Education & Training

Graduate Programs

Applied Behavior Analysis

The programs in applied behavior analysis (ABA) are designed to meet the growing need in Florida and nationally for practitioners who can work effectively within systems to improve the quality of services in the fields of developmental disabilities, education, child protective services, rehabilitation, mental health, and business and technology. Both doctoral and master's degrees are available at the graduate level. An undergraduate minor is also offered, as well as continuing education credits.

Applied Behavior Analysis PhD Program

The PhD program in Applied Behavior Analysis will build on the existing ABA master’s program with its high academic standards, emphasis on research and practice, and network of community partners.

Graduate Certificate in Children's Mental Health

This Certificate is designed to provide a rigorous, empirically-based education to individuals in the behavioral health services field who wish to work with agencies and systems that serve children and families with mental health challenges. It is an interdisciplinary program delivered through distance learning technologies. Summer 2013 courses.

Graduate Certificate in Positive Behavior Support

As one of few in the nation, the USF Positive Behavior Support Certificate Program (PBS) will provide the skills necessary to conduct consultation for the support of individual children with intensive behavior challenges. In addition, this certificate program allows students to develop knowledge and expertise either in Schoolwide or Programwide PBS, a three-tiered model of support for school and preschool systems. More information.

Graduate Certificate in Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health

As part of the Institute for Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health, the Graduate Certificate Program will merge the skills and experience of local community treatment providers, USF academic researchers and national experts. Developed as a research education project, the program will provide a team mentoring approach with student researchers and professionals in the field.

Graduate Studies in Behavioral Health

The USF College of Behavioral & Community Sciences and the USF College of Public Health (COPH) jointly offer a specialty concentration in behavioral health as part of the Master's programs in the COPH Department of Community & Family Health. Current Course Offerings: Fall 2012, Spring 2013.

On-line Inservice Training

CE Credits: Applied Behavior Analysis

CE credit courses are designed to refresh and sharpen the behavior analytic repertoire of the practicing BCaBA or BCBA or anyone who works with individuals with problematic behaviors such as: Behavior Specialists, Behavior Assistants, Behavior Technicians, Group Home Staff, staff in the Dependency System, Special Education Teachers, Teachers, Caregivers, Youth Directors, etc.

Online Learning in Children's Mental Health

The Graduate Curriculum in Children's Mental Health has been re-packaged into in-service training modules to help bridge the gap between research and practice to improve services for children with mental health challenges and their families.

Training Programs

Interdisciplinary Training on Supports and Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

The Florida Center for Inclusive Communities is involved in the development of both pre-service and in-service training programs for professionals and community members who provide supports and services to individuals with developmental disabilities.

Positive Beginnings Training Modules

The Positive Beginnings Training Modules provide higher education faculty and professional development personnel with material that can be used to teach early educators, interventionists, and related service personnel about the use of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) with young children and their families. The content of the modules provides a comprehensive curriculum in Positive Behavior Support in 6, three-hour modules. These modules are available for purchase at minimal cost ($15). Faculty members with the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities are available to provide “train-the-trainers” workshops on the adoption of the materials.

Program-wide Positive Behavior Support Training Series

This project provides training and support to selected early childhood programs in Hillsborough County and monthly workshops open to the community. These workshops offer proven strategies for promoting social skills and addressing challenging behavior for early childhood programs in Hillsborough County.

 View Spring-Summer 2011 Training flyer.

Teaching Tools for Young Children

Teaching tools offers expert guidance on strategies to use and materials for making supports and provides teachers with strategies and resources to develop behavior support strategies for young children who are demonstrating challenging behavior in preschool settings. Faculty members with the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities are available to provide workshops on how to use Teaching Tools.

Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate Minor in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Courses in the ABA Minor will teach students the skills they need to provide ABA services to help people change their behavior. A person that provides ABA services is called a Behavior Analyst. Behavior Analysts work in areas such as Autism, Intellectual Disabilities, Special Education, Education, Parent Training, and Organizational Behavior Management, just to name a few.