Message from the Program Director
Welcome to the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program at
Dar Al-Hekma University!
I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to each of you as you embark on your journey in our master’s program. I am excited to witness your dedication to understanding and implementing the principles of ABA in real-world settings.
Throughout this program, you will delve into the complexities of behavior analysis, explore innovative methodologies, the educational applications of behavior analysis, and engage in hands-on experiences that will shape your expertise in this field. Our faculty are committed to providing you with the knowledge, skills, and support necessary to excel in your academic and professional endeavors.
As a graduate of the program, you will be able to cater to the diverse needs of all individuals affected by the autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental disabilities, educational and behavioral challenges, and mental health issues.
I encourage you to embrace every opportunity for growth, collaboration, and discovery that this program offers. Your contributions to our learning community are invaluable, and I am confident that together, we will make meaningful advancements in the application of behavior analysis to improve lives.
I look forward to witnessing your progress and successes in our program.
Along the same lines, students at Dar Al-Hekma can also earn a
master’s degree in educational leadership.
Graduate scholarships are available to all students wishing to enroll in any of the graduate programs.
Mission
To graduate professionals and scholars committed to enhancing the quality of life of individuals, providing them with state-of-the-art behavior analytic services, and leading radical advancement in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis in Saudi Arabia.
Goals
- Lead radical and positive change in the field through enhancing the proficiency and standards of practice in applied behavior analysis in Saudi Arabia.
- Develop new knowledge and skills to consistently bring about positive behavior change.
- Increase the number of competent individuals and clinicians available to train direct service personnel, including educators and their assistants.
- Disseminate knowledge and research related to applied behavior analysis to members of the community of Saudi Arabia, especially to educators, family members, and policy makers.
Graduate Attributes
- Extensive knowledge about the concepts and principles of the science of behavior analysis
- Commitment to life-long learning
- Effective communication and collaboration with other professionals and stakeholders in the field
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Research-oriented
- Competent in implementing behavioral technologies.
- Professionalism, leadership, and responsibility skills
- Adaptable to changes and challenges in practice.
- Ethically and socially aware
Why choose this Masters Program at Dar Al-Hekma University?
- It is the leading program in ABA in the Middle East and the only program in KSA.
- The courses in the program are verified by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).
- The program faculty are board-certified behavioral analysts (BCBA) with extensive clinical experience
- The program focuses on the clinical and educational applications of ABA.
- It provides an intensive practicum experience to enhance and strengthen students' application of the principles of ABA in clinical and educational settings.
- The program provides opportunities for state-of-the-art research in the field of behavior analysis.
Admission Requirements
Programs
| Limguaskill Score
| Required Bachelor
Degree
| Pre-Requisite Program
| Other Admission Requirement
|
|---|
Master of Science in
Applied Behavior Analysis
| 176
| A Bachelor Degree in one of the
following degrees or any related field:
- Applied Behavior Analysis.
- Psychology.
- Special Education.
| None
| Pass Interview
|
For further details about admissions, click here
Learning Outcomes
On Successful completion of this program. graduates will be able to:
Knowledge
- Explain major concepts and principles of applied behavior analysis.
Skills
- Assess target behaviors using different behavioral assessments.
- Develop function-based treatment plans for socially significant target behaviors.
- Evaluate the effects of treatment based on appropriate data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
- Implement behavior change procedures within individualized treatment plans.
Values
- Demonstrate professional practice in compliance with the relevant codes of ethics in the field.
- Demonstrate leadership and collaborative consultation skills with employees, families, and community members.
Plan of Study
|
Year One |
|---|
|
Semester – Fall |
Semester – Spring |
|---|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit
Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit
Hours |
MABA 6301
| Concepts and Principles in Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 | MABA 6304
| Research I: Measurement and Experimental Design | 3 |
MABA 6302
| Ethical and Professional Practice in Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 | MABA 6305
| Behavioral Assessment | 3 |
MABA 6303
| Behavior Change
Procedures I
| 3 | MABA 6305
| Behavior Change
Procedures II
| 3 |
MABA 6309
| Analysis of Verbal Behavior
| 3 | MABA 6310
| Applied Behavior Analysis in Education
| 3
|
| |
| | | |
|
Total Credit Hours |
12 |
Total Credit Hours |
12
|
|
Year Two |
|---|
|
Semester – Fall |
Semester – Spring |
|---|
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit
Hours |
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit
Hours |
MABA 6307
| Research II:Conducting Applied Research | 3 | MABA 6308
| Leadership, Management, Supervision and Training
| 3
|
MABA 6601
| Practicum I | 6
| MABA 6602
| Practicum I | 6
|
MABA 6311
| Clinical Problem-Solving and Decision Making in ABA
| 3 |
|
|
|
Total Credit Hours
|
12
|
Total Credit Hours
|
9
|
|
Total Credit Hours for Graduation 45
| | |
|
|
|
Career Prospects
The program equips students with the necessary skills that qualify them for a variety of career paths/jobs in the market including, but not limited to:
- Certified Behavior Analyst
- Service and program developer
- Policy initiator
- Program director/supervisor
- Independent consultant
- Early interventionist
- Case manager
Course Code & Title: MABA 6301: CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course introduces the goals of the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA). It focuses on the philosophical assumptions underlying the science and the dimensions of applied behavior analysis. The course emphasizes the difference between behaviorism, experimental analysis of behavior (EAB), ABA, and professional practice guided by the science of ABA. It also compares environmental and mentalistic explanations of behavior.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6302: ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course focuses on the ethical and professional issues impacting those who apply the science of behavior analysis, including practitioners in clinical and school settings. The course reviews the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB®) Professional and Ethical Compliance Code and disciplinary systems. It also highlights the strategies of overseeing and delivering ABA services with honesty, integrity, and professionalism.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6303: BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROCEDURES I
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the basic behavior change procedures and protocols, as well as models for selecting interventions for specific target behaviors. The concepts, practices, and analytic strategies introduced provide the students with the means to provide meaningful outcomes in socially significant behaviors for individuals with and without disabilities.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6304 RESEARCH I: MEASUREMENT AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course introduces the purpose and processes of conducting research in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), as well as the process of selecting measures appropriate to a variety of settings. It focuses on types of single-subject experimental design frequently used in ABA, the measurement of behavior, and the analysis of intervention effects using single-subject experimental designs. The course also emphasizes the procedures for collecting and displaying behavioral data that help in demonstrating, practicing, and examining reliability.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6305 BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course focuses on the process of behavioral assessment, including functional behavior, preference, skill-based assessments and functional analysis procedures. It covers the systems for selecting socially significant goals, establishing operational definitions, writing behavioral objectives, and visually displaying assessment data. The course also emphasizes the decision-making process for using the results of assessment to select and implement function-based treatments.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6306 BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROCEDURES II
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course focuses on complex behavior change procedures and systems. It emphasizes discrimination training procedures, listener training, processes of elementary verbal operants, token economies, group contingencies, self-management strategies, Direct Instruction (DI) and Personalized System of Instruction (PSI). The course also examines considerations for selecting interventions, as well as treatment integrity processes, and systems for evaluating effects and changes of interventions.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6307 RESEARCH II: CONDUCTING APPLIED RESEARCH
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course introduces quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches of the research process. It focuses on problem definition, research design, and data collection, as well as on ethical issues in research, report writing, and presentation. The course also emphasizes the steps of developing and implementing a research proposal related to the evaluation of behavior analytic methods.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6308 LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, SUPERVISION, AND TRAINING
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course introduces applied behavior analysis as a management strategy, and the ways of applying the principles of applied behavior analysis to staff supervision and management. It provides a review of evidence-based training and supervision systems. The course also focuses on the models of the function-based personnel evaluation and management strategies, as well as exemplary employee management systems.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6309: ANALYSIS OF VERBAL BEHAVIOR
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course provides a behavioral explanation of language development through the examination of B.F. Skinner’s verbal analysis of behavior. It focuses on the identification of verbal operants and their controlling variables, as well as the behavioral systems used to teach each operant. The course reviews research on applications of verbal behavior to improve the communication of individuals with language delays and emphasizes practical applications of the analysis of verbal behavior.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6310 APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS IN EDUCATION
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course presents the application of behavior analytic concepts and principles in education. It examines current evidence-based instructional models, commonly used in the field. The course also examines behaviorally-based programs for teaching core academic subjects, as well as elements of effective education.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6311 CLINCAL PROBLEM-SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING IN ABA
Semester Credit Hours: 3 (3, 0)
Course Description:
This course examines complex clinical behavioral challenges through case conceptualization. It presents and reviews systems for selecting effective, function-based interventions using case scenarios. The course focuses on data-based decision-making models and analyzes visual displays of data to determine the need for intervention. It also evaluates the effectiveness of current interventions, and makes recommendations for interventions based on displayed performance.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6601 PRACTICUM I
Semester Credit Hours: 6 (1, 0, 25)
Course Description:
This course provides an intensive supervised practical experience to implement ABA tactics, and methods in a university approved applied setting serving individuals with or without special needs. It focuses on observing experienced practitioners, implementing ABA assessment and methodologies, and analyzing the results of measurement. The course also includes a weekly seminar. This course provides individualized and group supervision using the basic principles of behavior analysis in the classroom or clinical setting. The provided supervision leads to the fulfillment of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s requirements under the Intensive Practicum category.
Course Code & Title: MABA 6602 PRACTICUM II
Semester Credit Hours: 6 (1, 0, 25)
Course Description:
This is the second course, part of a two-semester course sequence. It is an intensive practical experience that teaches methods to identify, effectively measure and, apply teaching strategies. These teaching strategies are based on the science of behavior, implementing protocols associated with developmental behavior cusps, and designing data-based intervention plans, while analyzing the results of measurement and effects of interventions. The course also includes a weekly seminar using case discussion and conceptualization. It provides additionally, as individualized and group supervision using the basic principles of behavior analysis in the classroom or clinical setting. The contents of this course fulfill the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB®) requirements for completion of supervision under the Intensive Practicum category.
