The answer is marketability. ABA practitioners know that certification is the key to job growth and security. There is a growing need for well-trained board certified professionals in behavior analysis to work, such as consult in schools' early intervention programs, day programs, residential settings and home-based programs. Certification in behavior analysis will provide the opportunity to access a wide range of career options.

Florida Tech offers a comprehensive professional development program in behavior analysis with a flexible and supportive online environment. For your convenience, all courses are offered completely online and do not require any travel to the Florida Tech campus. With the Florida Tech ABA Online course series, you have the opportunity to develop your knowledge in behavior analysis from the comfort of your home or work with a time that best fits your schedule.

The ABA Online Program courses meet the instructional requirements towards certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst ® (BCaBA®) defined by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc.® (BACB®).

Depending on which certification individuals are seeking, there are either three classes required for the BCaBA® level of certification, or five classes required for the BCBA® level. All courses are taught at the master's level and require master's level coursework to be completed.

If you are interested in becoming certified, and have not taken any courses that meet instructional requirements for certification, you can choose to take the ABA Online courses series (three-courses for BCaBA®, or five-courses for BCBA®) to qualify for the instructional hours required for certification.

The BACB® currently offers certification exam periods three times a year. All degree course work, instructional requirements, and supervised experience must be completed prior to qualifying to take the BACB®  examination. Anyone interested in sitting for the BACB® examinations may apply before completing these requirements. For more information, visit the BACB's® website at http://www.bacb.com/.

The requirements to apply the BCaBA® certification examination are less than the requirements to apply for the BCBA® examination. The occupation salary and type of job positions may differ depending on the agency and the state. The BACB® strongly recommends that any BCaBA® works under the supervision of a BCBA® and does not independently practice. Some states adhere to this BACB® recommendation while others have different stipulations depending on the type of client and/or practice.

Only the BACB® can certify behavior analysts. In order to be certified in behavior analysis with the BACB®, one must first meet all certification requirements, including:

• the instructional requirements (which can be completed with the ABA Online course series)
• degree course work taken at an accredited institution (for more information on required degrees, visit http://bacb.com/)
• supervision hours
• apply to the BACB®
• be deemed eligible by the BACB® to take one of their examinations
• take and pass a BACB® examination

Students in the ABA Online program are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress which is a minimum B average or above, each term. A grade of passing is equivalent to a B or better in the ABA online program. The length of a term is three months.

Students who fail a course are placed on academic probation. Failure of that course upon taking it a second time results in being academically dismissed from the program.

Students that are academically dismissed for unsatisfactory progress may submit a letter of appeal for reinstatement to the Senior Director of Continuing Education.

Students reinstated may be subject to special requirements as determined by the program director and lead co-instructors for the course. Failure to meet the conditions specified at the time of reinstatement results in a second dismissal, with the student retaining the right to request another reinstatement, although such requests are normally granted only in extraordinary cases.

As a program we would like to encourage our students, co-instructors and staff to spend university approved holidays with their friends, family or just taking some personal time. In addition, we want our co-instructors to have the opportunity to take advantage of specific continuing education activities and conferences to ensure they remain current on recent advancements in ABA. However, we strive to maintain exceptional instructional practices and provide students with much needed contact with their co-instructors in the form of weekly online meetings. In keeping with these goals the following policy was drafted regarding holidays and make-up sessions.

Online meetings will be canceled on the following University Holidays:

• New Years eve and day (Dec 31 and January 1st unless otherwise noted)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Presidents Day
• Easter
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day (July 4th)
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving (Wed-Friday unless otherwise noted)
• Christmas (December 24-26th unless otherwise noted)

Classes MAY be cancelled or limited sections offered:

• During FABA, ABAI, APBA

When an online meeting is canceled due to a holiday or conference:

• Additional regular sessions will be designated as make-up sessions for that week ONLY.
• Information regarding available sections will be provided to students via email and ANGEL approximately 1-2 weeks prior to the canceled meetings.
• Online meetings may be larger during weeks during which a holiday occurs.
• Attendance points will be assigned "automatically" for those students whose section meets on the holiday/cancelation day(s).
• Students may choose to attend a make-up session if their regular section met on a day classes were canceled, but are not required to do so to earn attendance points.
• If a make-up meeting is attended it will not count against the maximum of 2 make-ups allowed in a term.

• Go to http://my.fit.edu from any browser, sign in with your TRACKS Username & Password.
• Click on the link that says "* Google Password Required". That will take you to another page where you have to sign in with your TRACKS again.
• For the password type, select "Google Applications". This password is not initially set. You can set this password you want. It is convenient to use your TRACKS password, but not required.
• Then, go to http://mail.my.fit.edu, and sign in with your TRACKS again if needed. In the upper-right hand corner, locate the gear symbol and click on it, then click "Mail Settings" in the drop-down menu. Under the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" Tab, make sure that the POP option is enabled, as well as IMAP. Then click "save changes."
• Now that you have created your "Google Applications" password, you now have to add the e-mail account to your phone. The process differs slightly here for Android and iPhone users.

For Andriod Phones:

• Click "Add Account" from your mail setting - then select the GMAIL Icon; select "Next" --> "Sign In".
• In Username, put your full TRACKS Username, including the @my.fit.edu.
• In the password box, put the "Google Applications" password that you created before.

For Apple iPhones:

• Under Settings, select "Mail, Contacts, Calendars" (ios 5) and click "Add account."
• Click the GMAIL option.
• Under name, type the name you would like displayed.
• In Username, put your full TRACKS Username, including the @my.fit.edu.
• In the password box, put the "Google Applications" password that you created from the steps above.

Each of the ABA Online courses are three months in length, allowing one to complete up to four courses in one year, if needed. Any individual taking the ABA Online course series can also space out the classes; all five courses are offered every January (winter), April (spring), July (summer), and October (fall) sessions so that one can begin a course when it is most convenient for them throughout the year.

Each course is comprised of seven instructional units. With the busy professional in mind, one unit consists of an average of five to ten hours of video broken into smaller sections. This allows the student to fit study time into their busy schedules.

The instructional videos are available on demand, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A computer with better than dial-up internet connection is required to run the ABA Online Program courses. These videos can be stopped, rewound, watched, and re-watched as necessary. For the student on the go, the videos, and now podcasts are also available for viewing on your smart mobile phone or mp3 player devices!

There is no need to travel for the ABA Online unit exams (or tests). While all of the course tests are closed note and closed book, they may be taken online in the location of your choosing with reliable internet connection. There are two exams for each unit. The best score of these two exams are used as the final score for that particular unit exam score. Students are given time between the two exams to study and further facilitate learning to the student's success.

In addition to the email information of  your co-instructor, there are also easy-to-use online discussion boards that are checked by many instructors over twice daily to give students an opportunity to ask questions or discuss topics and get quick assistance. It is a great tool to collaborate with fellow students around the world.

Students are provided with an array of online study materials to facilitate learning in the course and assist in passing the BCBA® or BCaBA® exam. Students have the opportunity to utilize a detailed study guide while watching to follow along with the videos. This is a great study aid not only for the course, but also when studying for the certification exams. Students are also provided with printable powerpoint presentations for each lecture and other study materials. Best of all, these materials are available online whenever you need to access them throughout the course.

Students meet along with 10 to 15 other students online with an instructor for one hour a week. Upon registration, there are many different times to choose from while deciding your weekly meeting time. Because the ABA Online Program has students all over the world, these sections are available from early in the morning to late at night all week! Students access a live online classroom where they will be able to see and hear their co-instructor. Students can ask questions, take part in discussions and answer polls, just like a physical classroom.

Dr. Martinez-Diaz is the program director and lead instructor for the ABA online courses. He has worked as an ABA practitioner, professor, and administrator. Dr. Martinez-Diaz is a respected member of the ABA community, and among his many other roles, served as the President of the Florida Association of Behavior Analysis. Dr. Martinez-Diaz is highly experienced in focusing on people with diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders, mental retardation, disruptive behavior disorders, schizophrenia and traumatic brain injury. His classes are fun and filled with his stories to help make the concepts come to life for students. Most of all, Dr. Martinez-Diaz is passionate about ABA and the powerful impact it can have on the lives of clients, caregivers and the community as a whole.

In addition to lectures delivered by Dr. Martinez-Diaz, students will also be exposed to other respected experts in the field in some units. This way, students are learning from the best.

The ABA Online Program does not offer scholarships, grants, or government loans (such as the Stafford Loan) at this time. The aides our program accepts are Sallie Mae, military education aid (MyCAA), and Americore. We also suggest that potential students contact their local bank to request a career training loan.

To view more information about our financial aid options, or how to apply, please go to our Financial Aid page.

Our school code is 001469

The ABA Online Program does not require an application process since they are offered through the Continuing Education Department. To sign up for class, use the registration page of our ABA Online Program website at http://aba.fit.edu/.

The registration website contains all of the information required for registration of our program. We do not require copies of your transcripts as you will need to send them to the BACB® when applying to sit for the certification exam. 

This question will be best answered by emailing the BACB® at info@bacb.com.

The outcome depends on:

• What course(s) you have taken
• When you took said course(s)
• What institution you took said course(s)from

Students with course content grids or syllabus from previous courses taken at other insitutions can email them to abareg@fit.edu to see if any of the courses can substitute hours for our course series.

To enroll in the ABA Online Program for professional development credit, a bachelor's or master's degree is not required. However, to meet certification requirements from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, individuals must have either a bachelor's or master's degree depending on the certification they are pursuing.

Please visit the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®'s website at http://www.bacb.com/ for the current requirements for certification.

These courses are offered as professional development continuing education courses and are not a part of Florida Tech's degree programs.

Courses can be taken for either professional development credit or for Master’s credit. Professional Development credit are good for those that do not need Master’s credit and the registration fee is less than the Florida Tech Master’s credit. For Masters’ credit the student pays the current Florida Tech tuition. The application and registration process is different for these students. This program is not an online master’s degree.

The ABA Online courses from each sequence (BCBA® and BCaBA®) are offered four times a year.
Please see our page "Registration, Schedule, and Fees" for exact dates and registration prices.

Our program posts weekly updates with all of our upcoming courses, which can be found online on our course front page at http://aba.fit.edu/.

For information on the following, please sign up for our mailing list here:

• Future on-site or online courses lead by qualified instructors
• Coupons
• Important updates
• ABA news regarding any of our online courses

Any on-site courses can be specifically requested, by location, with a minimum of 25 students applied to register.
To request an on-site course, please contact the director of Continuing Education at abareg@fit.edu, RE: Request an On-Site Course.

A student who has paid for any ABA Online Program course series and would like to withdraw or defer their registration to the next term, may do so up to seven days after the course start date. This date usually falls on the 22 of the month the course begins. The registrant will receive a refund of any course fees paid, less a $150.00 cancellation fee.

To request information on how to withdraw or transfer, please email abareg@fit.edu.

Please Note: There are no refunds or transfers beginning eighth day after the course start date, for any course in the ABA Online Program course series.

Transcript request information can be found here on our transcript page.

CEU Courses

Our pre-recorded CEU courses are compatible with all mobile devices that are capable of running Flash. This means that all Apple iOS systems cannot run most of our CEU courses. Most of our live broadcasts on the other hand do work with iOS systems, so long as they have the AdobeConnect application installed.

BACB Approved Course Sequences

The pre-recorded lectures can be viewed on all mobile devices that support flash, and are available for download through iTunes U for devices that do not support Flash. The weekly co-instructor meetings can be viewed on all mobile devices with the AdobeConnect application.

Learning in an online environment may seem scary at first, however, there are resources to help you become accustomed to the virtual environment. Our courses offer training videos on the learning management system that will help you to navigate the course.

Technical support is available for those who need additional assistance.

Taking an online class doesn't mean you're alone! Students have the opportunity to communicate with their co-instructor, ask questions, and even interact with other students using discussion boards and live chats. Our ABA staff can also assist during work hours by phone and email to assist or direct you to the person who can answer your questions.

Unsure of if your learning style will be accommodated? Not to worry! The Florida Tech ABA  Online Program has a variety of qualified, BCBA® co-instructors to choose from for your weekly online meetings. This will allow you to not only chose a time that best fits your schedule, but also choose an online meeting that matches your style of learning.

Remember that these courses, in addition to the instructors to assist you, also have many study materials to help facilitate learning.

Most home and office computers (such as desktops and laptops) meet the minimum requirements.

The minimum requirements for the ABA Online Program courses include:

• High-speed (384k+) Internet connection
• Operating System Windows XP, Vista, 7 or Mac 10.4 and above with either:
  
  • Administrative rights on the computer (most home computers) or
  • An IT department who can install necessary software (most work computers)
• Computer with:
  • A sound card and speakers to hear audio broadcast;
  • One of the supported operating systems listed on the Macromedia Site
  • One of the supported browsers listed on the Macromedia Site
  • Macromedia Flash Player 6.0.65 or later as a browser plug-in
  • A PDF reader software like Adobe Reader

Note: Macromedia Flash Player is standard in most browsers. You can find out what version of Flash Player you have at the Test Macromedia Web Players page at www.macromedia.com/software/flash/about

Students enrolled in the ABA Online Program are required to utilize a Secure Remote Proctor (SRP) device.

• This device is provided free of cost to new, BEHP 5000 students.
• The SRP device is more accommodating and takes place of an individual proctor for our students.
• The SRP device is a small piece of hardware that connects to your computer while you are taking your final exam. 
• The device records a 360 degree video with audio recordings of your surroundings to ensure that academic honesty is upheld.

How to receive a SRP device:

• For new BEHP5000 students, the SRP device survey is delivered in the first week of orientation and must be completed to order the device for your final exam. The device will be delivered to the address you provide.
• Students who deferred from a previous term, or who transferred into BEHP 5000 from another school, will need to purchase the proctoring device at full price from the MBS bookstore at http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/fit.htm

How to use the SRP device once you receive it:

• Software will need to be downloaded on your computer prior to beginning your final exam. You will be prompted in your course to do so in order to complete a practice exam.
• When the SRP device is activated by the student's fingerprint, the device will lock your browser to prevent access of all prior course information and materials.

Please note:

• If you are a new BEHP 5000 student, and work with other students in the same organization, there is now a sharing program that allows the use of one device. If you, and your colleagues do not want a separate remote proctor device, please email us at abaproctor@fit.edu to request a sharing form, which needs to be completed in order to share a device.
• If you are an International student you may be subject to pay an import tax fee on the proctoring device or provide a web camera and microphone for proctoring of your final exams dependent on your computer operating system. Email abaproctor@fit.edu for more information.
• Students who deferred from a previous term, or who do not start with BEHP 5000 will need to purchase the proctoring device or arrange to be proctored virtually by the staff for a fee.

Please email abaproctor@fit.edu for any questions regarding proctoring.

The ABA Online courses do not count toward supervision hours as required by the BACB®. Supervised experience consists of a student working with individuals in a human services environment under supervision of a BCBA®.

Please note: Certification applicants may not start accumulating experience until they have begun the course work required to meet the BACB® course work requirements.

Florida Tech offers supervised field experience in the university undergrad and graduate degree programs, but not in the online professional development programs.

1. To promote prompt resolution of perceived wrongs and/or injustices which may arise between students and faculty/staff members.
2. To promote prompt resolution of other grievances, whether academic or non-academic in nature.
3. To assure the rights of privacy of all parties are maintained.
4. To develop a higher sense of community among all persons at Florida Tech.

Occasions may arise in which a student feels that he or she has a legitimate basis for complaint. It is the policy of the university to promptly resolve these complaints. Those involved should initially attempt to resolve the matter informally and without the need to establish a record. The informal process for resolution of a complaint is as follows:

1. When a student feels that he or she has a complaint, it should be taken by the student directly to the other party(s) involved.
2. If the student and the other party are unable to resolve the matter or if for any reason the student does not feel at ease in going to the other party, he or she should contact the senior director of Continuing Education for assistance. Unit heads and directors are able to achieve a fair and equitable solution to most problems. If the student would rather not discuss the matter with the unit head or director, he or she may choose to go to the dean of students, and/or, if deemed necessary, to the vice president of student affairs.

1. Complaints involving sex discrimination or equal opportunity can be resolved by using the procedures outlined above. However, if the student is not at ease with these procedures or feels they to be ineffective, he or she may seek the aid of the director of human resources, who is the Title IX Coordinator, at (321)674-8100. The title IX coordinator is a person designated by the university to ensure it is in compliance with federal laws regarding the resolution of sex discrimination allegations. This individual has the added responsibility of ensuring compliance with all federal laws regarding equal opportunity.

Students have the right to submit a formal written complaint for any grievance. Students should submit the complaint to the senior director of Continuing Education by e-mail to cschmitt@fit.edu or by faxing it to (321)674-7050.

The senior director will determine the appropriate person in the university to handle the problem and forward the complaint to that person. All written student complaints, with their resolutions, will be documented and the records maintained by the senior director of Continuing Education.