College of EducationSPEDPrograms Overview

Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®)

Verified Course Sequence

This program is not admitting new students.

FAQs

Coursework

Where could I work to gain experience in applied behavior analysis?

The Department of Education (DOE) and local agencies/organizations (providing in-home, community, or clinic/center-based ABA) are often in need of individuals with or working toward an ABA credential. Some employers provide requisite training to prospective employees. These positions may also allow one to work toward accruing the experience hours necessary to pursue a BCBA/BCaBA credential. A list of several organizations that offer ABA services across the islands can be found at http://www.hawaiiaba.org/aba-services-in-hawai-i.

*Please note that we do not endorse any particular organization or agency

What if I took some coursework during or before the 4th Ed. Task List coursework at UHM?
If you have already taken some ABA coursework at UH Mānoa, prior to the transition to the 5th Ed. Task List, we can look at your course records and determine what a program of study would look like, potentially reducing the number of courses you would need to take/retake. We offer a 4th-to-5th Ed. Task List bridge course now for both the BCBA- and BCaBA-track program candidates as needed to support minimizing course retakes that would be necessary to be eligible for a credential as a 5th Ed. Task List student. Depending on the prospective student's situation, they may still need to retake a number of courses. If you completed a program prior to when our 4th Ed. Task List programs were active, we may be able to attest to content hours that were delivered as part of your previous coursework.

Other

Can I work toward obtaining a BCBA credential through the UH Mānoa PhD program?

BCBA®-Track coursework and practicum experiences may be taken at the doctoral level (i.e., Ph.D. in Education, Exceptionalities program) for eligible doctoral students to work toward the BCBA® credential or BCBA-D® designation.

How many supervised experience hours do I need?

To learn more about supervision hours, please visit: https://www.bacb.com/supervision-and-training/

UH offers ABA fieldwork supervision to Hawaii residents in applicable job placements who are in need of supervision (administrator approval required to approve site visits). A fieldwork supervisor will be assigned to support you weekly in accomplishing assignments as you gain fieldwork hours in SPED 678/478 ABA Fieldwork. We offer remote supervision as needed and we have secure systems in place for doing so. We also visit sites across all HI islands, aiming for monthly.
Supervision does not need to occur through the institution. We offer our supervision systems and resources for students/independent supervisors to work into their own programs if they wish. Our resources could be adopted and adapted by independent supervisors. Students typically gain supervision with us if they do not otherwise have access to an eligible supervisor (e.g., their administrator/supervisor is not able and/or not eligible to structure BACB certification supervision). Some individuals, particularly Registered Behavior Technicians, already have natural access to a BCBA supervising them who might be willing and able to also structure credentialing supervision toward a BACB certification.
We offer supervision across summer, fall, and spring semesters! You must have an eligible site worked out and admin approval to enroll. Communicate directly with the program coordinator if you are interested!

General

What are synchronous online classes like?

For our online programs, classes will be presented through the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Laulima course site. Each course has a website that includes various components, such as the syllabus, course schedule, assignments, quizzes/tests, and other resources. Some courses may include recorded video lectures. Students should expect to study/work approximately 9 hours per week for each 3-credit course.

All courses will include periodic synchronous online class sessions (some may meet weekly; some may meet less often than weekly). A synchronous online class session is a LIVE class in which students and their course instructor get together online at the same time using video-conferencing technology. At UH Mānoa, we use Zoom for our synchronous class sessions. These sessions are very much like a typical face-to-face class session held on campus: The instructor may provide some lecture, facilitate group discussions and activities, and respond to student questions. Each synchronous class session will be held for 1-3 hours, in the late afternoon on weekdays (typically not on Fridays). A schedule of the synchronous online class sessions will be provided by each instructor at the beginning of each semester. You can expect to designate one night a week for each class you are enrolled in.

Eligibility

Can international students pursue this program?

Unfortunately, one of the requirements regarding international student visas is that they participate in traditional, face-to-face coursework on campus. Our online/hybrid programs would not meet this requirement; therefore we can not admit international students to these programs/coursework at this time. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.

However, our department does offer two different programs using a traditional, face-to-face format that can accommodate international applicants:

 

If you are already living in Hawaii and do not require a student visa, then you may be eligible to apply for our programs. Applicants with international transcripts may need to submit additional materials, such as an English Proficiency exam score and a transcript evaluation. Please inquire or visit the international student website to learn more:

Finally, international candidates looking to be employed with the Hawaii DOE upon completion of a program may also require additional documentation and eligibility requirements for employment. Please contact the Hawaii DOE to inquire.