Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

I have a three-year BA degree from an accredited Canadian university (or a three-year Behavioural Science Technology Diploma, or another Community College Diploma or Certificate) and I have been working as a Behaviour Analyst. Would I be eligible for the Masters program?
A four-year Honours Bachelors degree is required to enter a Masters program. A student who has obtained a Bachelors degree from a university outside of Ontario may have a 4 year degree that is considered equivalent to the Ontatio Honours degrees (4 year Bachelors degrees from Canadian and U.S. accredited universities usually would be considered equivalent). Students who obtained their university degree outside of Canada and the U.S. should contact the Brock University Office of Graduate Studies at gradinfo@brocku.ca to determine how to demonstrate degree equivalency.

We are currenlty developing an online programme of qualifying courses for students who do not have a Honours Bachelor degree but who may have completed a 3 Year degree or 4 year non-honours degree.  Keep watching our website for more information on this as we hope to launch it in Spring 2013.  

 

Note that community college diplomas and certificates, attendance at workshops and work experiences are not considered equivalent to university courses.

 

 

 

For students interested in finding out if their degree meets Brock University's equivalency to an Honours Degree from Ontario, please contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

 

 

 

 

How much will it cost and are there funding options?
For those full-time students accepted into the MA program, the tuition is set by Brock University in accordance with provincial government stipulations. Currently, MA student tuition is offset by stipends and bursaries offered routinely to all full-time Brock MA students. The professional options, Master in Applied Disability Studies (MADS) and Graduate Diploma, are on a cost-recovery basis and the tuition needs to cover the expenses of running the academic programs. Current tuition fees can be found on the Finance website. A one semester course is a minimum of 36 hours of class time and is worth ½ credit. Five credits are needed for the Masters degree. We reserve the right to change tuition fees.

 

Our programme is elegible for OSAP.  Please see visit the OSAP website for details and application.  OSAP questions should be directed to the Office of Student Awards and Financial Aid.

 

For other funding options and for a detail of fees, please refer to the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.

 

 

Will GRE's (Graduate Record Exam) be required for admission?
Not at this point in time. If you submit GRE scores, we will not review them.

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I work full-time as an IT in an IBI program in the GTA. I do not have time to travel to St. Catharines to take courses.
Based on our knowledge of where most potential students live and work, we are currently, and will likely continue to, offer most of our courses in the GTA and Hamilton. However, we cannot guarantee that all your courses will be in in locations most convenient to you, and students cannot choose their course locations.

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I work full-time and cannot attend classes during the day. Will classes be offered to accommodate people who work full-time?
We offer weekend (one Saturday and Sunday per month) and spring/summer courses. However, do not be fooled by the fact that courses are one weekend a month. Like other Graduate programs, there is considerable reading and assignments to prepare in between classes. To succeed in this program, a working student will have to reserve time each week to complete readings and assignments.

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If I go through the Brock program with the ABA specialty, will I be able to get the course work and experience hours I need to be eligible to apply for BCBA certification offered by the BACB?
If you take and pass all the required courses and obtain your degree, you will have the necessary degree and course work to meet the new BACB criteria for applying to be a BCBA. For the BACB supervised experience requirements, you may be able to fulfill that in your job (if you can arrange qualified supervision). We are offering extra supervised practicum credits for those students who wish to meet the BACB supervised experience requirements within the Master program. Keep in mind that there are other BACB requirements besides a Masters degree, ABA course work and supervised ABA practicum experience (i.e., BACB eligibility exam). Students are strongly advised to read the BCBA eligibility requirement at www.bacb.com.

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Is the ABA course sequence approved by BACB and the Association for Behaviour Analysis?
Our ABA course sequence is approved by BACB. We will be applying for the Association for Behaviour Analysis approval in the future.

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When and how will I be able to apply? When is the next deadline?
For the Brock campus program (with classes likely in Toronto and/or Hamilton), you should visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies website for information on application dates. The deadline for applications is usually January 15, of each year. 

Please click on the Applications link for more information and forms regarding the application process for the MADS, MA and Graduate Diploma programs. Please check this website regularly for updates and announcements.

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When will the next class start? 
Classes begin in September of each academic year.

 

 

 

No.  There is only one intake for students in any academic year which is in September.  You will need to apply for the following year.

 

 

 

How long will it take me to complete the program full-time? Part-time?
We have designed the programs so that all requirements could be completed in two years for a full-time student and three years for a part-time student. Full-time students have up to 3 years to complete the degree and part-time students have up to 6 years. A student may request a change in status at any time, if desired.  Please note that for the MADS programme, Full-time space is quite limited.  Duration of your degree may also alter as we continue to adapt to BCBA requirements.

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I'd like to apply for the programme in Toronto, how do I do this? Can I choose where I want to take my courses? Where are Courses held?
You cannot apply to a specific location.  Each of our three programmes run out of Southern Ontario.  We have cohorts in Hamilton, Toronto, St. Catharines.  You cannot choose where you wish to take your classes.  Currently, most students take their courses in Toronto or Hamilton, with MA and General students occasionally taking coursework in St. Catharines.  All attempts are made to place you in a location that is closest to your place of residence, but this cannot be guaranteed.  Full-time and General Students students will usually be placed in the Hamilton Campus with courses being held on weekends.  In some instances, weekend classes may also be scheduled on the Brock St.Catharines Campus for FT or General Students.  MA students may additionally have classes during the week on the St. Catharines campus. Please contact the programme for more information.
 

We are currently running our second cohort in Ottawa.  As interest continues we will attempt to maintain a cohort in Ottawa.

I already have a Masters degree in another field, but I would like to take more graduate courses in ABA. Can I do that in this program?
Indeed, you may. We offer a (non-degree) Graduate Diploma in Applied Disability Studies (which, if you choose, can include ABA courses). To obtain the Graduate Diploma, a student must take a minimum of three credits (one credit is equal to one full-year course or two one-semester courses). Students taking ABA courses for BACB eligibility may need more credits depending on how many and which ABA courses they already have taken at the graduate level.

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I've already started a U.S. ABA graduate program, but I would prefer getting a degree from a Canadian university. Would I be able to transfer and get credit for my courses that I have taken in the other program?
Such a request would be handled on a case-by-case basis. Please request credit transfers when you apply. We certainly would keep an open mind about credit transfers, depending on the extent to which the university, grad program and courses are equivalent to Brock.

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I am interested in attending a university to get a bachelors degree that will allow me to be eligible to apply to be a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst (BCABA) with the BACB. Does Brock offer ABA courses at the undergraduate level?
Yes. The Department of Child and Youth Studies at Brock offers a sequence of third and fourth year courses in ABA, which can be used towards fulfilling the course requirements for a Board Certified Associate Behaviour Analyst (BCABA) offered by BACB.

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Please download this document (.doc) for a chart detailing the differences, or read about the different programmes here.

 

 

 

What about a Ph.D. program in Applied Disability Studies and ABA?
If the Masters program is a success over several years, we plan to add a Ph.D. program.

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I attended a university in a non-English speaking country. Must I demonstrate proof of proficiency in English?
Yes. Please contact gradinfo@brocku.ca, to learn how to fulfill this requirement.

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Yes.  Please see the Faculty of Graduate Studies regarding application information.  Two different fees apply.

 

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How can I keep updated on your program?
We will update information on this website on an ongoing basis. If you have any questions or comments about the Brock Masters Program in Applied Disability Studies/ABA, please contact Alison Rothwell at (905) 688-5550 ext 5395 or via e-mail.