About Accreditation

APBA & Accreditation

The Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) is currently creating a program to accredit degree conferring programs in behavior analysis at the master’s level that focus on training students to become scientist-practitioners in the profession of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) based services. The creation of this accreditation program for practitioner-training programs is driven by APBA's mission to promote and advance the science-based practice of applied behavior analysis and by the rapid and continual growth of the profession (see the US Employment Demand for Behavior Analysis 2010-2022; BACB 2023). This new accreditation program for programs specifically focused on preparing professional practitioners provides the opportunity to enhance student and consumer protection by a) enhancing the focus of programs on the knowledge and skills required by the accreditation standards and b) holding training programs accountable for the success of their graduates on credentialing exams that are required to enter the workforce. Such an accreditation program provides the opportunity to work collaboratively with practicing professionals and educational programs to engage in continual improvement in graduate training to positively impact the profession and the quality of services delivered by practicing professional behavior analysts.

APBA Accreditation Board Positions & Terms

The APBA Accreditation Board (Accreditation Board) functions to direct APBA’s accreditation requirements and activities. Activities include developing, reviewing, and updating requirements; reviewing and making determinations regarding initial and reaccreditation applications; and interacting with applicants and accredited program representatives. The Accreditation Board is comprised of positions below and filled by individuals appointed by the APBA Board of Directors (BoD). The structure, requirements, and terms of the Accreditation Board may be modified at any time by the BoD. The Accreditation Board is comprised of no less than seven and no more than eleven members. All Accreditation Board positions are voluntary and without compensation. The Accreditation Board Member positions, requirements, and terms are as follows:

• Accreditation Board Chair — The chair position is held for a two-year term. The individual must be a current or former faculty in an ABA practitioner preparation program, a current member of the Accreditation Board (except for the first chair), a current member of APBA, and in good standing with any relevant certifying or licensing bodies (e.g., BACB®, state licensure board). At the end of their term, the Chair may be appointed as a member of the board.

• Accreditation Board Co-Chair — The co-chair position is held for one year concurrent with the last year of the chair’s 2-year term, with the expectation that the individual will move into the Chair position. The individual must be a current or former faculty in an ABA practitioner preparation program, a current member of the Accreditation Board, a current member of APBA, and in good standing with any relevant certifying or licensing bodies (e.g., BACB®, state licensure board).

• APBA BoD Representative — The APBA BoD Rep position is help for a 2-year term. The individual must be a current or former faculty in an ABA practitioner preparation program.

• APBA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) — The APBA CEO position is occupied by the CEO, is non-voting, does not have a term.

• Accreditation Board Member — This position is held for a three-to-four-year term with an option to extend the term at the request of the Accreditation Board Chair and approval by the APBA BoD. Members will rotate off the Accreditation Board in a staggered manner such that no more than two members rotate off at the same time. Individuals must be current members of APBA and in good standing with any relevant certifying or licensing bodies (e.g., BACB®, state licensure board). The following criteria will guide member selection:
  • There shall be diversity across Accreditation Board Members
  • The majority of members shall be faculty or former faculty
  • Members who are faculty shall represent diversity across program type and size
  • At least one board member must hold a position that focuses on practicum/fieldwork training
  • At least one member who is not primarily a faculty who works for a provider organization and is directly involved in activities related to hiring/promotions, identifying position competencies, and staff performance management
  • During the initial formation of the Board, members are expected to carry out at least one initial application review and one reaccreditation review to assist in refining the processes and documents

• Accreditation Board Volunteer — This position is “as needed” at the discretion of, and appointed by, the Accreditation Board. This position does not have a specific term. Volunteers are used to support the development of products, systems, processes, and resources; to gather and review data; and to prepare reports.