College of Education Health and Human Services
School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences
www.kent.edu/ehhs/ldes

About This Program

The Behavioral Intervention Specialist graduate certificate is designed for professionals in education, healthcare, and social work, this program provides a comprehensive understanding of behavior intervention strategies for individuals with disabilities. You'll learn practical skills and evidence-based approaches to positively impact the lives of those you work with. Read more...

Contact Information

• Program Coordinator: Christine Balan, Ph.D., BCBA cbalan@kent.edu | 330-672-0595
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • Fully online

Examples of Possible Careers

• Behavior Analyst

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Admitted to any graduate degree at Kent State University or earned a master's or doctoral degree from an accredited college or institution.
• Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Goal statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency requirements - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning one of the following:
  • Minimum 550 TOEFL PBT score (paper-based version)
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL IBT score (Internet-based version)
  • Minimum 77 MELAB score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 Duolingo English score

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Spring Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions

Program Requirements

Graduation Requirements

• Students declared in a doctoral degree should enroll in the doctoral level version of these courses, if offered.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Identify the goals of behavior analysis as a science
2. Explain the philosophical assumptions underlying the science of behavior analysis
3. Describe and explain behavior from the perspective of radical behaviorism
4. Distinguish among behaviorism, the experimental analysis of behavior, applied behavior analysis and professional practice guided by the science of behavior analysis
5. Describe and define the dimensions of applied behavior analysis
6. Define and provide examples of the following:
   1. behavior, response and response class
   2. stimulus and stimulus class
   3. respondent and operant conditioning
   4. positive and negative reinforcement contingencies
   5. schedules of reinforcement
   6. positive and negative punishment contingencies
   7. automatic and socially mediated contingencies
   8. unconditioned, conditioned and generalized reinforcers and punishers
   9. operant extinction
   10. stimulus control
   11. discrimination, generalization and maintenance
   12. motivating operations
   13. rule-governed and contingency shaped behavior
   14. verbal operants and define
   15. derived stimulus relations

Graduate Certificate Policy for the College of Education, Health and Human Services

• Students seeking a graduate certificate must maintain a minimum 3.000 grade point average. A graduate certificate student who receives a combination of more than 8 credit hours of B- or lower grades, or more than 4 credit hours of grades lower than C is subject to dismissal. Students who are unable to maintain academic standards of the College are subject to dismissal for academic reasons. Grades of C- or below are not counted toward completion of the certificate.
• Certificates must be completed within six years after the first graduate enrollment.
• No more than 2 credit hours of workshop may be used toward a certificate.
• Before being eligible to be awarded a Certificate, students must be admitted to the Certificate program.
• Students currently in a graduate degree program may also apply to a certificate program. Their degree seeking coursework may be applied to the certificate coursework with advisor approval. The courses must be completed within six years and satisfy certificate course requirements.
• Students who have a previous graduate degree and are not currently seeking another graduate degree may transfer a maximum 6 credit hours with advisor approval. These credits may include hours from another KSU program, or from another accredited institution, if the following conditions are met: (1) courses were at the graduate level; (2) a grade of "A" or "B" was earned; (3) credit will be less than six years old at the time the certificate is conferred at Kent; and (4) student was admitted as a graduate student at the time the course was taken.
• Some program areas may be more restrictive. Students are advised to consult their program.

Full Description

The Behavioral Intervention Specialist graduate certificate is a highly-specialized sequence that imbues the theoretical orientation and practical application of applied behavior analysis. Through coursework in special education, as well as supervised field-based experiences, students gain specialized knowledge and skills to collaborate with professional teams and parents to develop, implement and evaluate positive behavior support programs for children and youths with behavioral concerns.

The program's course sequence has been designated as a Verified Course Sequence by the Association for Behavior Analysis International. Students seeking the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) credential must meet additional requirements outlined by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.