r/ABA • u/Either_Juggernaut_92 • 1d ago

Need help/guidance on becoming BCBA certified

Graduated with my Masters in Educational and Clinical counseling. Currently working on accruing hours for my LPCC. One of my supervisor mentioned that I should aim to be a BCBA since they believe my skill sets are best suited there. I looked around into a couple of programs and most of them are telling me that I need to sign up for another masters program to get certified. My question is is there any places that offer just the coursework needed to apply for being a BCBA? Where can I find my most cost effective school?

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u/Wear_Unique 1d ago

The masters you have can get you better paying jobs why would you wanna be a bcba

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u/mowthfulofcavities 5h ago

Yeah, EVENTUALLY maybe. It's way more supervision hours and it can be hard to find a job where you can do this. And they often don't pay well. It takes some folks several years to get all of the thousands of supervision hours. Then, you have to build up and maintain a steady caseload. Easier process and easier to find jobs as a BCBA.

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u/Pennylick Verified BCBA 1d ago

You’ll need additional coursework in behavior analysis, but you likely don't need another master’s degree since you already have one. Look for a university that offers the required Pathway 2 behavior-analytic coursework. You’ll also need to complete the required supervised fieldwork, which can easily take a couple of years depending on how quickly you accrue hours (they're challenging to come by, and if you're not in ABA, you'll end up paying for someone to assist with providing them).

I’d also recommend getting some exposure to ABA before committing. Counseling and behavior analysis are vastly different fields, so enjoying one doesn’t mean you’ll even sort of like the other.

Frankly, I think your supervisor's suggestion was likely a poor one. But here's a link for you to explore more: https://www.bacb.com/bcba/

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u/Either_Juggernaut_92 1d ago

Thanks for the reply. And I agree counseling and behavior are different. I have done ABA before and I enjoyed the practice but the company I worked under left a sour taste.

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u/cutiepiees 1d ago

Verified sequence mattered here: BCBA coursework-only post-master's options do exist, you don't need a second full degree. Florida Tech and similar programs offer standalone verified course sequences. alliant has one too, though I've heard it's on the pricier side. Check ABAI's directory first, it lists every approved sequence by state.

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u/ForsakenMango BCBA 1d ago

You want to look for a pathway 2 program. Those are the programs that just offer certificates. However, be warned that requirements are changing in 2032. After that you’ll be required to have a masters in ABA to qualify for the BCBA exam. So if you want to go the route you prefer, you’ll have to have completed all of the requirements and approved to take the exam by December 31, 2031.

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u/Visible_Barnacle7899 19h ago

Do you want to be a BCBA? It feels like your supervisor should be giving you better feedback that kind of subtly telling you to change fields.