Students Who Took 4th Edition Courses At Other Schools
If you were a 4th Edition student at a different school and want to meet 5th Edition coursework standards, we have the courses to help you fulfill requirements.
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) has updated the BCBA® and BCaBA® Task List, and the new standards increase coursework requirements and specifications for course structure. To qualify for the BCaBA or BCBA examination after January 1, 2022, applicants must meet Fifth Edition Task List standards.
More information about the changes in BACB coursework requirements can be found in the January 2017 BACB newsletter.
What 5th Edition courses do I need?
The courses you need will depend on the 4th Edition courses you completed and the credential you now intend to seek.
- If you completed an entire BCaBA or BCBA Verified Course Sequence (VCS) at another school, please see the suggested course plans below.
- If you took just part of a VCS at a different school, contact the VCS coordinator for that program to learn how the courses you completed apply to 5th Edition standards. Then, contact us for advising about the courses you can take to provide the content hours you need.
- To have the BACB evaluate your coursework you can request a formal coursework evaluation directly from them. Although there is a fee involved, this fee is later applied to your exam application. This is the only way to have their official determination, in advance, of what they will accept and what you still need.
- If your courses were not from a VCS or if a Content Grid is unavailable for other reasons, you must request a coursework evaluation directly from the BACB.
Students who completed a 4th Edition VCS at another school
Suggested Course Plans
4th Edition BCBA to 5th Edition BCBA
If you completed an entire ABAI-verified 4th Edition BCBA-level Verified Course Sequence (VCS) at another school, you probably already have:
- 45 hours Ethics
- 45 hours Philosophical Underpinnings OR 45 hours Concepts & Principles (C&P)
- If hours were from a standalone C&P course, they will count as C&P
- If hours were NOT from a standalone C&P course, they will apply to Philosophical Underpinnings
- 30 hours Behavior Assessment
- 60 hours Behavior Change Procedures/Selecting Interventions
- 10 hours Personnel Supervision & Management
To meet 5th Edition Task List requirements, you will then likely still need:
- Either 45 hours Concepts & Principles (if your 4th Edition C&P hours were not in a standalone course)
OR 45 hours Philosophical Underpinnings (if your 4th C&P hours were in a standalone course)- Why? Per BACB increase in hours required, and all C&P hours must be from a standalone course
- Courses that can provide these hours:
- If you need 45 hours C&P: BEH5041
- If you need 45 hours Philosophical Underpinnings: BEH5042
- 45 hours Measurement/Experimental Design
- Why? Per BACB increase in hours required, and all hours must be from a standalone course
- Course that can provide these hours: BEH5043
- 15 hours Assessment
- Why? Per BACB increase in hours required
- Course that can provide these hours: BEH5020
- 20 hours Personnel Supervision & Management
- Why? Per BACB increase in hours required
- Courses that can provide these hours: BEH5050 + BEH5051 (if both are taken)
If your 4th Edition Concepts & Principles hours were NOT in a standalone course:
| Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEH5041: Introduction to Concepts & Principles of Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| BEH5050: Supervision & Management Fundamentals | 1 | |
| 2 |
BEH5043: Measurement & Experimental Design in Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| BEH5051: Advanced Personnel Supervision & Management | 1 | |
| BEH5020: Current Topics in Behavior Analysis: Assessment Bridge | 1 | |
| Total Credits: 9 | ||
If your 4th Edition Concepts & Principles hours WERE in a standalone course:
| Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEH5043: Measurement & Experimental Design in Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| BEH5050: Supervision & Management Fundamentals | 1 | |
| 2 |
BEH5042: Conceptual Analysis of Behavior for ABA Practitioners | 3 |
| BEH5051: Advanced Personnel Supervision & Management | 1 | |
| BEH5020: Current Topics in Behavior Analysis: Assessment Bridge | 1 | |
| Total Credits: 9 | ||
4th Edition BCaBA to 5th Edition BCaBA
If you completed an entire ABAI-verified 4th Edition BCaBA-level course sequence (VCS) at another school, you will probably already have:
- 15 hours Ethics
- 45 hours Concepts & Principles (C&P)
- 20 hours Measurement & Experimental Design
- 30 hours Behavior Assessment
- 55 hours Behavior Change Procedures/Selecting Interventions
- 5 hours Personnel Supervision & Management
To meet 5th Edition Task List requirements, you will then likely still need:
- 15 hours Ethics
- Why? Per BACB increase in hours required
- Course that can provide these hours: BEH5045
- 10 hours Measurement/Experimental Design
- Why? Per BACB increase in hours required
- Course that can provide these hours: BEH5043
- 15 hours Assessment
- Why? Per BACB increase in hours required
- Course that can provide these hours: BEH5048
- 5 hours Behavior Change Procedures/Selecting Interventions
- Why? Per BACB increase in hours required
- Course that can provide these hours: BEH5048 also provides these hours
- 10 hours Personnel Supervision & Management
- Why? Per BACB increase in hours required
- Course that can provide these hours: BEH5050
| Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEH5043: Measurement & Experimental Design in Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| BEH5045: Ethics for Behavior Analysts 2 | 1 | |
| 2 |
BEH5048: Assessment & Behavior Change Procedures for Skill Acquisition & Performance Improvement | 3 |
| BEH5050: Supervision & Management Fundamentals | 1 | |
| Total Credits: 8 | ||
4th Edition BCaBA to 5th Edition BCBA
If you completed an entire ABAI-verified 4th Edition BCaBA-level course sequence (VCS) at another school at the graduate level, have a master’s degree and want to meet 5th Edition BCBA requirements, we will be happy to advise you individually. Please email us at abaonline@fit.edu and include:
- The program and school you attended
- Content verification grid for that program (you can find this on the ABAI website) and a list of the courses from the grid you completed with a B or better
- The level of certification you are seeking and the type of degree you currently hold
If you completed an entire ABAI-verified 4th Edition BCaBA-level course sequence that was not at the graduate level (as part of a bachelor’s degree, for example) then you will need to complete the full 5th Edition BCBA course sequence to meet 5th Edition BCBA coursework requirements. This course sequence (VCS) is available in the Behavior Analyst 5th Edition Graduate Certificate (GCP 8037) if you already have a master’s degree, or in the M.A. Behavior Analysis Practice (major 8155) if you want to meet degree and coursework requirements all in one program.
How to apply
Application for and acceptance to a 5th Edition program is required before enrolling in 5th Edition coursework.
- If you need just a few courses, not an entire certificate program, please see the Non-Degree Seeking Continuing Education – Graduate application instructions.
- If you are instead interested in a complete 5th Edition certificate or degree program at Florida Tech, please see How to Apply.