Psychology Program At WCSU In Danbury Ranks In Top 5: Report

News Release Submitted by Western Connecticut State University

DANBURY, CONN. — The Western Connecticut State University master's degree program in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has received recognition from EduMed.org in its recently released 2020 rankings for "Best Graduate Certificates in Applied Behavior Analysis Online."

WCSU's program ranked fifth on a list that compared factors including cost, online availability, academic counseling, career placement and availability of financial aid at both public and private, for-profit institutions that offer an ABA degree online.

EduMed.org founder Wes Harris Ricketts wrote in his letter announcing WCSU’s top ranking, "I
wanted to reach out to congratulate you and your department at Western Connecticut State University. EduMed.org has just released its 2020 rankings, and your school has been named one of today's best for online learning in applied behavior analysis. …

To create the rankings, EduMed researched more than 7,700 accredited schools using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and from the schools themselves. Our data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools according to seven core metrics. Schools with the best combinations of online learning opportunity, affordability and student support earned top honors. To qualify, a school must offer at least part of its applied behavior analysis program online and hold active regional accreditation."

According to its website, "EduMed.org connects students with the best and most affordable
higher education programs in the medical and allied health fields."

This latest recognition for WCSU’s ABA program comes on the heels of a number of similar top
rankings.

In 2019, the program received the highest honors in a survey by the research group Intelligent.com as the nation’s best master’s program for students seeking to pursue careers as Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs).

Intelligent.com, a Seattle-based organization that provides guides and rankings designed to inform student choices of degree programs at higher education institutions nationwide, also cited the online Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis program at WCSU as the fourth most affordable nationwide among 34 institutions evaluated in the survey.

The Intelligent.com survey’s overall program rankings were based on the strength and reputation of the university’s ABA curriculum, experience in online education, affordable cost for degree completion, student engagement and graduation rates, and projected return on investment through post-graduation employment. WCSU ranked as the No. 1 "Intelligent Pick" among all online ABA programs surveyed, achieving an elite 99.89 score on a 100-point scale.

"Our top picks for the best online BCBA program are respected, accredited and affordable," the
survey overview said. "Students who pursue any one of these programs can expect to gain
employment much quicker in comparison to candidates without a degree."

Additional recent honors that have drawn national recognition to the excellence of the ABA master’s program at WCSU include the 2019 Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide, which ranked WCSU at No. 2 among higher education institutions nationwide that offer an online master’s degree in applied behavior analysis. The ABA Programs Guide profile of WCSU noted that the university’s fully online instructional program prepares students "to effectively quantify and measure behavior in order to make effective changes that will improve overall behavior of an individual, group or organization." The guide noted students in the WCSU program learn how to measure behavior, collect and analyze data, and make suitable modifications to increase appropriate behavior and decrease inappropriate behavior.

The autism advocacy and treatment organization Action Behavior Centers also cited WCSU in its "Top 50 Online ABA Master’s Programs and Certificates in 2018" survey of higher education institutions across the United States. The survey listing recognized the university as "an institution dedicated to higher standards of education and research. WCSU provides high-quality behavior analytic instruction to practitioners, earning its online ABA program a spot on this list."

The WCSU ABA master’s degree, housed in the Department of Education and Educational Psychology, is achieved through completion of a rigorous curriculum of nine courses for a total of 30 credit hours. The M.S. program includes 22 credits of core coursework designed to qualify graduates to sit for the BCBA examination sponsored by the Behavior Analyst Certification
Board (BACB). The WCSU program includes a required course in Assistive Technology for Applied Behavior Analysis, an area of study with important applications in the profession.