examination. Applicants will need to meet additional requirements before they can be deemed eligible to take the examination.
Applied Behavior Analysis graduate courses that can be substituted for undergraduate classes are as follows:
Applied Behavior Analysis required courses:
ABA 600 - Concepts and Principles in ABA
ABA 605 - Philosophical Underpinnings of ABA
ABA 610 – Ethics in ABA
ABA 640 - Measurement and Experimental Design in ABA
For the CHS and ABA accelerated program, six (6) credits of CHS electives will be replaced by six credits of ABA courses; and six credits of social/behavioral credits will be replaced by six credits of ABA courses. No free electives will be used for this program, and the required six credits of social/behavioral remain intact.
Accelerated B.S. in Psychology / M.S. in ABA
Students interested in the Accelerated BS in Psychology and MS in Applied Behavior Analysis program may apply as sophomores or juniors to reserve a seat and maximize their program completion and academic advising.
Admitted students will need to achieve GPAs of at least 3.5 after 64 semester hours, 3.4 after 80 semester hours, 3.3 after 96 semester hours, or 3.2 after 112 semester hours to be eligible for the accelerated program.
Students admitted to the accelerated program may begin taking graduate classes as early as the fall semester of their junior year to maximize graduate credits during the undergraduate matriculation. Acceptance into the accelerated program is based on an analysis of the student's entire application. Students must follow the program requirements as listed in the Graduate Studies Catalog.
The University of Scranton’s MS program in Applied Behavior Analysis is entirely online. As a result, undergraduate psychology students admitted to the accelerated program will be taking online courses during their fall and spring semesters. Once students are admitted to this accelerated program, they would be permitted to take a maximum of 3 graduate credits per semester (Fall / Spring) while still classified as undergraduate students, up to a total of 12 graduate credits.
Most psychology majors would probably take 9 graduate credits as undergraduates. The ABA master’s curriculum consists of 36 credits (8 required courses, 2 elective courses, and 6 credits of either Thesis or Capstone; see below). Undergraduate students pursuing the Accelerated BS in Psychology and MS in Applied Behavior Analysis will be allowed to apply up to 12 graduate credits toward their undergraduate degree.
For the psychology and ABA accelerated program, 9 or 12 credits of undergraduate free electives will be replaced by 9 or 12 credits of ABA courses; 18 or 21 credits of undergraduate free electives will remain. The remaining graduate credits will be taken subsequent to graduation with the BS in Psychology, starting in the Summer session (Summer 1). In a typical course of study, students will take 6, 6, 6, and 6 credits in the summer, fall, spring, and summer semesters, respectively.
The Association for Behavior Analysis International has verified the following courses toward the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® examination. Applicants will need to meet additional requirements before they can be deemed eligible to take the examination.
ABA required courses that may be taken as part of this accelerated program:
ABA 605 - Philosophical Underpinnings of ABA to count as a Free Elective
ABA 600 - Concepts and Principles in ABA to count as a Free Elective
ABA 640 - Measurement and Experimental Design in ABA to count as a Free Elective
ABA 610 – Ethics in Applied Behavior Analysis to count as a Free Elective