This semester, 31 students started the ҹɫÊÓƵ's online master’s degree in behavior analysis, an area of psychology that takes a natural science approach to examining the complex circumstances that influence behavior. In 20 months, the students will graduate with a master’s degree in behavior analysis.
Behavior analysts work with people with developmental disabilities, substance use disorders and brain injuries, support people looking to improve their health and fitness, and more. Centria Autism provides therapy to patients with autism and is paying for employees to earn their master’s degrees with the ultimate goal of providing better care for their patients through the Global Institute for Behavior Analysis. GIBA is accredited by the Association for Behavior Analysis International Accreditation Board. The program is in the University’s Department of Psychology. GIBA offers two branches of academic programs: an online program and satellite programs.
Laura Barcelos Nomicos Ph.D. ’20 (psychology), the director of the Institute, is excited to be partnering with Centria to increase the number of behavior analysts with this level of education and practical training.
“There are more kids that need our help than there are providers,” she said.
Barcelos Nomicos emphasized that GIBA only contracts with programs whose values align with those of GIBA. She emphasized the importance of patient centered assent-based practice, which means that the patient’s autonomy and choices are prioritized throughout the treatment process. This is especially critical since most of the patients the students will work with are children or people who are at higher risk of being harmed.
“With Centria, we are aligned,” she said. “They care about assent-based practice, they care about the autonomy of their clients, and they care about their staff.”
Barcelos Nomicos said that demographic data for the field indicates that most practitioners are white women, and the online program offerings have diversified the student body in behavior analysis at the University. She said that there are studies showing that having a therapist with a similar background to that of their patient can help improve patient outcomes.
A crucial part of the curriculum is the practical experience students gain working with patients. Alumnus Tim Fuller ’05 (psychology and philosophy), M.S. ’10 (psychology), Ph.D. ’18 (psychology) is the director of Practicum and Research at Centria. Fuller will be teaching the practicum portion of the degree via Centria’s Elevate program, a paid practicum experience, to complement the education students gain in the online program. Along with the practicum experience, students complete a research project. Upon completion of the program, Centria’s students will be equipped with the knowledge they need to take their Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification exam.
Barcelos Nomicos added that the degree is designed for working professionals. She had her first child while working towards her master’s degree and had two children by the time she started her Ph.D., and that experience fueled her effort to make sure that the coursework would even fit in the lives of working professionals with caregiving responsibilities.
“I have a soft spot for barriers and making a more equitable environment for these students,” Barcelos Nomicos said.
By paying for their employees to earn their master’s degrees, Centria also opens doors for students who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to pursue their master’s degree.
“A lot of the students that have the aptitude, have the ability, but would have never been able to afford it or have the support they need to get through it, are given a special opportunity,” Barcelos Nomicos said.
Along with teaching several courses, Barcelos Nomicos also oversees curriculum development for GIBA and works to ensure that therapeutic approaches taught are rooted in evidence-based practices. She often asks alumni of the program to teach courses when GIBA gets another contract because many of them are practicing behavior analysts with a wide breadth of expertise and experience.
