Higher Education
The mission of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) is “to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and practice.” In education, ABAI’s main objective is to recruit and train individuals well versed in the science and application of behavior analysis.
Since 1993, ABAI has been accrediting quality higher-education programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. From 2018 to 2025, ABAI oversaw the verified course sequence (VCS) system. Lastly, ABAI offers a Culturo-Behavior Science (CBS) Concentration. ABAI supports academic training programs through the work of the ABAI Accreditation Board and Tiered Model Recognition Committee. ABAI offers three types of designations for higher education programs worldwide: 1) Accreditation, 2) Recognition, and 3) Concentration.
Accreditation
The ABAI Accreditation Board is the governance body responsible for the accreditation of training programs in behavior analysis at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The Accreditation Board operates as a board of ABAI and carries out its responsibilities in a manner consistent with the ABAI bylaws and articles of incorporation.
- Accreditation: Accredited bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs (Tier 1) have undergone a rigorous quality review process and successfully met the ABAI Accreditation Board's standards. Only degree programs in higher education institutions may apply for accreditation. A degree from an ABAI-accredited program meets the BACB's coursework and degree requirements for BCBA and BCaBA examination applications (via Pathway 1). Visit the Accreditation website locate an accredited program, and for information about the standards, application process, and other resources.
Tiered Model of Education
The Tiered Model of Education is the quality recognition of academic training programs in behavior analysis at the bachelor's and undergraduate-level equivalent, master's and graduate-level equivalent, and doctoral level. This new system has four main tiers, arranged by program structure, and the standards are modeled from the accreditation system. The goal of the Tiered Model of Education is to help programs systematically achieve a quality-based recognition.
- Recognition: Recognized degree and non-degree programs in (Tiers 2a through 4b) have undergone a similar peer-review process and approximate the accreditation standards. A degree from an ABAI-recognized master's or doctoral (Tier 2a/2b) program meets the BACB's coursework and degree requirements for the BCBA examination applications (via Pathway 1). Visit the Tiered Model of Education website for additional information about the standards, application process, and other resources.
Concentration
A concentration is a set of courses and experiential learning in a specific area of behavior analysis. The concentration has been reviewed and verified by ABAI as meeting a focused area of content area and hours, including rigorous competencies, and a specialized area of faculty standards. Visit the CBS website for additional information.
- CBS Concentration: The CBS concentration status indicates the program offers focused training and competencies in culturo-behavior science. Students who complete the entire CBS concentration are eligible for a certificate of coursework completion from ABAI.