BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
 MASTERS PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
The Master of Arts Degree Program in Behavior Analysis prepares students for doctoral study or for work at the MA level with individuals and organizations in developmental disabilities, mental illness, substance abuse, community mental health, education, government, business, and industry. A minimum of 36 semester hours is required, and a minimum grade of B is required in all course work in the program.

Undergraduate Preparation:
An undergraduate major in Psychology is preferred; a minimum of 18 hours in Psychology is required for admission. These hours must include:

(a) An introductory course in Statistics. The equivalent course at Western Michigan University is PSY 300.

(b) A minimum of 8 hours in both experimental and applied behavior analysis including laboratory and field experience. Equivalent courses at WMU include PSY 3300, PSY 3570, or PSY 3600, PSY 3770, and PSY 4600.

Students whose academic backgrounds do not contain preparatory experiences will be required to remediate program deficits through completion of PSY 5100 and additional course work. Specific courses will be determined in conference with the student's advisor. Generally, such remedial work will be in addition to the minimum of 36 hours for the completion of the Master of Arts degree.
REQUIREMENTS:

Area I: Principles of Learning and Motivation (3 hours)
o PSY 6100 Conditioning and Learning

Area II: Theoretical Issues in Behavior Analysis (3 hours)
o PSY 6760 Skinner's Recent Writings

Area III: Professional Issues (3 hours)
The student will be familiar with current issues in assessment, behavioral theory, and ethics.
o PSY 697 Prof & Ethical Issues in Psychology

Area IV: Behavioral Approaches to Individual and Systems Management (3 hours)
o PSY 6510 Applied Behavior Analysis: A Systems Approach
o PSY 6650 Behavioral Approaches to Treatment

Area V: Cognates (0-3 hours)
The course must be relevant to the student's career goals as a behavior analyst and approved by the student's advisor prior to enrolling in that course. This can be a course from outside the Psychology Department.

Area VI: Research Methods (6 hours)
o PSY 6080 Current Research in Applied Behavior Analysis
o PSY 6340 Introductory Statistics

Area VII: Master's Thesis or Project (6 hours)
The student can select to do either a traditional Master's Thesis or an approved Master's Project. The student will develop, implement, and conduct research or a project in behavior analysis. In the case of the thesis the student will effectively communicate the data and the interpretation of the data in a written document of publishable quality. Furthermore, the student will defend the research design and the interpretation of the data to a thesis committee. In the case of the project, the student will present a summary of the activities and results in writing and orally, at the discretion of the student's committee.
o PSY 6970 Applied Behavior Analysis MA Project
o PSY 7000 Master's Thesis

 Area VIII: Behavioral Analysis: Theory and Application (6-9 hours)
Behavior Analysis
o PSY 5600 Behavioral Medicine
o PSY 5970 and PSY 697 Advanced Behavioral Seminars
o PSY 5950 History of Psychology
o PSY 6090 Advanced Seminar in Applied Behavior Analysis
o PSY 6110 Experimental Analysis of Behavior
o PSY 6120 Advanced Physiological Psychology
o PSY 6130 Behavioral Pharmacology and Toxicology
o PSY 6140 Motivation and Emotion
o PSY 6680 Analysis and Treatment of Developmental Disabilities
o PSY 6700 Basic Behavioral Processes and Their Applications
o PSY 6710 Higher-order Behavioral Processes and Their Applications
o PSY 6740 Verbal Behavior
Industrial/Organizational
o PSY 6440 Personnel Training and Development
o PSY 6450 Psychology of Work
o PSY 6510 Systems Analysis
o PSY 6520 Behavioral Systems Analysis
Clinical
o PSY 5260 Human Drug Use and Abuse
o PSY 6630 Marital Therapy
o PSY 6640 Behavior Therapy
o PSY 6650 Behavioral Approaches to Treatment
o PSY 6660 Family Therapy
o PSY 6690 Child Behavior Therapy
o PSY 6860 Behavior Assessment

Area IX: Professional Experience (0-9 hours)
The practicum must be relevant to the student's career goals as a behavior analyst and approved by the student's advisor prior to enrolling in the practicum.
o PSY 5990 Practicum

These requirements are effective March 28, 2005