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Course Descriptions

EBC401 Behavior Analytic Theory:  Participants will learn to analyze human performance problems and to identify their causes by applying behavior analytic theory. Successful participants will demonstrate mastery to:

  • Explain the effects of environmental and genetic influences on human behavior according to the principles and processes of operant and respondent learning and the ABC model to behavior
  • Discriminate between the philosophical truth criteria used by behavior analysts to evaluate changes in human behavior and truth criteria used in other theoretical frameworks
  • Identify environmental variables that may influence a specified behavior
  • Perform a functional analysis of a specified problem behavior

EBC405 Measurement, Evaluation, and Ethics (prerequisite EBC401):  Participants will learn to pinpoint human performance problems, collect valid measures of current behavior and results, and evaluate current measure of behavior and results with the objective of identifying problems worth solving. Successful participants will demonstrate mastery to:

  • Define client problems in behavior analytic terms at the organizational, process, and individual levels
  • Design valid behavior analytic measurement procedures and collect data on critical dimensions of behavior
  • Present data using graphs, standard charts, and cumulative records
  • Use data to evaluate current results, performance, and procedures so as to guide practice with data
  • Apply ethical guidelines to support decision making around the selection of a problem to solve 

EBC411 Intervention Design:  Participants will learn to develop and design interventions that best address the client’s performance problems in a systemic way including training, management, and resource solutions. Successful participants will demonstrate mastery to:

  • Recommend the best behavior analytic solution to a client’s performance problem based on appropriately collected and analyzed data, the best interests of the client and other stakeholders, and BACB guidelines for best practice
  • Distinguish between correct and incorrect implementation of teaching and management procedures with regard to appropriate teaching of prompting and fading, discriminations and generalizations, shaping, chaining, fluency, reinforcement and reinforcement schedules, extinction, and punishment
  • Design and implement each procedure correctly 

EBC412 Intervention Evaluation:  Participants will learn to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of behavior analytic interventions.  Successful participants will demonstrate mastery to:

  • Evaluate research on procedures for solving human performance problems on the effectiveness and efficiency of the procedures studied using behavior analytic truth criteria as a guideline
  • Evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and return on investment (ROI) of solutions to human performance problems to determine whether the problem has been solved

EBC408-409 Human Performance Engineering I and II:  Participants in this capstone course will use a real-world project as an application exercise to solve a client’s human performance problem using the skills mastered in other courses. Part II focuses on implementing and evaluating the intervention. Successful participants will demonstrate mastery to: 

  • Implement a behavior analytic intervention
  • Collect data and present it in the appropriate manner to facilitate decision making
  • Evaluate data to determine its effectiveness

EBC500-511/ 540-545 Group Practicum Seminar: (Requires concurrent enrollment in either EBC520-531 or 560-565 and academic course requirements unless completed.)  While completing Chicago School approved field experience, students meet online with a BCBA supervisor one hour per week and prepare portfolio exhibits. Students remain enrolled until both minimum field experience hours and minimum supervision hours have been successfully completed. Supervision hours are counted toward the total number of experience hours required.  

EBC520-531/ 560-565 Individual Practicum Supervision:  (Requires concurrent enrollment in EBC500-531 or 540-545 and academic course requirements unless completed.)  While completing field experience, the BACB approved supervisor observes the applicant engaging in behavior analytic activities in the natural environment at least once every week and provides specific feedback to applicants on their performance. During the initial half of the total experience hours, observation should concentrate on applicant-client interactions.  Students will upload their video files to The Chicago School video server each week.  Supervision hours may be counted toward the total number of experience hours required. Students remain enrolled until both minimum experience hours and minimum supervision hours have been successfully completed. 

About Field Experience* 

Chicago School Approved Field Experience

Students must submit an application for site approval to the department chair who will review it with the BCBA supervisor and advisor. An applicant may not start accumulating experience until he or she has begun the course work required to meet the BACB course work requirements. Sites must meet BACB criteria for approved activities and hours. 

Current BACB Guidelines for Experience Hours:

The applicant’s primary focus should be on learning new behavior analytic skills related to the BACB Third Edition Task List. Activities must adhere to the dimensions of applied behavior analysis identified by Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) in the article Some Current Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Applicants are encouraged to have experiences in multiple sites and with multiple supervisors. 

Appropriate experience activities include:

  • Conducting assessments related to the need for behavioral interventions
  • Designing, implementing, and monitoring behavior analysis programs for clients
  • Overseeing the implementation of behavior analysis programs by others
  • Other activities normally performed by a behavior analyst that are directly related to behavior analysis such as attending planning meetings regarding the behavior analysis program, researching the literature related to the program, and talking to individuals about the program. Any additional activities related to the oversight of behavioral programming such as behavior analyst supervision issues or evaluation of behavior analysts' performance are appropriate.

 Clients may be any persons for whom behavior analysis services are appropriate. The applicant may not be related to the client or the client’s primary caretaker. Applicants must work with multiple clients during the experience period. 

Approved field experience site hours are applied toward certification eligibility in accordance with BACB University Approved Site requirements (1,000 hours instead of 1,500 for BCBA eligibility).

*Source: www.bacb.com