Earn Your M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis in Cleveland
Coordinated supervision. Modern, assent-based training. A 39-credit master's program for working professionals and career changers across Northeast Ohio. One evening a week on campus, two online — built around the way you already work. Apply by August 1 for Fall 2026.
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Continue →What Sets the Program Apart
Three things that change the calculus for ABA students — and the field they're entering.
01 · Program
Hybrid Cohort, Built for Working Professionals
Two evenings per week online, one evening in-person at our Cleveland campus. A predictable weekly rhythm built for working professionals — and an in-person community that anchors your career in Northeast Ohio.
02 · Pathway
Guaranteed Supervision
Your supervised fieldwork pathway, managed end-to-end. Our Supervision and Research Coordinator, Katie Huba, handles placement, BACB paperwork, and pathway logistics. You complete fieldwork at partner organizations across Northeast Ohio's behavior services providers.
03 · Practice
Diverse Applications of ABA
Our innovative curriculum ensures graduates are prepared for a variety of practice areas beyond autism services including behavioral gerontology, forensic behavior analysis, health & wellness, sport & fitness, mental health services, and organizational behavior management.
Your Fieldwork, Coordinated End-to-End
You focus on becoming a behavior analyst. We make sure the pathway is on your side.
To earn the BCBA — the credential that actually moves you up — you need supervised fieldwork hours. Many of our students are already working in the field as RBTs, and here's the quiet truth: not every workplace is equally invested in helping you advance.
So we stay selective. Rather than a directory of a hundred sites, we keep a small, deliberately curated network of partners we know deeply — which means we can vouch that your hours are valuably assigned and genuinely moving you toward certification.
It also means you're never the one left stranded. Your relationship is with the program, not a single supervisor who might move on. If something changes, sorting it out is our job, not yours.
Typical online program
$5–10k
Out-of-pocket supervision fees
Find a BCBA, manage BACB paperwork, and absorb the risk if they drop out
At John Carroll
Included
in coursework and fees
Placement, paperwork, and pathway logistics handled for you
Partner Fieldwork Sites · Northeast Ohio
Proactive Behavior Services Fit Learning Cleveland Spark Specialized ServicesA few deep partnerships — chosen for quality, not a directory of a hundred.
A Program Built for the Way You Work
One evening on campus. Two online. A weekly rhythm that doesn't ask you to quit your job.
JCU's hybrid format is structured around weekly evening classes — typically one in-person night at our Cleveland campus and two online nights per week for first-semester students. This rhythm:
- Lets you stay employed full-time while completing the program
- Builds the peer network and faculty mentorship that online-only programs structurally can't replicate
- Teaches in the modality you'll work in — relationship-based, in-person practice
- Anchors you in Northeast Ohio's professional behavior services community
Fully-online formats may be a fit for working professionals already practicing. For people entering ABA, transitioning careers, or wanting the relational practice that defines modern behavior analysis, hybrid gives you what fully-online programs structurally can't.
A Typical Month · Class Nights
Fall 2026 cohort
each week
each week
You're on campus one evening every week. The in-person night rotates — Mondays some weeks (PS 5112), Thursdays others (PS 5121) — while your other two evening classes meet online. The full schedule is set before the term begins. Pattern shown is representative for a first-semester term.
BCBA Workforce Demand
BCBA job postings have more than doubled in three years — and supply still trails by 50,000.
Source: BACB / Lightcast — US Employment Demand for Behavior Analysts: 2010–2025, January 2026
132,000+
BCBA job postings nationally in 2025
82,000
Active BCBAs nationally (end of 2025)
50,000+
Workforce gap between open postings and active BCBAs
Rolling Admissions · Fall 2026
Application open through August 1. Cohort starts August 27.
JCU accepts ABA applications on a rolling basis through the summer.
Key Dates
Fall 2026 application deadline
Next cohort start · August 27, 2026
Fall 2026 cohort begins
First class meets on campus
Summer 2027 application deadline
Summer 2027 classes start May 17
Fall 2027 application deadline
Fall 2027 classes start August 26
What You'll Need to Apply
GRE not required. Application fee waived for the Fall 2026 cohort.
Where Our Graduates Build Careers
Autism services is the largest pathway — and behavior analysis as a science applies wherever behavior matters.
Most JCU ABA graduates work in autism services — the field's largest professional pathway and a sector with significant unmet need across Northeast Ohio.
But the credential travels. Nearly one in four board-certified behavior analysts work outside autism services — in schools, clinical settings, and a wide range of applied fields — because the science of behavior change applies far beyond any single population. JCU's program supports whichever direction your career takes, built around the partner-supervised pathway where most BCBA hiring is concentrated.
Figures reflect the primary area of professional emphasis reported by BCBA and BCBA‑D certificants nationwide: autism spectrum disorders 75.19%, education 11.36%, clinical behavior analysis 4.39%, intellectual & developmental disabilities 4.38%, with the remaining ~4.7% spread across higher education, behavioral pediatrics, organizational behavior management, brain injury rehabilitation, behavioral gerontology, sports & fitness, and other applied areas. Source: Behavior Analyst Certification Board, BACB Certificant Data, January 2026.
Where our students want to take it
As behavior analysis expands into new fields, our students are already drawn to them — pursuing interests across emerging and specialized areas, including:
Reflects areas of interest expressed by JCU students and emerging applications of behavior analysis, not certificant placement figures.
Student Voices
From inside the cohort.
"JCU is equipping me to become a BCBA who never stops asking questions, is a team player, and one who strives to learn more and grow in everything I do."
Celine A.
'24, '26G · ABA graduate
"I chose JCU for my graduate studies because of the supportive ABA faculty. I knew the program would challenge me academically and professionally, but having mentors who truly care about your success makes all the difference in preparing you for the next step in your career."
Samantha P.
'24, '26G · ABA graduate
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about JCU's ABA program.
How long does the program take?
The program is 39 credits total. Most students complete it in 2 years full-time — with most cohort members continuing to work in the field full-time alongside coursework. A 3-year part-time pace is also available for students who want a lighter term load.
How does the hybrid schedule actually work?
Full-time first-semester students typically have one in-person evening class per week at JCU's Cleveland campus, plus two online evening classes per week. Classes run 6:00–8:45 PM, designed to fit alongside full-time work.
The pattern shifts slightly across terms as you progress through the curriculum, but the program is structured around weekday evenings throughout.
Do I need to find my own supervisor for fieldwork?
No. JCU's Supervision and Research Coordinator handles your placement and BACB paperwork. You complete supervised fieldwork at one of our partner organizations across Northeast Ohio.
Coordinated supervision is included in your tuition with a $1,000 fee associated with your required fieldwork courses. Most online ABA programs require students to find and pay their own supervisor separately — typically $5,000–$10,000 in out-of-pocket fees, plus the risk of a supervisor's availability changing mid-program.
Is JCU's program accredited?
JCU's M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis is pursuing recognition through ABAI's Tiered Model of Education — the Association for Behavior Analysis International's accreditation framework.
The program meets the coursework requirements for graduates to pursue BCBA certification through the Pathway 2 route. Graduates are also eligible to apply for the Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst (COBA) credential.
What background do I need to apply?
An undergraduate degree in a related field (psychology, education, social work, or similar) with a 2.75 minimum cumulative GPA.
You'll also need two letters of recommendation, a 400–600 word statement of purpose, a current resume, and all official transcripts from colleges/universities attended. The GRE is not required, and the application fee is waived for the Fall 2026 cohort. You'll register for a faculty interview as part of the application process.
Can I work full-time while in the program?
Yes. The program is built for working professionals. Most students continue working full-time alongside coursework — many in RBT or behavior-technician roles where their work hours can apply toward supervised fieldwork hours.
What does the program cost? Is financial aid available?
The program is $925* per credit, 39 credits total — approximately $36,000 total tuition, plus the $1,000 coordinated supervision fee.
Federal Direct Loans are available. Our dedicated Graduate Financial Aid Specialist can help you plan out the cost of attendance. Graduate assistantship applications (which can significantly offset tuition) are due February 15 for the following fall start.
*Note: Cost-per-credit hour is adjusted annually at the summer term. Learn more on the graduate tuition and financial aid website.
When does the next cohort start?
The Fall 2026 cohort begins August 27, 2026. JCU accepts applications on a rolling basis through August 1.
If you can't commit to Fall 2026, the next intake will be Summer 2027 (application deadline April 1, 2027). JCU does not currently offer a new-student spring intake.
Where do JCU ABA graduates work after the program?
Most graduates work in autism services — the largest professional pathway for BCBAs nationally and a sector with significant unmet need across Northeast Ohio.
Behavior analysis as a science also applies in school-based behavior teams, healthcare and clinical behavior analysis, post-secondary transition services, and government / community-based organizations.
