Psychology

The graduate program in Behavior Analysis emphasizes integration of theoretical, experimental, and applied behavior analysis. The organizational theme of the program is the premise that the theoretical aspects of behavior analysis combined with a natural-science approach to research unite the basic and applied areas. This orientation is reflected by required courses in theoretical foundations of behavioral analysis, quantitative methods, advanced experimental analysis of behavior, and applied behavior analysis. Additional course work in Psychology and other departments is completed according to individual goals and interests as specified in each student’s individual program of study. All faculty and students meet weekly in a “current topics” seminar in which research and professional issues of general interest are discussed.  The Behavior Analysis area believes that excellence in graduate education requires a diverse and inclusive graduate student community that reflects a wide range of differences of culture and circumstance. Such differences may include race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, abilities/disabilities, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other dimensions of diversity. We welcome applications from students with diverse backgrounds.

Research

Research activities span a diverse range of settings, from laboratory to applied and business settings.  Human laboratory research involves choice and decision making, behavioral economics, substance abuse, cigarette smoking, and other topics. Applied research includes behavioral processes (preference, response acquisition, stimulus control) in disorders of learning and behavior, contingency management to promote health behavior, functional analysis and treatment of problem behavior, performance management, behavioral safety, and school-based interventions. Students work closely with one or more of the faculty in developing a continuing research apprenticeship and routinely publish their thesis and dissertation research in major behavioral journals including the Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior and the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. The consistent productivity of our students and faculty has earned our program the #1 ranking among universities and research institutions in publication frequency in behavioral journals (Blair et al., 2018).

Requirements

All graduate students fulfill general requirements of the Graduate School, the Department, and the Behavior Analysis programs. Students are expected to complete a qualifying exam during the spring term of their third year; exceptions may be granted if a student enters the program with a master’s degree. For details about the timing, requirements, and content of the qualifying exam, please click here. (If you entered the program before fall of 2017, you may choose the old format, click here for details.)

Outcomes

Since its beginning in 1970, the Behavior Analysis program has graduated more than 100 Ph.D.’s, with initial placements at Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University, Stanford Medical School, University of North Carolina, Walter Reed Medical Center, University of Kansas, among others. Many graduates of the program now hold senior positions at their respective institutions, are Fellows in APA, serve on editorial boards of major journals, and have achieved national and international distinction. The Behavior Analysis Program has achieved international recognition by receiving the Award for Enduring Programmatic Contributions in Behavior Analysis from the Association for Behavior Analysis in 2002.

Graduate Courses: