Frequently Asked Questions
The following information answers the frequently asked questions about the Applied Behavior Analysis program at UWF.
Refer to the UWF Student Guide for very helpful information on how to navigate UWF systems.
Don't see an answer to your question? Email us at ABA@uwf.edu for more information!
Prospective Students
The BCBA is a graduate level certification that requires a Master's degree.
Our Graduate Level BCBA course sequence consists of 7 courses and meets the BACB 5th Edition Task List Requirements.
For those students who need a Masters degree, we offer the option to enroll in our MA in Exceptional Student Education degree program, which is a total of 11 courses and includes all 7 courses required to qualify for the BCBA exam.
The BCaBA is a certification that requires an undergraduate degree.
We offer an undergraduate BCaBA course sequence that may be taken while you are pursuing an undergraduate degree, or after you have obtained an undergraduate degree.
Our 15 credit undergraduate BCaBA course sequence meets the BACB 5th Edition Task List Requirements.
The QBA is a graduate level certification that requires a Master's degree.
Our Graduate Level QBA Course Sequence consists of 8 courses
For those students who need a Masters degree, we offer the option to enroll in our MA in Exceptional Student Education degree program, which is a total of 11 courses and includes all 8 courses required to qualify for the QBA exam. Students who pursue this option need to make sure to take EDF 6221 and EDF 6325 in the elective sequence.
The IBA is a graduate level certification that requires a Master's degree.
Our Graduate Level IBA Course Sequence consists of 6 courses.
The QASP-S is a certification that requires an undergraduate degree.
We offer an Undergraduate QASP-S Course Sequence that may be taken while you are pursuing an undergraduate degree, or after you have obtained an undergraduate degree.
The undergraduate course sequence is a total 6 courses.
The courses are completed on Canvas, a web-based learning management platform. Students are expected to complete weekly assigned readings. Each Module lasts one week and has discussion posts and other assignments. You will have the opportunity to attend a live lecture once per week with your instructor and class or you may watch the recording that week if the timing does not work for you. There are at least two exams per course: a midterm and a final. The exams are cumulative. All curriculum and exams are based on the BACB task list and the QABA competency standards.
Syllabi and textbook information for each course may be found here.
Undergraduate BCaBA/QASP-S
One course is offered at a time. Courses are in sequential order, and each course is 8 weeks in length. As one course ends, the next one begins.
Graduate Non-Degree Seeking BCBA/QBA
Some courses may be taken sequentially or at the same time, provided that pre-requisite requirements are met. Most courses are 12 weeks in length.
Graduate Non-Degree Seeking BCBA
There are courses within the degree program that may be taken at the same time. Students work with their advisor to develop their course schedule according to a degree plan. Courses in the Masters program vary between 8 weeks and 12 weeks in length.
The BCaBA/QASP-S Undergraduate courses are billed at the undergraduate tuition rates.
- Students who do not reside in Florida may submit the out-of-state tuition waiver.
The BCBA/QBA Graduate courses match the graduate in-state tuition rate.
- Degree seeking students may complete an out-of-state tuition waiver for EEX 6051.
- Most courses are 3 credits, but there are some 2 credit course options in the Masters Degree plan.
Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid but may apply for continuing education loans to pay for courses.
- One examples is: Sallie Mae.
- When applying for a continuing education loan, make sure to use this school code for UWF continuing education: 00395598.
- Please contact our office via phone or email once your loan is approved, and our team members will assist with registration.
- Learn about UWF's payment plan option and short term loans.
If you are degree-seeking, then you are eligible to apply for funding. Contact The UWF Financial Aid Office to apply.
If you have questions regarding military financial aid, please contact the UWF Military & Veterans Resource Center.
Visit our department Financial Aid page
The University of West Florida offers an online MA Degree in Exceptional Student Education which includes coursework necessary to take the BCBA and QBA exams.
There are weekly virtual interactive online class meetings that you may wish to attend live or watch via recording. There is a specific time each day each week for the live interactive sessions. Students are encouraged to attend live classes, if possible. If students cannot attend live, recordings are available to watch throughout the class.
We utilize Zoom for virtual classes.
Please contact the UWF International Student Office.
If English is not your native language or you did not earn your bachelors degree from an English-speaking country, then you will need to submit official TOEFL, IELTS, or MELAB scores that meet the University minimum test score requirements to show that you are proficient in English.
** If you are a student from an accredited University in Canada, you may be able to have your international credential evaluation performed by the Center for Behavior Analysis rather than an outside agency. Please email us for more information.
Because content hours vary per course across verified course sequences (VCS), students who are transferring from another VCS need to email aba@uwf.edu with the following:
- A copy of your unofficial transcript with your name and letter grades for any VCS courses.
- A link to the Verified Course Sequence (VCS) directory for the Content Grid of the exact course sequence in which you were enrolled. As an example, you can find our 5th edition BCBA content grid on the VCS directory.
- Which of the following credentials you plan to pursue (this can be multiple):
- BCaBA (non-degree seeking)
- BCBA (non-degree seeking)
- Bachelor's degree with ABA Minor
- Master of Arts in ESE/ABA
- Courses for QASP-S
- Courses for QBA
Please send the information to aba@uwf.edu and our office will coordinate your plan of study with our program.
Please refer to our content grids to see the distribution of content hours for our course sequences
For QABA applicants who wish to transfer coursework, you will need to communicate with QABA directly regarding your previous coursework. After you contact QABA, please email aba@uwf.edu to inquire about transferring.
You may find the instructions and rubric for the Letter of Intent at this link
The committee grades all submissions with this rubric so we suggest following the guide in such a way that you achieve a high score. Of particular interest are the ethics question and the request for general APA formatting. This includes grammar style, margins, font, and citations (if needed). It is unnecessary to include letter elements such as an address header. You may upload your Letter of Intent by accessing "Application Status" and Letter of Intent "Upload File" or you may send it directly via email to gradadmissions@uwf.edu with aba@uwf.edu copied as well. Students who earned an overall GPA of 2.5 or lower for their undergraduate degree must also submit two letters of recommendation.
Current Students
Graduate BCBA
How do I know if took classes aligned to 4th Edition or 5th Edition?
Students who started taking classes before Fall of 2019 were enrolled in classes aligned with the 4th Edition Task List. This included EDF 6227 or EDF 6944 instead of EDF 6224. Classes changed systematically starting in the Fall of 2019 so that any student starting in that semester and onward has taken all 5th edition classes.
If you have a question about how your 4th Edition classes are eligible for the 5th Edition Eligibility Requirements, please send us an email. In general, your courses will count towards 5th Edition requirements but there may be additional classes you will need to take to make sure that you meet all new requirements if you take the BCBA exam after January 2022.
Where is the Course Content Grid for 4th Edition BCBA Students?
4th Edition BCBA Course Content Grid
Undergraduate BCaBA
How do I know if took classes aligned to 4th Edition or 5th Edition?
Students who have taken any of the Undergraduate Verified Course Sequence classes can qualify for 4th or 5th edition as the sequence is mapped to both. However, students who wish to apply for the exam on or after January 1, 2022, must take the 15 credit course sequence to meet the 5th Edition Eligibility Requirements.
Where is the Course Content Grid for 4th Edition BCBA Students?
Undergraduate BCaBA Content Grid
Visit our Course, Syllabi and Textbook Information page.
Visit our registration pages for detailed instructions.
- For Graduate Level BCBA Courses, follow the instructions here: New Graduate Students
- For Undergraduate Level BCaBA courses, follow the instructions here: New Undergraduate Students
- Returning Students
- Transfer Students
Please view the UWF withdrawal policy.
Please view the UWF refund policy.
Certification Information
Most information is found on the BACB's Examination page.
Specific information for each level of examination can be found in the appropriate handbook for that level. In general, you will need official transcripts from your degree-granting institution, transcripts that show completion of a Verified Course Sequence, and your final supervision documents.
IMPORTANT: You MUST choose the correct VCS Number or your application will be rejected by the BACB. The correct VCS numbers are outlined below. Please contact our office if you have any questions about which number you should select.
Important note for students: In addition to the inclusion of EDF 6224, EDF 6226 and EDF 6437, content hours are different between the 4th and 5th editions.
BCBA
- 51253 - 5th Edition. Select this if you took EDF 6224 as part of your course sequence and began EDF 6225 in Fall 2019 or later.
You will select this even if you are applying for the 4th edition exam prior to January 2022.
BCaBA
- 51254 - 5th Edition, Graduate Level (Caution: Rare). Select this if you took the first 6 graduate courses and began in Fall 2019 or later.
- 51133 - 5th Edition, Undergraduate Level. Select this if you took all 6 courses in the HSC sequence.
View the QABA exam application process here.
Upon completion of your coursework will simply order official transcripts. When you apply for the exam, your transcript can be sent to the BACB or QABA directly.
You can begin the ABA coursework as a non-degree student and apply for admission to the master’s program. Up to 12 qualifying credit hours may be considered for transfer taken as a non-degree seeking student towards the Exceptional Student Education masters program.
Contact our office at aba@uwf.edu or 850-474-2704 for more information.
