The practice of designing, implementing and evaluating environmental modifications using behavioral stimuli and consequences to produce socially significant improvement in human behavior, including the use of direct observation, measurement, and functional analysis of the relationship between environment and behavior.

Visit the NYSED website.

Students interested in applying to the ABA program should submit an application to the graduate admissions office which will be evaluated on the basis of:

Master’s Degree Program 

• Possess a Bachelor’s degree (from an accredited college or university) in a related field related to learning or behavioral changes.

Advanced Certificate Program

• Possess a Master's degree (from an accredited college or university) in a related field related to learning or behavioral changes.

ABA Course Sequence and Behavioral Science Bridge Coursework

• Possess a Master’s degree or Advanced Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis.
• Please provide a personal statement (up to 300 words) discussing your background and why you want to enroll into the specific graduate program.

All Candidates

• Provide official transcript(s) from all accredited colleges or universities attended indicating the award of a graduate degree.
• Provide evidence of a cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 3.00.
• Provide a copy of a current resume, including all certifications and licensures.
• Provide two letters of reference: 1 from an academic source and 1 from a volunteer experience/internship/employer. Personal references, including those from clients and their families, will not be accepted.
• Complete and submit an original, well written, 3-4 page typed personal statement that focuses on the following points: (Master’s and Advanced Certificate)
  • Your experiences that influenced your interest in the field of applied behavior analysis.
  • Your personal qualities that will be useful in working with other professionals and potential clients providing behavior analytic services.
  • Your career goals and how an education in applied behavior analysis will help you achieve these goals. Be specific with regard to how you see yourself applying the skills and knowledge you will gain to a specific career and characteristics of clients.
  • Describe how your undergraduate/graduate education has prepared you to succeed in a fast-paced, intensive graduate program. Include a description of specific courses that have provided you with the background to apply scientific principles to the study of human behavior
  • Discuss why you think it is important to study human behavior from a scientific/behavioral perspective as opposed to a psychoanalytic or cognitive perspective
• Participate in a personal interview with a member of the ABA program faculty
• Please note: To become licensed and certified candidates need to be 21 years old

• US Licensure of Behavior Analysts
• Global Certification of Behavior Analysts
• VCS directory
• New York State registered programs
  1. Search for programs leading to a professional license
  2. Scroll to behavior analyst

Scholarships may not be combined; students may only receive one scholarship.

Graduate Merit Scholarship

30% off the graduate per credit hour tuition rate will be awarded to students upon acceptance. No application or additional information is required to receive this scholarship. For more information about the current per credit hour graduate tuition go to our Tuition and Fees page.

Graduate Alumni Scholarship

Additional scholarships may be available for alumni, please contact your admissions counselor for more information.

Americorps Matching Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to accepted students who have completed an Americorps service commitment. Daemen University will match the 100 percent of the Segal Americorps Education Award or provide a 30 percent tuition scholarship discount for Americorps alumni enrolling in our program.

Beginning in March, 2024 all new students (except students in the ABA Bridge Coursework Sequence) will be billed $480 annually for access to supplemental curricular materials which are used throughout the entire program and threaded in multiple courses. This cost will be added to tuition and financial aid can be used.