Special Education & Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Program (M.Ed.)
Program Overview
Target Licensure / Credential: BCBA Board Certification Preparation (Non-Teacher Licensure)
This advanced dual-focused degree provides thorough training in behaviorism, concepts and principles, behavioral assessment, measurement design, and personnel supervision. Candidates gain the academic foundation needed to work with exceptional learners in home, clinical, and private educational settings.
Credentialing Note: Program meets the behavior-analytic coursework requirements for those pursuing the BCBA pathway 2 eligibility route and Massachusetts LABA academic standards. Does not lead to teacher licensure.
Faculty
Endicott’s Special Education and ABA programs are taught by teachers from both the School of Education and the Institute for Applied Behavioral Science. They are scholars, authors, thought leaders, and experts in their fields, so you learn best practices from experienced practitioners who share insights from their real-world experience. You will gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence you need to make an impact and accelerate your career.
The ABA Career Track is Experiencing Significant Growth
Many factors are converging to create a rising demand for qualified ABA professionals, and the broadening application of behavioral science across multiple industries is contributing to a promising career track.
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Contributing Factors
Around 2008, insurance began to reimburse for behavioral therapy. This created a need to quickly train a large workforce to meet the demand.
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Increased Demand
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) reported a 58% increase in jobs requiring a BACB credential from 2023 to 2024 alone, with job postings consistently outpacing the number of certified professionals.
In 2024, there were 103,150 job openings for BACBs nationwide, but only 64,907 certified BACBs available to fill them, indicating a severe and ongoing shortage of qualified professionals, and a huge opportunity for ABA students and future graduates.
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Potential Careers
Possible global careers our program can help you attain:
- Teacher or counselor working with individuals with autism, childhood clinical disorders, or mental health challenges.
- Organizational behavior professional in corporate environment creating analytic models for staff training for performance management, supervision, and systems creation.
- Applying behavior analysis to public school contexts across students, classrooms, and systems.
- Incorporating environmental sustainability into behavior analytic curricula to apply design thinking and other systemic change approaches to address climate change and environmental justice.
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Key States for Career Opportunities
Demand is especially high in states with large populations and developed autism service infrastructures, such as California, Massachusetts, Texas, New Jersey, and Florida.
What Sets Endicott Apart
The Endicott ABA program is one of the premier programs in the country, working in cutting-edge areas that are highly impactful and recognized in the field as important examples of advancing science.
The program teaches the technical side of the science but also focuses on developing the interpersonal skills—collaboration, compassion, cultural responsiveness—that are crucial to becoming effective and supportive partners for the individuals you will work with.
It is our unique curriculum, our deeply knowledgeable and approachable faculty, and our ethical and humane program, led by ABA expert Mary Jane Weiss, that make Endicott one of the leading ABA programs in the U.S.
Flexible, Online, and Tailored to Your Schedule
Endicott’s graduate program is online, flexible, and tailored to your schedule, and you will learn from highly skilled adjunct faculty with real-world experience.
Mary Jane Weiss, Dean of the Institute for Applied Behavioral Science, describes Endicott’s unique program design: “We have created a program that works for people who have so much to offer the field, and our job as the instructional designers and instructors is to make this a high-quality educational experience, and to infuse those active instructional opportunities and high-quality discussions into the course, regardless of the format. I think it’s created an incredibly vibrant and varied intellectual experience for everyone.”
Learn More About Endicott
Enrolling in graduate studies at Endicott means you’re not just a number. You will receive personalized attention throughout your entire enrollment:
- Pre-registration: get guidance from our helpful Admission staff on the right program for you, as well as advice on tuition and financial aid.
- During your courses: connect with professors and peers and access unique experiential learning opportunities.
- Approaching graduation and beyond: gain career and networking support to help you get where you want to go, now and into the future.
Endicott’s graduate programs are taught by highly skilled faculty who have practiced the work they teach and bring real-world experience to your studies, so you don’t just learn from a book; you learn best practices from real-world practitioners.
You will benefit from unique hands-on learning experiences and get the Endicott Experiential Edge, real-world experience and career support that gives you an edge in the competitive job market. And you’ll gain lifelong access to our alumni network and knowledgeable Career Center staff, who are there to help you meet your goals at any stage of your career, now or in the future. Once a Gull, always a Gull!
Want more information about Endicott? We’ll be happy to provide additional materials about your program of interest, our faculty, and upcoming admission events.
How Endicott is Redefining ABA Education
Dean Mary Jane Weiss shares her passion for instruction and how Endicott became a big name in applied behavioral science.
