The Doctorate in Applied Behaviour Analysis (AbaD) is designed to foster practical expertise in behaviour analysis as well as knowledge and practice in the application of behaviour analytic assessment and intervention. It is designed for students interested in pursuing leadership positions in clinical and human services. This program will support students in refining existing clinical skills, developing excellence in mentoring, supervisory and leadership skills, and coordinating large-scale program evaluation within the human-services sector. The degree is aimed at individuals in or pursuing leadership positions.
The Doctorate in Applied Behaviour Analysis emphasizes the practice of Applied Behaviour Analysis. It is intended for students interested in behaviour-analytic services rather than conducting disciplinary research. The program has an increased focus on application of clinical research in a pragmatic way and areas of study include foundations of clinical assessment and treatment, and practical approaches to intervention. The AbaD degree places an emphasis on building advanced clinical skills deemed necessary in practice. Students will complete an applied doctoral project as part of their degree.
The AbaD degree will be available on a full-time and part-time basis.
Applications will open Fall 2025 with the first-year cohort/class beginning Fall 2026!
Q & A
The first year of the program will begin Fall 2026.
The program will be offered on a full-time and part-time basis.
Full-time students are expected to complete the program in 4 years, with a maximum completion time of 6 years. Part-time students are expected to complete the program in 6 years, with a maximum completion time of 8 years.
The program will accept 3 full-time and 3 part-time students each year (i.e., 6 total students per year).
Students in the AbaD program are not required to complete a dissertation. Instead, students will be required to complete an applied doctoral project (ADP). The ADP is an independent clinical research or program evaluation project in an area of interest for the student. The ADP will be conducted under the guidance of a faculty supervisor and assessed by an ADP committee consisting of the faculty supervisor and a second faculty member.
Students will participate in two Clinic-Based Experiential Learning comprehensive practica and two Community-Based Experiential Learning comprehensive practicum. In addition to students attending their practicum site, each practicum will have a complementary evaluative (didactic) course where they will meet with a course instructor. Over the course of the four comprehensive practica, students will be required to complete two practicum projects, overseen by their primary faculty supervisor.
Coursework is designed to provide doctoral-level didactic-training in ABA. The goal of these courses is to expose students to using the principles of learning to address socially significant behaviours in a variety of contexts including, but not limited to, education, organizational behaviour management, occupational health and safety, child problem behaviours, work with persons with disabilities (e.g., neurodevelopmental disorders, acquired brain injury, mental illness, etc.), and dementia. This orientation is reflected by required courses in theoretical foundations of behaviour analysis, research methods in clinical practice, and advanced coursework in ABA.
This program will prepare students to pursue advanced clinical and leadership careers in ABA following graduation (e.g., clinical director, laboratory director, chief clinical officer, public policy expert, clinical administration, healthcare advisor, quality coordinator).
For information about tuition, please visit: https://brocku.ca/safa/tuition-and-fees/overview/graduate/
Grants and scholarship information can be found here: https://brocku.ca/graduate-studies/scholarships-awards/
