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The online Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program at Mississippi State University provides a pathway for undergraduates interested in careers in the rapidly growing field of applied behavior analysis. Designed to offer comprehensive education, hands-on experience, and practical training, this ABA degree prepares students for real-world practice in diverse settings.

 

Program highlights:

Expert-Led Curriculum: Our dedicated faculty mentor students through a robust curriculum that builds critical skills for effective behavior analysis.
Real-World Focus: Graduates are equipped to deliver high-quality, evidence-based services to individuals across ages, diverse populations, and varying levels of functioning, creating meaningful, positive change.

Mission:

The ABA program at MSU aims to prepare students to provide exceptional behavior analytic services through outstanding training, supervision, and optional research experiences.

*Note: There are currently no formal research requirements, but faculty encourage student involvement in research. *

Program Details:

120 Credit Hours: 120 Credit Hours: Curriculum includes courses that prepare students for Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification eligibility and meets the coursework requirements for the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification.
Verified Course Sequence (VCS): Recognized by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).

Additional Benefits:

In-state tuition for all students
100% online program for maximum flexibility

Tuition & Fees

Tuition per credit hour $419.00
Instructional Support Fee per credit hour $25.00

Tuition and fees listed are subject to change and do not include all possible charges. Additional fees may apply. Please refer to the master class schedule for individual course charges.

Degree Requirements

The following requirements must be met to earn a Bachelor of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis degree:
Please find a copy of the curriculum outline and examples of 4-Year Degree Plans below:

    Must pass a minimum of 120 applicable hours.

  • 60 hours must be earned at an accredited four-year university.
  • 30 hours of upper-level (3000/4000) credits must be earned at Mississippi State.
  • The final 30 hours must be earned at Mississippi State.
  • Up to 60 hours transferred from an accredited community college may apply toward the degree.

Transfer Credit

  • May apply up to 60 hours from an accredited community college. 
  • May apply up to 90 hours from an accredited four-year university.
  • Upon admission to the university, the Registrar's Office will evaluate transfer credit to determine how it transfers to Mississippi State University.

To graduate with a B.S. degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, students will need to complete the 120-hour degree program as outlined in the curriculum outline. Students are required to take two semesters of supervised experiential learning during their time in the program. Students must earn at least a C or better in all ABA major core courses.


Program Structure

30 General Education Required Hours
54 Major Core Applied Behavior Analysis Courses
36 Additional Required Courses
120 Hours to Graduation

Core Curriculum

All students who enter MSU must meet the common core curriculum requirements as set by the Board of Trustees, Institutes of Higher Learning of the State of Mississippi to Qualify for any bachelor’s degree.

  • English Comp (6 hours)
  • Mathematics (6 hours)
  • Fine Arts (3 hours)
  • Public Speaking (3 hours)
  • Natural Sciences (6 hours)
    • 3 Natural Science courses
      • At least one needs to be a laboratory-based course
  • Humanities (6 hours)
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)
    • SO 1003 Intro to Sociology
    • 1 additional Social Science Course

Major Core Courses

Course Number Course Title Hours
ABA 4103 ABA for Behavior Technicians 3
ABA 4113 Principles of ABA 3
ABA 4223 Applications of ABA 3
ABA 4303 ABA in Education 3
ABA 4443 Basics of Single Subject Design 3
ABA 4493 Behavioral Assessment 3
ABA 4603 Ethics in ABA 3
ABA 4663 Organizational Behavior Management 3
ABA 4703 Theory and Philosophy of ABA 3
ABA 4773 Advanced Topics in ABA 3
ABA 4893 Supervised Experiential Learning in ABA 6
ABA 4903 Undergraduate Capstone in ABA 3
PSY 1013 General Psychology 3
PSY 3343 Psychology of Learning 3
EDX 3213 Individual Instruction Exceptional Child 3
EPY 2513 Human Growth and Development 3
EPY 4513 Educational Research 3

 


Additional Required Courses (36 Hours)

24 hours must be upper level

Writing (3 hours)

  • EPY 3513 Behavioral Science Writing*

Communication (3 hours) – Choose ONE:

  • CO 1003 Fundamentals of Public Speaking**
  • CO 1013 Intro to Communication**

Human/Cultural Diversity (9 hours) – Choose THREE:

  • AAS 1063 Introduction to African American Studies
  • GR 2013 Cultural Geography
  • AN 2203 Racial Minorities
  • AN 3113 Societies of the World
  • COE 4743 Gender Issues in Counseling
  • REL 3213 World Religions I
  • SO 1103 Contemporary Social Prob
  • SO 2203 Racial Minorities

Humanities (6 hours)

  • Any upper-level Humanities courses

Electives (15 hours)

  • Any upper-level English Literature course (3 hours)
  • Any upper-level History course (3 hours)
  • Additional upper-level electives as approved by advisor (9 hours)

 


 

Admissions Process

New Admissions

If you have never attended Mississippi State University, please complete the online Undergraduate Admissions Application. All new admits will pay a non-refundable application fee.

  • You will choose Applied Behavior Analysis as your major and Online Education as your campus.
  • Request that official ACT or SAT score be sent to MSU.
  • Request that your high school send your official transcript. Faxed transcripts will not be accepted.
  • Submit a separate official final transcript from each college or university attended; faxed transcripts will not be accepted. An applicant may not ignore previous college attendance and must list all colleges attended on the application for admission. You must be in good standing at the last college or university you attended.
  • If you are unable to submit official transcripts and other documentation electronically, you may send them to admit@msstate.edu.
  • If you are unable to submit official transcripts and other documentation electronically, you may send them via U.S. Postal Service to:
    Office of Admissions & Scholarships
    P.O. Box 6334
    Mississippi State, MS 39762

Readmission

If you have previously attended MSU, you will need to apply for Readmission. There is no fee for readmission applications.

  • Once you are readmitted, if you are not a former Applied Behavior Analysis student, contact your advisor so they may change your major and campus and advise you for the upcoming semester.
  • Submit a separate official final transcript from each college or university attended; faxed transcripts will not be accepted. An applicant may not ignore previous college attendance and must list all colleges attended on the application for admission. You must be in good standing at the last college or university you attended.
  • If you are unable to submit official transcripts and other documentation electronically, you may send them via U.S. Postal Service to:

        Office of Admissions & Scholarships
        P.O. Box 6334
        Mississippi State, MS 39762

Academic Advising

After gaining admission to the university, you must contact your advisor to determine the courses that are most appropriate for you to take. Approximately two months prior to the upcoming semester, your advisor will send an email to your MSU email account, making course recommendations based on your program of study.

Mississippi State University uses email as its official means of communication with all MSU students. Please check your MSU email account (NetID@msstate.edu) daily. Information on setting up your MSU email can be found at the link for student services.

Photo of beca

Beca Spencer

ABA Undergraduate Program Coordinator

  • Assistant Professor of Practice
    Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Foundations

Program Reminders

  • If you want to deviate from the program of study recommended for you, check with your advisor
  • If you take courses not on your recommended program of study, there is a risk that the classes will not count toward your Applied Behavior Analysis degree
  • You must get a grade of "C" in all classes required in the Applied Behavior Analysis Major Core

 

All programs of study are subject to review by the Registrar's Office for graduation, even from a signed program of study. Courses that do not equal MSU courses exactly may or may not apply to your program as core courses. You can see these course translations through the CAPP report found at my.msstate.edu. To access the report, log into your myState account and click on the "hamburger" icon in the top left corner in order to access the Banner tab; click or hover over the myBanner for Students tab in order to view the Academic Records column where you can click on the CAPP Compliances link.


Contact Information

Photo of Samantha Clardy

Samantha Clardy

Enrollment & Onboarding Coach

  • Center for Distance Education
Photo of Anusha Rijal

Anusha Rijal

Retention & Engagement Coach

  • Center for Distance Education
beca Headshot

Beca Spencer

ABA Undergraduate Program Coordinator

  • Assistant Professor of Practice
    Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Foundations