Courses are developed and taught by Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBA^®'s) with a diverse range of clinical and research expertise.

The coursework also prepares you to utilize the foundations and applications of behaviour analysis in a variety of settings.

The Certificate in Applied Behaviour Analysis program provides the necessary course requirements to be eligible to apply to write the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board^® (BACB^®) Assistant Level examination.

People who hold BCaBA^® Certification are highly sought after by employers.

• Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Classroom management and education
• In-home care for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and the elderly
• Common parenting concerns including, but not limited to, bedtime struggles, "potty" training, and feeding problems
• Training and supervision of human services staff

• Understand the causes of behaviour and the theory behind ABA
• Be able to work with diverse populations and settings including neurotypical populations, those with intellectual or developmental disabilities, those on the autism spectrum, education systems, management and training of those in the human services workforce, and parents
• Know how to use a variety of assessment tools, create and implement individualized treatment protocols, and evaluate the effectiveness of behaviour analytic interventions
• Become a professional assistant-level behaviour analyst who can evaluate your practice from legal, human rights, and ethical standpoints

Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) is an established discipline with decades of research, promoting the use of empirically-supported strategies woven into evidence-based practice.

Researchers in UNB's psychology department, with support from Ronald McDonald House Charities® Canada, have created a series of videos to be used as a learning tool for classroom and practice-based learning.

The Association for Behavior Analysis International has verified the following courses toward the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst^® examination. Applicants will need to meet additional requirements before they can be deemed eligible to take the examination.

• PSYC 2203 (3 CH) - Foundations of Developmental Psychology
• PSYC 2515 (3 CH) - Foundations of Learning
• PSYC 3515 (3 CH) - Introduction to Applied Behaviour Analysis
• PSYC 3525 (3 CH) - Topics in Behaviour Analysis: Ethical Considerations (online only)
• PSYC 3535 (1 CH) - Topics in Behaviour Assessment (online only)
• PSYC 3545 (1 CH) - Topics in Behaviour Intervention (online only)
• PSYC 3555 (1 CH) - Skills in Applied Behaviour Analysis (online only)
• PSYC 3565 (3 CH) – Clinical and Organizational Applications of Behaviour Science
• PSYC 4515 (3 CH) - Advanced Applied Behaviour Analysis

To meet the diverse needs of students, the program provides two separate routes for accruing practical experience:

Practicum (1000-1300 hrs practicum)

• Designed for campus-based students
• Three intensive placements at approved local agencies
• Individualized supervision with an approved BCBA supervisor
• Group supervision with peers overseen by the C-ABA Program Coordinator
• Courses:
  • PSYC 4525 - Applied Behaviour Analysis Practicum I (6 CH)
  • PSYC 4535 - Applied Behaviour Analysis Practicum II (6 CH)
  • PSYC 4565 - Applied Behaviour Analysis Practicum III (6 CH)

Supervised Independent Fieldwork (1300 hrs fieldwork)

• Designed for students studying online
• Fieldwork site and BCBA supervisors to be approved by the C-ABA Program Coordinator
• Prior Learning Assessment (up to 18 CH)

• Undergraduates studying psychology or a related human services field (e.g. education, kinesiology)
• Individuals who have a Bachelor’s degree and want to enrich their skillsets in behaviour assessment and intervention
• Those seeking to understand complex behaviours in a variety of settings and populations
• Support service workers (e.g. judicial, social work, law, teaching) looking to add to their current expertise by understanding and using applied behaviour analysis

• Meet UNB admission requirements
• Provide a resume that outlines academic and relevant work/volunteer experience
• Submit a statement of interest outlining:
  • Whether you want to complete the program online or on-campus
  • Your goals and objectives in pursuing training in Applied Behaviour Analysis, including professional or career goals
  • Any relevant experience or interests related to applied behaviour analysis or any helping profession
• Have two letters of recommendation:
  • Academic referee: a professional individual who is aware of the applicant's scholastic ability within a post-secondary setting
  • Supervisor referee: an individual who has supervised the applicant in a clinical or applied setting
• Have completed, or be in the process of completing, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, or a related field
• Have completed 6 credit hours of Introductory Psychology with a grade of at least a B within the previous 7 years
• Have a minimum of a B average in all coursework

• Online program: Applications are reviewed as they are received.
• On-campus: March 31 for admission for the fall semester.

Current UNB students

• Current UNB students who are enrolled in an undergraduate degree program are required to complete the Undergraduate Transfer Request Form.
• Please declare your interest in taking the ABA Certificate program concurrently with your current degree program.
• Submit the completed form, along with the supplementary documents listed under "admission requirements", to the Registrar's Office (Admissions) for processing.

New applicants to UNB

• New applicants, who are not UNB students, must complete the Online Undergraduate Application Form.

Note: Successful applicants will be required to submit a current criminal background check.

The Certificate Program has been verified to provide the coursework requirements needed to sit for the BCaBA^® exam by the Association for Behavior Analysis International. Those who want to sit for the BCaBA^® exam will also need a bachelor’s degree and will need to accrue the required experience hours in addition to the coursework provided by this program.

To complete the program and become certified through the BACB, students must meet three requirements and then pass the BCaBA^® exam. These students may also request a certificate of completion for the ABA Certificate program from UNB CEL. Some students may not desire to become certified through the BACB^®. In these cases, students would request a certificate of completion for the ABA Certificate program from the UNB Registrar's Office. These processes are summarized in this figure:

Learn more about additional BCaBA exam requirements.

Students may submit their referee's letter in their application. If referees would prefer to send the letters separately, they can email the letter to admissions@unb.ca.

The program recognizes that students may not have a clinical supervisor or academic that they can ask for a letter. In these cases, we ask students to find someone who can clearly attest to the students ability to learn new content and skills as a student (as would be the case for the academic letter) or their ability to work with others in a professional manner and their skills as an employee (as would  be the case for the supervisor letter).

UNB is committed to protecting the personal information of all individuals and any information being collected is under the authority provided for in the New Brunswick Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. For more information on the protection of personal information at UNB please consult:

UNB Policy for the Protection of Personal Information & Privacy and the University Secretariat
University of New Brunswick
PO Box 4400
Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3
www.unb.ca/secretariat
(506) 453-4613