UH-Clear Lake gains approval for new behavior analysis program

University of Houston-Clear Lake received approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to begin offering the Master of Arts in Behavior Analysis. The new program went into effect beginning with the spring 2009 semester.
 
Prior to the new graduate program, UH-Clear Lake offered an emphasis area within the master’s program in psychology for those interested in applied behavior analysis. The strong interest in this sub-plan area, coupled with an increasing need for professionals trained in behavior analysis, was the impetus behind the new program.
 
“Demand for graduates with a degree in behavior analysis has been growing both nationally and locally for many reasons,” explained Professor of Psychology Dorothea Lerman, who also serves as the director of Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities and coordinator of UH-Clear Lake’s behavior analysis program. “For example, a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 6.6 per 1,000 children, or about 1 in 150, 8 years of age have an autism spectrum disorder.
 
“In Texas, the U.S. Department of Education found that the prevalence of children with autism in our public schools increased by 594 percent from 1992 to 2003. Our state also passed a law in June 2007 requiring health plans to provide coverage for applied behavior analysis treatment for autistic children between 3 and 5 years of age. These are just a few of the reasons why this program is so important.”

The objective of the new behavior analysis degree program is to provide students with a well-rounded foundation in psychology and behavior analysis through an integrated sequence of coursework, practicum and research activities. Graduates of the program will be prepared to provide and supervise behavioral intervention services for those with disabilities in clinics, hospitals, schools and other community settings.
 
All UH-Clear Lake students who were enrolled in the Master of Arts in Psychology sub-plan for applied behavior analysis program in fall 2008 have been switched to the new degree program.

For more information on this program, call 281-283-3437 or e-mail lerman@uhcl.edu.