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M.Sc. in Applied Behaviour Analysis

This is an intensive full time course which aims to ensure that students become efficient in the practical application of the principles of applied behaviour analysis, with particular regard to persons with autism and other developmental disabilities and/or children and adolescents in care or special programmes, and/or those clients presenting learning and/or behavioural challenges in school.

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  • Course Director:
    • Asst. Prof. Olive Healy (Year 1), Asst. Prof. Maeve Bracken (Year 2)
  • Course Office Contact Details:
  • International Student Course Queries:
    • Erin Paullin (Global Officer, School of Psychology)
    • Telephone: +353-1-896-1015
    • Email: erin.paullin@tcd.ie
  • Course Duration
    • 2 years, full-time
  • Closing date for Applications:
    • 30th April annually *places may be filled before this date and late applications may be considered if places remain available after the closing date.
    • *The online applications’ site is open from November annually.*
  • ECTS Credits:
    • 120 ECTS

Course Details

This is an intensive full time course which aims to ensure that students become efficient in the practical application of the principles of applied behaviour analysis, with particular regard to persons with autism and other developmental disabilities and/or children and adolescents in care or special programmes, and/or those clients presenting learning and/or behavioural challenges in school. The content of this course focuses on behavioural theory and application. This course provides professional training in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for a yearly intake of up to 15 students.

Additionally, students meet with an appropriate supervisor (Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) or Chartered Psychologist) for a minimum of 5 individual fieldwork supervision hours, which map on to 100 hours of supervised fieldwork from October to September in both years of the course. Students must source a BCBA or Chartered Psychologist external to the course, for this fieldwork. Students receive continuous assessment and feedback through regular supervision sessions and participation in class activities. Supervised fieldwork is also reported at intermediate and end points during the year. Students must maintain a portfolio of work throughout the course. Dissertation research is initiated during Year 2 and continued and finalised during the Summer months.

Course Content

Graduates of this course are skilled to engage in the ethical practice and research of ABA, to conduct functional behavioural assessments, implement and design behaviour support plans or learning/skill acquisition programmes, and analyse and display data to make informed decisions around intervention and learning needs.

Modules include:

  • ABA Definitions, Characteristics & Basic Principles
  • Philosphical Underpinnings in ABA
  • Selecting, Defining & Measuring Behaviour
  • Behavioural Assessment
  • Behavioural Intervention, Measurement & Evaluation
  • Advanced Philosophical Underpinnings
  • Professional & Ethical Practice in ABA
  • Research Dissertation
  • Personnel Supervision & Management

Student Handbooks

Please see the student handbooks for year one and year two of the course for more information. Student handbooks are subject to review each year in line with college policy.

Admission Requirements

Applicants will normally be required to hold at least an upper second class honours degree in Psychology or a related field from a recognised 3rd level institution.

Applicants may qualify to apply directly to Year 2 if they are:

Cohort 1: Graduates of Trinity’s own Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis (SITS course code PDPS-ABAN-1F) who have collected their P.Grad.Dip. award and now wish to apply to enter directly Year 2 of the Masters degree in Trinity. Following completion of the Masters requirements in Year 2 of the new course, such students will inform the Registrar of their intention to rescind Trinity’s own P.Grad.Dip. award. They will be required to submit the original P.Grad.Dip. award and/or any duplicates that have been issued before they can graduate with a Masters degree. Students who do not achieve a pass mark in Year 2 may apply to repeat the Year or exit the course with the award of Postgraduate Diploma in ABA from Trinity.

Cohort 2: Students who entered Year 1 of the new Masters course and temporarily intermitted it or exited from it with a postgraduate diploma award after passing Year 1. The time limit for applying to complete the Year 2 for the Masters degree will normally be up to three years following completion of Year 1 whether or not the P.Grad.Dip. award has been collected in the meantime. This is in line with the timeframe for those wishing to complete the BCBA© examination which must be achieved within a time period of five years, inclusive of their P.Grad.Dip. year. Therefore students need to enter the MSc in ABA within a maximum of 2 years post P.Grad. Dip. in order to finish on time. Students who do not achieve a pass mark in Year 2 may apply to repeat the year or exit the course with the award of Postgraduate Diploma in ABA from Trinity.

Cohort 3: Graduates of postgraduate diplomas in Applied Behaviour Analysis in institutions other than Trinity in Ireland. Also graduates from other postgraduate courses in related disciplines for example, Behavioural Sciences, who have passed the BCaBA© examination, or are considered eligible to sit for the BCaBA© examination. Students who enter with a Postgraduate Diploma from other institutions and who do not achieve a pass mark in Year 2, may apply to repeat the year or must exit the course without the exit award of Postgraduate Diploma in ABA from Trinity.

Applicants in all instances will apply through SITS and must supply two references, a CV and relevant transcripts.

If English is not your first language or you have not been educated through English, you are required to submit one of the following qualifications below or notice of your test date with your application before you can be considered:

• IELTS: Grade 6.5 overall (**each band of the IELTS must have a minimum score of 6.5)

• TOEFL: 88 internet-based, 570 paper-based, 230 computer-based

• University of Cambridge: Proficiency Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)advanced Certificate, Grade C or better (CEFR Level C1 or C2)

• Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE Academic: a minimum score of 63 to be eligible (with no section score below 59)

•Duolingo English Test: minimum overall score of 110/160, dated since January 2020

•An award certificate with a minimum II.1 overall score from Trinity's Centre for English Language Learning and Teaching's Pre-Master's Pathway Programme. The Pre-Master’s Pathway Programme is an academic English course for international students with conditional offers for postgraduate study at Trinity. Passing the programme means you meet Trinity’s English language requirement and can progress to your postgraduate course without retaking IELTS or any other exam.

The Pre-Master’s Pathway Programme is an academic English course for international students with conditional offers for postgraduate study at Trinity. Passing the programme means you meet Trinity’s English language requirement and can progress to your postgraduate course without retaking IELTS or any other exam.

Please also note that existing IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge and PET scores up to three years old (rather than two) will be accepted for 2021/22 applications in light of test centre closures.

For further details on these English Language Proficiency Tests, please contact the appropriate organisation directly.

www.ets.org/toefl

www.ielts.org

www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests

An applicant whose first language is not English but who has taken a degree through the medium of English may be eligible. However some courses may request applicants to present an English Language qualification under certain circumstances.

*Please note meeting the minimum requirements is necessary for application to the course and not an indicator of admission success.

For further information please consult https://www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admission-requirements/postgraduate/

How to Apply

Applications for admission must be submitted online here. The closing date for applications is 30th of April annually. Late applications will be reviewed on a space available basis. Please note that all documents must be supplied and conditions of offer met by July 31st or any offer made will expire.

Course Fees

A list of current course fees is available in the Course Fees section of the Academic Registry website.

Individual and group supervision costs are separate and in addition to the course fee.

IMPORTANT: Fees may increase annually.

Please consult information about eligibility for admission as an EU/Non-EU student and note that EU applicants must satisfy specific requirements to be deemed eligible for EU fee status.

Local Access

For Local Access, click here.