Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) - Practicum

Students' Practica Options and Eligibility Criteria

As a graduate student, in the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis (MS-ABA) program, you are eligible to apply for university‐based practica to obtain supervision (see www.bacb.com under categories of supervised experience). The following practica options, a professional requirement of the program, are offered by the CSUN MS-ABA graduate program at this time. Students enroll in practica for each semester of the two year program (18 CE units). The practica provide opportunities to work in research laboratories with faculty, at approved paid/unpaid internships, and/or as paid student assistants.

General Timeline for Incoming Students

Fall 2018 Semester
October-December 2017
MS-ABA Info Session	Monday, October 16, 2017 Monday, October 23, 2017	We encourage all students interested in the program to attend this info session to find out more information and speak with program faculty.
Priority Deadline	Friday, December 8, 2017	All completed applications submitted by this deadline will be reviewed by the MS-ABA Review Committee.
January/February 2018
Free Application for Federal Student Aid: "FAFSA"		We encourage all of our applying/returning students to complete the FAFSA, here: www.fafsa.ed.gov each year. Please also check the “Federal Work Study” option on your FAFSA as we do offer “Federal Work Study” opportunities within the MS-ABA Program.
Applications	Monday, January 22, 2018	Applications are due for MS-ABA Program.
FAFSA	February 1, 2018	Deadline for FAFSA! If you don’t apply by the deadline, you cannot qualify for Federal Work Study!
May 2018
Applications	May 15, 2018	Applicants provided status of application for MS-ABA Program.
June - August 2018
Coursework Info for New Students		Incoming MS-ABA & 2nd year students receive the Book List and information about clickers.
Practica	TBD	Practica Information Meeting for 1st year students Find out a lot of information regarding Practica You will be asked to provide your availability for Practica You will be asked to provide times and days that you are available for your group meetings based on the provided options. This information will be utilized to create Practica Group Sessions
Practica	TBD	Receive an email with an application to apply for Practica There will be a strict deadline for submittal of Option I Practica applications. Information will be provided to students as to what options they have for internship sites and site supervisors If you have a job site that is not an approved internship site and/or site supervisor, but would like to be approved, you will need to provide the CSUN Practica Handbook ASAP and the MS-ABA Review Committee will conduct a review if possible
Practica	TBD	Interviews for Option I Practica will be conducted by MS-ABA Faculty There will be a strict deadline for submittal of Option I Practica applications. Information will be provided to students as to what options they have for internship sites and site supervisors If you have a job site that is not an approved internship site and/or site supervisor, but would like to be approved, you will need to provide the CSUN Practica Handbook ASAP and the MS-ABA Review Committee will conduct a review if possible
Coursework Info for New Students	August 21, 2018	Mandatory MS-ABA Orientation for 1st year students Provide information regarding the program Opportunity to meet the faculty
Coursework Info for New Students	August 28, 2018	Your 1st MS-ABA Class (PSY 552) will begin at 6pm
Practica	September 3-7, 2018	Practica Group Meetings Begin

Download this General Timeline for Incoming Students table in PDF format

I. University-Based On-site Practica

This practica option provides direct supervision by MS-ABA Faculty. Currently, there are four tenure-track faculty members conducting clinical work and behavior analytic research:

Faculty member: Dr. Tara Fahmie
- Setting: Off-site Community partnerships
Faculty member: Dr. Stephanie Hood
- Setting: Social Skills Assessment Intervention and Learning Research Lab and Clinic at CSUN
Faculty member: Dr. Ellie Kazemi
- Setting: Training & Supervision Laboratory at CSUN and off-site with Community Research Partners
Faculty member: Dr. Debra Berry Malmberg
- Setting: Autism Clinic at CSUN

Additional information on University-Based On-site Practica Option I

This practica option provides direct supervision by MS-ABA Research Faculty. These positions are competitive and students must apply and be selected by the research faculty members. Below, is a list of our four tenure-track faculty members conducting clinical work and behavior analytic research:

Faculty member: Dr. Debra Berry Malmberg

Website: https://autismclinic.wixsite.com/csun

Research & Clinical Interests: The Autism Research Lab focuses on developing and evaluating behavioral interventions and parent education programs to promote socio-communicative skill development of children with autism.

Setting: Autism Clinic at CSUN

Clients: Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their caregivers.
Faculty member: Dr. Tara Fahmie

Website: https://tarafahmie.wixsite.com/tarafahmie

Research & Clinical Interests: Dr. Fahmie's research interests include the assessment, prevention, and treatment of behavior disorders in children and adults with disabilities (intellectual, developmental, physical). In addition, Dr. Fahmie conducts research to enhance the efficacy and efficiency of skill (social, academic, self-care, etc.) acquisition programs. Most of Dr. Fahmie's research is conducted in a clinical context and the results of her research are used to help inform teachers, parents, and caregivers, and ultimately, to improve the independent functioning of individuals with special needs.

Setting: Off-site Community partnerships

Clients: Individuals (ages 3-15) with and without disabilities as well as their caregivers (i.e., parents, guardians, teachers).
Faculty member: Dr. Stephanie Hood

Website: https://ssail7.wixsite.com/hoodlab

Dr. Hood’s primary research interests have been related to determining the extent to which efficacious teaching procedures produce socially important behavior change and promote maintenance and generalization, and expand the reach of behavior-analytic services. One of Dr. Hood’s primary research lines is assessing procedures to teach complex social skills and assess the extent to which stimulus generalization occurs. Effective interventions to teach complex social skills is essential for adolescents and young adults with social skills deficits to become fully functioning members of the community (e.g., independent living, success in higher education, and employment). Some of Dr. Hood’s current projects are related to developing interventions for specific conversation deficits (e.g., articulation, discriminating and responding to sarcasm, identifying common interests and potential friends), job-training programs, college-student time management and study skills. In addition, Dr. Hood is interested in evaluating refinements to current functional analysis methodology to identify determinants of problem behavior. This line of research focuses on developing and refining intervention practices to produce effects that maintain in the natural environment.

Setting: Social Skills Assessment Intervention and Learning Research Lab and Clinic at CSUN

Clients: Individuals (ages 7 – 35) with and without disabilities as well as caregivers (parents, guardians, and teacher; when appropriate).
Faculty member: Dr. Ellie Kazemi

Website: https://klab-csun.weebly.com/

Research & Clinical Interests: Dr. Kazemi’s research interests involve training and supervision of caregivers (parents, teachers, and behavioral staff). Currently, she conducts research with a humanoid robot that simulates a client.

Setting: Training & Supervision Laboratory at CSUN and off-site with Community Research Partners

Clients: In this lab, students provide trainings in a pyramidal model and sometimes conduct translational research. To accrue supervised experience hours, students are required to select the off-site practica option in addition to their work in lab. Therefore, this lab is only appropriate for MS-ABA students interested in pursuing doctoral training in ABA.

II. University-Based Off-site Practica

Students work directly at one of the CSUN‐approved internship sites under the direct supervision of a CSUN‐approved site supervisor.

CSUN‐approved internship sites are local ABA service providers who obtain formal CSUN Internship Site approval as well as Site-Supervisor approval status. The approval process is initiated by the local agency or a current MS-ABA student. Applications are reviewed and approved/denied by MS-ABA faculty.

III. Off-site Practica (Supervised Independent Fieldwork Model)

Students must work at one of the CSUN‐approved internship sites under the direct supervision of a site supervisor who is a BACB^® approved supervisor. For this practicum option, it is the intern's responsibility to seek and secure a qualified site‐supervisor (see www.bacb.com).

CSUN‐approved internship sites are local ABA service providers who obtain formal CSUN Internship Site approval. The approval process is initiated by the local agency or a current MS-ABA student. Applications are reviewed and approved/denied by MS-ABA faculty.

Differences among the three options

Table displaying the differences among the options above

	UNIVERSITY-BASED ON-SITE PRACTICA: OPTION 1	UNIVERSITY-BASED OFF-SITE PRACTICA: OPTION 2	OFF-SITE PRACTICA: OPTION 3
Direct Supervisor	Dr. Fahmie, Dr. Hood, Dr. Malmberg, Dr. Kazemi	CSUN Approved Off-site Supervisor	BCBA in good standing
Practica Group Supervision	Dr. Fahmie, Dr. Hood, Dr. Malmberg, Dr. Kazemi	CSUN Practicum Supervisor	CSUN Practicum Supervisor
Students must enroll in 3-CE units of XBEH 903 practicum course each semester	X	X	X
Students must attend supervision meeting	Weekly - Specific to each faculty	Bi-weekly Practica Meetings Weekly Field Supervision	Bi-weekly Practica Meetings Bi-Weekly Supervision
Students must adhere to the course syllabus & "MS-ABA Internship Student Agreement"	X	X	X
Total required supervised experience by BACB	1000 hours (About 15 hours per week for 2 years)	1000 hours (About 15 hours per week for 2 years)	1500 hours (About 20 hours per week for 2 years)
Commitment to Internship	2 years to Faculty	1 academic year to Internship Site	1 academic year to Internship Site

Download this table in PDF format

For additional information regarding Practica, please see our Practica Handbook.

Eligibility

To be eligible for CSUN‐approved University-Based Practica experience, the student must meet the following criteria.

Be in good academic standing (i.e., a 3.0 or above cumulative GPA).
Submit "MS-ABA Internship Application & Agreement" by specified deadlines.
Interview for the on‐site or off‐site position(s).
Be matched or selected for the university‐based practica experience.
Enroll in 3‐CE units of the XBEH 903 Practicum Course each semester.

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Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) - Practicum

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