About Caldwell College's Graduate Programs in Applied Behavior Analysis

Caldwell College offers a Post-Master's Certificate in ABA, a Master of Arts in ABA (the first in New Jersey), and a new Ph.D. in ABA (the first and only one in New Jersey). Each program focuses on the advanced methods, principles, and procedures of basic and applied behavior analysis practice and research, and its application. The core of each program consists of coursework that has been approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board as meeting the academic requirements to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst™ (BCBA) exam.

The Caldwell College graduate programs in ABA were designed to prepare students for high-level employment within the fields where there are growing demands for competent professionals with expertise in applied behavior analysis: Namely, developmental disabilities services, special education, and mental health.

Caldwell Begins Classes for 1st Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis- Autism Treatment in New Jersey

Program Continues College's Commitment to Autism Treatment

September 2, 2009 - When 11 students walked through Caldwell College's doors this week they made history in New Jersey and history at Caldwell College. They became the first doctoral students in the first Ph.D. program in the state of New Jersey for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). And they joined the first doctoral program ever offered in Caldwell College's 70-year history.

ABA is a well developed scientific discipline that is best known for its proven ability to greatly help children with autism spectrum disorder. Caldwell's Ph.D. program was recently approved by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and Middle States. The College has been a leader in training the new Autism specialists since it began offering the first master's in ABA in New Jersey back in 2005.

Jessica Rothschild, M.A. teaches in Bernards Township, New Jersey. She received her Master's in ABA from Caldwell and now she has joined the doctoral program. "I am working towards my Ph.D to continue providing the autism community with qualified and knowledgeable service. In addition, I will continue to conduct research to contribute successful methods to use when teaching individuals with autism. The Caldwell College ABA program will prepare me not only for life as an educator, but for improving the lives of individuals with autism."

Eric Rozenblat, M.A. is also an alumnus of the ABA master's program and he is continuing at Caldwell in the Ph.D. program "The doctoral program at Caldwell College will be a prestigious program that will attract many applicants, as did the Master's Program. This is an opportunity I will not let slip away."

Lori Bechner, M.A. is very happy about the opportunity. "In order to provide stellar clinical programming, I need to constantly be completely up-to-date on both seminal work in the field, as well as the latest developments in the peer-reviewed research. Caldwell's Ph.D. program is led by experienced, knowledgeable professionals and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to study with these experts."

The program reinforces the College's commitment to Autism treatment. "This is very exciting for Caldwell College and for the state of New Jersey," said Dr. Nancy H. Blattner, President of Caldwell College. "Because New Jersey has the highest prevalence of Autism in the nation, Caldwell College is taking another huge step in training qualified professionals to serve the number of children and families affected by autism spectrum disorders."

"This is a natural next step for us. We have been training leaders in the field of ABA through our Master's level program for the last several years and now our highly qualified faculty can take this to the next level," said Dr. Sharon A. Reeve, Coordinator of Graduate Programs in ABA at Caldwell College. "We believe that in the years to come, the graduates of Caldwell College's Ph.D. in ABA can have a positive impact on the lives of thousands of New Jersey children and their families who are affected by Autism. The Ph.D. program builds on Caldwell's uniqueness and leadership in this area and completes the continuum of educational preparation and training for special education teaching professionals."

In the future, the College plans to develop an on-campus ABA Center, which will give graduate students hands-on training in ABA. The center will serve the community by providing parents and their children with a place to come for evaluation and training by skilled professionals in the application of ABA techniques.

In spring 2009, Caldwell College hosted a national ABA conference where over 500 people came out to hear widely recognized ABA and Autism professionals.

"As a leading institution of higher education with both Master's and Doctoral level programs in ABA, Caldwell College will continue to share its unique resources with the community at large." said Dr. Reeve. "In conjunction with the start of the PhD in ABA program, we are also rolling out a number of new courses. These include courses in ethics and professionalism, teaching language and social skills, working with childhood behavior problems, and both research and applied practica experiences."