Newsletter
Volume 31 | 2008| Number 2
The Interdisciplinary Master’s Program in Applied Behavior Analysis at California State University, Los Angeles
By Dr. Hank Schlinger
Program Mission and Description
The Master’s program in applied behavior analysis (ABA) at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) was first accredited in 1994 by the Association for Behavior Analysis International, only the second ABA program accredited by the Association. The program, founded by Barry Lowenkron and G. Roy Mayer, is unique in a number of ways, not the least of which is that it is an interdisciplinary program involving two different departments—the Department of Psychology and the Division of Special Education and Counseling—in two separate colleges within the University. Students apply to either the Psychology Department or the Division of Special Education and Counseling, and once admitted, take courses in both departments. The advantages of an interdisciplinary program have been described elsewhere (Mitchell & Lowenkron, 1995).
The aim of the program is to provide comprehensive training in behavior analysis. Students are expected to develop both a theoretical understanding as well as mastery of the application of the science of behavior analysis. The program, which most students complete in approximately two years, is designed to prepare students for employment at the Master’s level or for doctoral study. The program’s core curriculum has been approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (www.bacb.com).
Coursework
The most salient feature of the joint program is the emphasis on analysis and application. The psychology courses emphasize experimental and conceptual analysis and the counseling courses emphasize application (Mitchell & Lowenkron, 1995). Thus, the psychology courses include two two-quarter sequences of experimental analysis (Psychology of Learning and Behavior and Seminar in Learning and Behavior)and conceptual analysis (Introduction to Analysis of Behavior and Seminar in Applied Behavior Analysis), plus a course in research design (Single-Case Research Design), graduate electives in conceptual issues in behavior analysis and verbal behavior, and a field experience class.
The counseling courses focus on application and consultation and include a three-course sequence dealing with behavior analysis in applied settings (Behavior Analysis in School, Home, and Agency Settings; Advanced Behavioral Contingency Management in Schools; and Advanced Topical Study in Application of Behavior Analysis to Education), a course on conducting functional analyses of severe behavior problems (Behavior and Interventions for Severe Behavior Problems), and two practicum courses (Supervised Field Experience in Applied Behavior Analysis, Practicum: Staff Development and Consultation). Although when originally conceived, both programs required a research thesis, a comprehensive examination option is now available and is recommended for students who don’t necessarily intend to pursue doctoral training.
Faculty
The faculty members in the joint program have published in journals such as the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA), The Behavior Analyst (TBA), The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (TAVB), The Psychological Record (TPR), and the American Psychologist. They have served as Editor of TAVB and Associate Editor of TBA, are on the editorial boards of JABA and the Journal of Mind and Behavior, and have served as guest reviewers for Behavior and Philosophy, Behavioural Processes, European Journal of Behavior Analysis, JABA, Journal of Mind and Behavior, Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, and TPR.
The faculty’s research interests include applied behavior analysis dealing with parent education; child maltreatment; intimate partner violence; youth violence and developmental disabilities; the refinement of assessment and treatment methodologies with respect to behavior disorders, parent, student, and staff training; the acquisition of verbal behavior; the interaction between medication and behavior in children with ADHD; basic learning processes; conceptual issues in psychology; verbal behavior; development of response-class hierarchies; social skills and autism; maintenance and generalization of treatment gains;
and instructional design.
Full-time faculty in the Division of Special Education and Counseling include: Randy V. Campbell, Rh.D. (Southern Illinois University) (rcampbe@exchange.calstatela.edu) and Michele Wallace, Ph.D. (University of Florida)(mwallac@exchange.calstatela.edu). Full-time faculty in the Department of Psychology are Henry D. Schlinger, Ph.D. (Western Michigan University) (hschlin@calstatela.edu) and Daniel B. Shabani, Ph.D. (Western Michigan University) (dshabani@shabani-institute.org).
Contact Information
More information on both programs can be found on their respective Web sites (http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/ccoe/div_edsp_degrees.htm and http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/psych/html/ABA.htm) and in our entry in the Association for Behavior Analysis International Graduate Training Directory (www.abainternational.org/start). An application packet can be obtained from the program Web sites or by calling the Psychology Department (323-343-2250) or the Division of Special Education and Counseling (323-343-4400).