Queen's University Belfast - Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis
Belfast, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 21,500 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland: £7,300 | England, Scotland or Wales: £9,250 | EU Other and International: £21,500
Key Summary
Behavior analysis is the science of understanding behavior. Therapies and strategies derived from science have a wealth of evidence showing their effectiveness in helping people learn new skills as well as reducing behaviours that may be harmful to them or others. Behavior analysis has been recognized as an effective intervention and educational provision for many clinical (e.g., autism) or non-clinical (industry) populations. With the growing prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (now estimated to be 1:36) behavior analysis has experienced a significant rise in popularity with many behavior analysts working with this population.
There are over 46,000 certified behavior analysts worldwide, and this number is predicted to rise given that professional approval is seen as the key to delivering high-quality services to individuals, families, schools, and related settings. Furthermore, behavior analysis is increasingly being applied to general education, special education, health and social care settings, and organizational leadership settings.
This program is a highly interactive learning program. All key teaching takes place online with on-campus seminars taking place once per semester. The program provides professionals from a wide range of backgrounds with scientifically validated expertise that is applicable to mainstream and special needs education, inclusion, curriculum, learning, and pedagogy. It should be of interest to professionals wishing to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) (only applicable for students residing in the United States), a UKBA(cert), and to those in the ‘helping’ professions (e.g. teachers, speech/language therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists) as well as students preparing for PhD studies.
Applied Behaviour Analysis highlights
Career Development
ABAI Verification The Association for Behavior Analysis International has verified the following courses toward the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® examination. Applicants will need to meet additional requirements before they can be deemed eligible to take the examination.
The UK Society for Behaviour Analysis (UK-SBA) oversees behavior analysis in the UK. This program endorses and adheres to the UK-SBA's practice values and Code of Ethical and Professional Conduct.
This program meets the eligibility requirements for candidates to take the UKBA(cert) examination after January 1, 2026. Candidates will also be required to complete the UK-SBA Supervision and Competence Standards and pass a qualifying exam.
Student Experience
The program is designed to meet the needs of local and international professionals and is delivered via blended learning. A Postgraduate Diploma in ABA option is also available as an exit route.
Industry Links
The supervised practice element is not included in the program. However, the Centre for Behaviour Analysis has close links with international service and placement providers and can provide contacts for supervised placements in line with the BACB experience standards as well as the UK-SBA standards of competence.
We offer prestigious, competitive scholarships of up to 50% off tuition fees to new international students. You must have an offer to study a full-time course with us in 2024 to apply for a scholarship.
Year 1
Core Modules
- Dissertation
- Behaviour Change in Education and Supervising Others
- ABA Portfolio (Autism Specialism)
- Evaluation in Behaviour Analysis
- An Introduction to Research Methods: Children, Young People and Education (online)
- Concepts and principles of behaviour analysis
- Assessment in Behaviour Analysis
- Ethical and Professional Conduct
- Fundamental elements of behaviour change
Most students are already in relevant jobs, and the job market is healthy for behaviour analysts at present. Professional behaviour analysts have the skills and knowledge to develop, implement and evaluate quality interventions that help to produce positive behavioural changes in a range of settings.
Typically, behaviour analysts work in the 'helping' professions (psychologists, teachers, speech/language therapists, occupational therapists). Increasingly, jobs advertised for behaviour managers or specialists require BCBA status, and there is a demand for BCBAs in Europe and worldwide, especially in North America.
Those registered with the UK-SBA who work in health and social care or education are accredited under the Professional Standards Authority’s Accredited Registers program.
Teachers as well as allied health professionals should find this degree beneficial for their workplace.
Employment after the Course
There is a shortage of professional Behaviour Analysts worldwide. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to work in educational and clinical settings serving diverse populations, such as individuals with developmental disorders, students with learning difficulties, and children/adults with behaviour problems and related difficulties.
Prizes and Awards
Teachers working on classroom-based dissertation projects may apply for the Northern Ireland Centre for Educational Research (NICER) award.