ABA therapists are in-demand. Nationwide, the number of posted jobs that require a BCBA certification has increased from 789 in 2010 to 65,366 in 2023. This increase was driven by an increase in states that covered ABA therapy under insurance, the professionalization of ABA therapists, and a recognition of the impact that behavior therapy can have in various settings. 

Along with the increase in demand, is an increase in oversight and credentials. This means that becoming an ABA therapist takes more time and requires more education. 

The process to become an ABA therapist includes: 

• Earning a bachelor’s degree in a field, like social work, education, or psychology. 
• Gain relevant work experience. Gaining work experience with the population that you would like to work with as an ABA therapist is important both to gain experience and to have a context for how ABA therapy principles can be applied. 
• Earn a master’s degree. You may earn a master’s in ABA therapy, or in a related field (special education, psychology). 
• Obtain professional certification. The most common and sought after, the BCBA credential requires a series of graduate coursework, called the “verified course sequence,” and that you pass a test about that coursework. 
• Complete clinical hours. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) requires that therapists who are BCBA certified complete either 2,000 hours of field work with 5% supervised by a BCBA certified therapist, or 1,500 hours of field work with 10% supervised by a BCBA certified therapist. Either way, as you complete your clinical hours, you will be supervised at least once every two weeks. Considering a 40 hour work-week,  completing 2,000 hours of field work would take 50 weeks, and completing 1,500 hours of field work would take 37.5 weeks. 

The length of time that it will take a candidate to become an ABA therapist depends on their starting point. Earning a Bachelor’s degree, and then a Master’s degree, and completing the field work, can take seven to eight years. On the other hand, a candidate who has already earned a Master’s in Psychology and needs to take the BACB verified course sequence and complete their fieldwork hours, may take as little as two years. 

Case study 1 

Emily has a bachelor’s degree in education and wants to become a special education teacher with a BCBA certification so that she can move into a clinic setting one day. She enrolls in the University of North Carolina at Charlotte master’s in special education with ABA concentration program. She takes 33 hours of coursework over two years, and completes the verified course sequence as part of her coursework. Then, she completes her fieldwork over two years as she works in a school as well. When she takes the BCBA exam, she has spent four years working towards her goal.  

Case study 2 

Martin earned a master’s in psychology and wants to earn the BCBA credential to make him more marketable to employers. He enrolls in the graduate certificate program through the University of Texas at San Antonio. He completes the coursework in over a year, and completes the supervised fieldwork at the same time. So, eighteen months after he decides he wants to earn the credential, he has done it!