Educational Psychology

Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis

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Department of Educational Psychology

Master of Science in
Applied Behavior Analysis

The mission of WCSU’s Applied Behavior Analysis program is to provide high-quality behavior analytic instruction to practitioners.  We offer courses with advanced online technology in an academic environment dedicated to education and research.

Program Structure

The program consists of 30 semester hours completed online using an asynchronous format. Fall and Spring semesters are 15-16 weeks each. Summer sessions are 5 weeks in length. It takes approximately 16 months to complete the program. Candidates are admitted in fall and spring cohorts and will generally follow the recommended course sequence. Courses are delivered via the Learning Management System (LMS) Blackboard® and consist of video-based lectures, interactive discussion boards, application activities, quizzes, and learning modules.

Classes do not meet at a specific time each week, allowing students the flexibility to complete coursework based on their scheduling needs. Materials necessary for courses include the materials supplied by the professor via Blackboard as well as required textbooks designated for each course by the professor and purchased by the student. This program does not require practicum, fieldwork, or internship. Please note that fieldwork is required by the BACB to be eligible for the BCBA examination.

Program Objectives & Learning Goals

Candidates will be able to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge of the basic skills, underlying principles of applied behavior analysis. In addition, candidates will demonstrate mastery of practical skills in applied behavior analysis. The goal of the program is to ensure candidates are professionally competent and proficient in all areas of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB) and are prepared for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Certification (BCBA) Examination.
  1. Candidates will demonstrate knowledge of the concepts and principles that underlie the science of behavior analysis and the application of those concepts and principles to the practice of the profession.
  2. Candidates will demonstrate knowledge of the process and procedures for implementing functional behavioral assessment procedures as well as the application of applied behavior analysis-based intervention procedures.
  3. Candidates will demonstrate knowledge of research design and procedures in applied behavior analysis.

Admission Requirements

WCSU uses a cohort model. We have a deadline for applications of January 10th each year. Candidates are invited to group interviews in mid-January and are expected to begin in the summer (Mid-May) if admitted. Admission to the program is competitive and is based on the criteria listed below. In order to be matriculated, the student must:

  1. Application for admission to the Office of Graduate Admissions and a $50 application fee. The application deadline for fall: March 1st / for spring:
    November 1st. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis after the deadlines
    have passed as space remains available. Online Application
  2. Applicants for the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis must hold a
    baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
  3. Mail and/or request electronic delivery from the institution of one official transcript to the Office of Graduate Admissions from each college or
    university previously attended, including all earned grades and degrees. Transcripts can be sent to: Western Connecticut State University, 181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810 or sent as an attachment to Graduate Admissions at graduateadmissions@wcsu.edu
  4. Applicant’s cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) must be at least 2.8 for admission into the program.
  5. Applicant must submit professional resume/vitae.
  6. Applicant must submit a response to the following essay question: In a single, double-spaced page please describe previous experiences which would make you a successful candidate for Western Connecticut State University’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program. To evaluate your application, it will be helpful to have the following information such as why you wish to pursue a career in ABA, what are your goals upon earning a degree, and what are some experiences you feel prepare you for success in our program (e.g., relevant coursework, GPA, job, etc.)?

Required Courses

The courses in the MS in ABA program include coursework in the following areas:
  • Basic Principles of Behavior (45 hours in one 3 credit course)
  • Theory & Philosophy in Behavior Analysis (45 hours in one 3 credit course)
  • Research Methods in Behavior Analysis (45 hours in one 3 credit course)
  • Behavior Assessment & Intervention (90 hours in two 3 credit courses)
  • Organizational Behavior Management (45 hours in one 3 credit course)
  • Ethics in Behavior Analysis (45 hours in one 3 credit course) Experimental Analysis of Behavior (45 hours in one 3 credit course)
  • Practice Skills in ABA (45 hours in one credit course taken 3 times) Capstone in Applied Behavior Analysis (45 hours in one 3 credit course)
  • Comprehensive Examination (0 credit course)

Required Courses (30 Semester Hours (SH)):

EPY 664 Organizational Behavior Management3 SH
EPY 665 Practice Skills in Applied Behavior Analysis I1 SH
EPY 666 Practice Skills in Applied Behavior Analysis II 1 SH
EPY 667 Practice Skills in Applied Behavior Analysis III1 SH
EPY 655 Basic Principles of Behavior3 SH
EPY 658 Theory and Philosophy in Behavior Analysis3 SH
EPY 656 Behavior Assessment3 SH
EPY 659 Research Methods in Behavior Analysis3 SH
EPY 660 Ethics and Professional Issues3 SH
EPY 662 Experimental Analysis of Behavior3 SH
EPY 657 Behavior Intervention3 SH
EPY 653 Capstone in Applied Behavior Analysis3 SH
EPY 663 Comprehensive Exam in Applied Behavior Analysis0 SH

See the catalog or the ABA handbook for course descriptions.

We are now accepting applications for the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis program!

Students may start in either the Fall or Spring semester. Applications can be completed online.

Application

NOTE: Please email the Program Coordinator, Dr. Stephanie Kuhn, at kuhns@wcsu.edu if you are interested in more information about applying. 

Call the Educational Psychology department.

Phone: (203) 837-3206

Please allow some time for our response

Program Handbook
Tuition & Fees
Certification Examination Pass rates for universities

About Professor Curtis Darragh IV

Professor Curtis Darragh IV is an adjunct professor in the Counselor Education Program.  Darragh primarily teaches practicum and internship.  In 2021, he won the CSCA award for the Connecticut school counselor of the year!  He is currently a school counselor at Westside Middle School Academy in the Danbury Public Schools and has been there for the past ten years.  

Professor Darragh holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a focus and concentration in child and youth. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the University of Connecticut. He plans on continuing his education in the near future in counseling education.

Professor Darragh has passion for social and emotional development in grades sixth-twelfth.  He currently serves as a board of director in the CSCA board, mentoring school counselors in middle school across the state and serves as a member on the advocacy committee to help support and bring awareness to school counseling law.  Darragh believes in the message that “When you find what you love and do, you will never a work a day in your life.” 

About Dr. Hyemi Jang

Dr. Hyemi Jang (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the MS Counselor Education program. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from North Carolina State University and her M.A. in Educational Counseling from Seoul National University. Her clinical interests and experience center on adolescents and young adults. Before joining WCSU, she worked for four years at the Korea Youth Counseling and Welfare Institute (KYCI), a South Korean government-affiliated counseling institute for at-risk adolescents and their families, and for 3.5 years at North Carolina State University Counseling Center. Her research interests focus on multicultural and social justice issues in counseling and counselor education, particularly concerning BIPOC counselors and clients, underserved adolescent populations, international students, and immigrant families.

About Dr. Diana Naddeo

Dr. Diana Naddeo is an assistant professor and teaches in the MS Counselor Education Program in the clinical mental health concentration. She is a licensed clinical psychologist. For the last several years, Dr. Naddeo taught concurrently in the WCSU Psychology Department, creating the undergraduate Internship in Applied Psychology program, and was an adjunct professor for WCSU’s Counselor Education Program, helping to train the next generation of graduate students entering the counseling field.

In addition to her work at WCSU, Dr. Naddeo also ran the Pediatric Assessment program within the Department of Neuropsychology at Associated Neurologists/Nuvance Hospital in Danbury, CT. She has broad clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and adults doing individual and group therapy. She recently opened a private group practice in Newtown, CT, Center for Assessment and Psychotherapy, specializing in child, adolescent, and young adult mental health. Dr. Naddeo gained specialty training in college mental health through her pre-doctoral internship at Brooklyn College Counseling Center and post-doctoral fellowship at Sarah Lawrence College Health Clinic.

Her research interests in emerging adulthood led to a dissertation that focused on treatment approaches for self-injurious behaviors in high-functioning female college students. She earned her BA in Communications from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst; M.S. in Counseling from Fordham University; and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with specialty in Psychological Assessment from Chestnut Hill College.

About Dr. Theresa Canada

Dr. Theresa J. Canada is a Professor in the Education and Educational Psychology Department at Western Connecticut State University. She served as chairperson of the department from 2007 until  2011. Research interests include cultural diversity in K-12 and higher education programs, early childhood/adolescent development, equity, and urban education.

Dr. Canada presented papers and conducted webinars and workshops at national and international conferences. Her television credits include Dateline NBC, The Discovery Channel and local cable stations. She is a member of several professional organizations and has been a board member of several national organizations. Her certifications and licenses include N, K 1-6 Teacher (NYS – permanent), School District Administrator (NYS – permanent), National Certified Counselor, Board Certified – TeleMental Health Provider and Licensed Professional Counselor (CT). Her latest accomplishment was the book entitled, Desegregation of the New York City Schools: A Story of The Silk Stocking Sisters.

About Dr. Jessica Gutheil

Dr. Jessica Gutheil teaches in the counselor training programs. She received her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Hispanic Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University and her master’s degree in clinical Mental Health Counseling from DePaul University. She then received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Nevada Reno in 2023.

Her research interests include self-efficacy theory, immigrant stress and mental health, mental health access, and bilingual therapy. Clinically, she enjoys working with children and adolescents and underserved populations.

About Dr. Antonia Giannakakos-Ferman

Dr. Antonia Giannakakos-Ferman, Ph.D., BCBA-D, received her doctorate at Caldwell University and gained postdoctoral experience at Université de Montréal. She is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst at the Doctorate level. Dr. Ferman has previously held a position as an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator at Manhattanville College. Her research interests include staff training, supplemental statistics for single-case designs, and the development of procedures to better teach safety practices to children.

Dr. Ferman has published several studies in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored a book chapter on teaching safety skills. She has also served as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals. She has over 10 years of clinical experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis working in clinical and home-based settings. With her husband, she enjoys watching tv, reading, and spending time outside.

About Dr. Stephanie Kuhn

Dr. Kuhn has over 25 years of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavioral Psychology. She is a licensed psychologist, a licensed Behavior Analyst, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the Doctorate level. She currently holds a faculty appointment and teaches full time in the ABA program at Western Connecticut State. In the past, she has held faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and New York Medical College.

Dr. Kuhn has authored and co-authored multiple publications in peer reviewed journals and has extensive clinical experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She has provided school consultation and school-based assessment treatment services for many years as well as home based individual services including program supervision and parent counseling and training.  

About Dr. Adam Brewer

Adam Brewer, Ph.D., BCBA-D, received his doctorate at the University of Kansas in Behavioral Psychology. He gained postdoctoral experience at the Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research at Texas Tech University and the Beatrice H. Barrett Behavior Analytic Neuroscience Initiative at the University of North Texas. Thereafter, he taught and mentored students at the Florida Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor and Site Director.

During his tenure at Western Connecticut State University, he was a core member of the Applied Behavior Analysis program team that revitalized coursework, resulting in significantly higher pass rates on graduates’ board certification exams.He also served as the Director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. He co-edited an open educational resource on Behavioral Pedagogies and Online Learning.

Recently, he developed the Translational Human Operant-Respondent laboratory that investigates basic learning processes underlying fear/phobias, anxiety, avoidance, and relapse with an eye toward treatment using virtual reality technology. His other research interests include gaining a better understanding of the negative aspects of positive reinforcement related to transition-induced emotion dysregulation and the behavioral economics of “impulsive” and “self-control” decision making. Across institutions, his students have earned awards and disseminated their research at conferences and in publications. He has held key service roles such as president of the South Carolina Association for Behavior Analysis and co-founder of the Annual Fall Conference for Northeastern Applied Behavior Analysis.

He has also chaired committees for Western Research Day and online education at both the university and Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system levels. Additionally, he serves on journal editorial boards including Perspectives on Behavior Science, Behavior Analysis in Practice, and the Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Bulletin. He is the proud recipient of the 2024 Provost Teaching Award at Western Connecticut State University.

 

About Dr. Lorrie-Anne Monte

Dr. Lorrie-Anne Monte is the MS Counselor Education Program Coordinator, teaches in the school counseling focus area and serves as Fieldwork Coordinator for school and clinical mental health counselor students. Dr. Monte is also the director for the federal HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) grant awarded to the Counseling Education program for 2021-2024. Prior to becoming a professor, she was a high school counselor for over 18 years.

Dr. Monte holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Relations from the University of Connecticut. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling and a Master of Public Health degree from Southern Connecticut State University. She completed her 092 Educational Leadership coursework at Sacred Heart University and completed a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology: Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology at UConn.

Dr. Monte loves to learn and is passionate about personal and professional development. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider (BC-TMH) and is also a Certified Health Education Specialist and a Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She strongly believes in being of service to others and is a Past President of the Connecticut School Counselor Association and the President of the Connecticut Association for the Gifted.