4+1 Applied Behavior Analysis Accelerated Program

The Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis Accelerated Program, or 4+1 program, is designed for undergraduate students in any major who have the interest, and demonstrated ability, to pursue the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis. The program is designed to allow students who complete their undergraduate degree to fulfill the requirements of the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis with one additional year of graduate study.  This will be achieved by combining a portion of undergraduate and graduate coursework as described below.

To be eligible for the program, a student must:

• Be enrolled in an undergraduate program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
• Have a 3.25 cumulative GPA or better.
• Have earned at least 60 credits at the undergraduate level.

1. The 4+1 Masters program allows current UM-Dearborn undergraduate students to complete both their BA/BS and MS in Applied Behavior Analysis degrees in an accelerated format. 4+1 students can double-count up to 15 credits of 500-level or above courses. Double-counting these 15 credits between the BA/BS and MS in Applied Behavior Analysis saves students a total of 5 classes.  In addition, in accordance with the campus Course Level Assessment Policy, undergraduate students are charged undergraduate tuition rates for graduate level courses. As a result, the cost of completing the Master's degree is reduced by more than $12,000, assuming part-time enrollment at resident tuition rates.
The courses eligible to be double-counted include:

• EDC 506: Applied Behavior Analysis I: Principles of Behavior
• EDC 621: Experimental Analysis of Behavior
• EDC 625: Contemporary Issues for ABA Practitioners 
• EDC 622: Science & Human Behavior
• One of the following:
  • EDC 539: Child Maltreatment and Trauma
  • EDC 561: Educating the Exceptional Child
  • EDC 514: Early Childhood Education Special Needs
  • EDC 508: Introduction to Developmental Disabilities
  • EDT 530: Assistive Technology

2. Students enrolled in undergraduate programs that require the 400-level equivalent of the courses listed above can count the 500-level version of those courses towards the completion of their undergraduate requirements. If the 400-level version of the classes listed above are not part of the student's undergraduate requirements then these courses can count as electives towards the undergraduate degree.  Students who do not have room for any more elective credit in their plan of study can still complete this program, but may end up with more than the minimum number of undergraduate credits required for their program.

3. At least one additional year of graduate work (at least 15 credits) would be needed to complete the Master's program.

4. The double-counted classes appear on both the undergraduate and graduate transcripts.  Students are graded based on the graduate grading scheme for all graduate courses elected. Only graduate level courses can be double counted towards both the undergraduate and graduate degree.  Students are not allowed to count undergraduate coursework towards a graduate degree.

1. Participation in the 4+1 program is limited to students who have:
   a. completed at least 60 undergraduate credit hours
   b. earned a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25
    
2. Admission to the 4+1 program is at the discretion of the CEHHS Director of Master’s Degree Programs.
    
3. Applicants to the 4+1 program must apply for the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis through the online graduate program application and indicate a "Yes" response to the 4+1 accelerated program question.  Students must submit a letter of recommendation from an UM-Dearborn faculty member or instructor and official transcripts.
    
4. 4+1 students must enroll in the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis program for a minimum of two full terms, paying full tuition. 4+1 students do not dual register and should utilize their graduate registration, not their undergraduate registration, to complete the remaining credits of the graduate program.
    
5. Students must attain a grade of B or better in each 500 level class double-counted or transferred to the graduate program.  Failure to do so may result in removal from the 4+1 program.  Students may be given the opportunity to retake courses once they complete their undergraduate degree.

To complete the 4+1 program in five years students will have to complete any remaining courses in the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis plan of study.  The following table shows a sample course schedule for the last three years of the accelerated program.  In this schedule it is assumed that students take 15 credits of graduate coursework as undergraduates, which leaves them with 15 credits to complete as graduate students.   Students taking less than the full 15 credits as undergraduates may require more than one year to complete the Master’s program.  The courses shown in the table are only the graduate level courses that would be required to complete the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis.  It is assumed students would fill in other requirements for their undergraduate degree as needed.

Program Notes

The undergraduate degree for 4+1 students can be conferred upon completion of the undergraduate degree requirements, rather than after completion of the graduate degree.

M.S. ABA Program Data Collection

Each year, the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis program collects outcomes assessment data on its students. The M.S. ABA Program Data Collection are provided for students to make informed decision about applying to the program.