Curriculum

Coursework for the program meets the requirements for the Master of Arts (M.A.) in Applied Behavior Analysis within the Psychology Department. Given this, students are expected to master not only behavior analytic content but also develop a broad working knowledge of the field of psychology. A total of 44 units are required to graduate, and the breakdown of these units into core classes and research units is shown below. Our coursework also meets all test content objectives set by the BACB for the 6th Edition. These can be viewed on the BACB website: BACB TCO 6th Ed. 

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COURSES

Final proof of completion must be provided to the student’s thesis advisor and the program coordinator prior to the completion of all thesis units.

 

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INDEPENDENT STUDY

 

Students should enroll in independent study units with a chosen faculty member each semester throughout their degree. These are units designed to allow students to focus on an area of study or conduct a project with a faculty member that would not be part of any scheduled coursework. This most often occurs when students are researching and preparing their thesis project (students cannot enroll in thesis units until they have completed a successful thesis proposal). Only 3 independent study units may be recorded on a student’s proposed course of study (on the advancement to candidacy paperwork). Additional independent study units taken are not recorded on the advancement to candidacy as they will result in the rejection of the paperwork by the Division of Graduate Studies. While independent study units can count toward the degree, they may not substitute for particular coursework unless under unusual circumstances, and this requires written permission from the graduate program coordinator. Independent study units can be submitted using the form and instructions provided on the Psychology Department website (http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/psych/forms.html).

 

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COURSEWORK SEQUENCE

 

Although the timeline for independent study and thesis units is somewhat flexible, coursework is designed to be cumulative, and courses should be taken in a prescribed order (listed below).

Note: For the purposes of financial aid, a full-time load is considered at least eight units of 200-level courses or 12 equivalent units from combined 200 and 100-level courses (equivalent units are calculated at 1.5 units for each 200-level unit and at face value for each 100-level unit).

 

Deviations from this may only occur with approval from the graduate program coordinator and the course instructor. Students will take one (1) unit of practicum every semester during the first two (2) years, and they must complete at least three (3) thesis units.

• To remain in good standing in the program, students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average on ALL coursework.
• No more than 13 units of transfer may be included in the 44-unit program. Transfer credit may be used toward program requirements only if the institution offering the work is accredited and would accept it for a comparable master’s degree program. This may also have implications for the BACB Verification status of the individual student. Credit will be granted if the course is judged by the program coordinator and to be particularly relevant to the individual student’s program. The student must present appropriate documentation, including official transcripts of work completed and xerographic copies from the catalog of the institution where the transfer work was taken. Catalog copy and/or course syllabi must indicate:
  1. the relevant course description;
  2. the course may be used toward graduate credit at the institution where it was completed; and
  3. course numbering and grading system (including whether the institution followed a semester or quarter grading system).

Coursework from an institution outside the United States is not permitted for use toward the Master’s degree unless it is part of the International Studies Abroad Program.