The Path(s) to Becoming a BCBA®

Candidates pursuing this avenue must receive a master’s or doctorate degree from accredited universities.The BACB® announced in their June 2023 newsletter, that they have expanded their educational requirement to now include universities accredited by APBA, as well as ABAI. These universities have undergone a thorough review to ensure their program meets ABAI’s and APBA’s respective standards, which outlines criteria for the curriculum, coursework, and the administration. Once a candidate has received a degree from an accredited university, they then must complete the necessary supervised fieldwork. Pathway 1 requires 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork, or 1,500 hours of concentrated supervised fieldwork.

Those pursuing a BCBA® certification through coursework must have a graduate degree from a “qualifying institution,” have completed both an acceptable graduate coursework sequence in behavior analysis and supervised fieldwork. The BACB recognizes “qualified institutions” as universities or colleges in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Australia which have been accredited by their country’s respective regulatory board. Candidates with degrees from non-qualifying institutions, such as those in other countries, must undergo a degree equivalency evaluation to demonstrate that their degree is equivalent to a U.S. master’s degree or higher. Candidates must also complete at least 315 hours of behavior-analytic coursework, as well as either 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork or 1,500 of concentrated supervised fieldwork.

This​​ route requires candidates to have an acceptable graduate degree from a qualifying institution, previously held a full-time faculty position in behavior analysis that includes research and teaching, and completed supervised fieldwork. To qualify, candidates must have worked at an institution, full-time for at least three years (cumulative). This faculty appointment must also include certain characteristics, including teaching at least five sections of behavior-analytic coursework at the graduate level. Candidates are also required to demonstrate their research and must have published at least one journal article related to behavior analysis. As with the others, this approach also requires either 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork or 1,500 hours of concentrated supervised fieldwork.

To apply for BCBA® certification via postdoctoral experience, candidates must have a doctoral degree from a qualifying institution and have 10 years of full-time experience practicing behavior analysis (time spent teaching behavior analysis does not count). That experience must also have occurred under a relevant state/provincial license or national professional credential. Unlike the others, this path requires only 500 hours of supervised fieldwork.

While the journey to certification is different for everyone, and life has a way of interrupting our best-laid plans, it can take an average of 6 to 10 years to receive a BCBA® certification. This includes the time needed to obtain the required undergraduate and master’s degrees, and complete the necessary fieldwork and training. Once a candidate has met the eligibility requirements, and their application has been approved by the board, they can then take the BCBA® exam.