Applied Behavior Analysis Programs at Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University is also featured in our ranking of the 30 Best Colleges for Students on the Autism Spectrum.
Eastern Illinois University offers Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs through both the Department of Psychology and the Department of Education. One of the top programs for ABA students is the university’s Master of Science (MS) in Special Education. It includes both 400 level and 500 level classes, including Assessment of Young Children (Birth to 8) with Exceptional Learning Needs, Current Issues in Special Education and Topics in Special Education.
The Department of Psychology offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology online. It allows students to take Abnormal Psychology and other courses to learn about autism and similar disorders. Students can do internships with schools and organizations in their cities too. In the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Neuroscience program, students must take all of their classes on the Eastern Illinois University campus. This program looks at the brain and how environmental factors can change the way people think. It features classes such as Cognitive Neuroscience, Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Animal Behavior.
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Another option for graduate students is the Eastern Illinois University specialist in school psychology program. Students must provide transcripts to show that they took prerequisites before they can start their studies. This program meets the standards for future school counselors and can help students pass the national counselor exam.
Students will do multiple practicums that ask them to do evaluation and consulting work as well as assessments. Their required courses include Theories of Learning, Advanced Child Psychology, Advanced Measurement Principles, and Analysis and Design. Students will complete and present a thesis too. Students who want to research ABA topics can get a Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Psychology from Eastern Illinois University. It features courses such as Advanced Measurement Principles, Cross-Cultural Psychology, Theories of Learning and Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
About Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University is a state university that started as a training institute for teachers. Established in 1899 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, it became the Eastern Illinois State Teachers College just two years later. This coincided with a curriculum change that allowed the school to offer degree programs rather than diploma and certificate options. It served as Eastern Illinois State College from 1947 to 1957 before becoming Eastern Illinois University. Though the university offered education and teaching programs in its early years, it now offers more tracks and subjects that students can study. Students can now earn both four-year bachelor’s degrees and two-year graduate degrees from the university, though some programs take longer to complete.
Also known as EIU, it is a selective university that admits students based on how well they did in high school and their scores on standardized tests. U.S. News and World Report ranks EIU as the fifth best university in the Midwest region and ranked its business program as one of the best in the nation for undergrads. The university now offers 10 certificate programs above the bachelor’s level, more than 30 degree programs for graduate students and more than 50 majors for undergrads. Between the university’s online programs and the campus in Charleston, it has an enrollment of more than 6,200 undergrads and 1,500 graduate and post-graduate students.
Eastern Illinois University Accreditation Details
The school counseling and special education programs at EIU have accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). This accreditation also covers the practicums and other fieldwork that graduate students do. EIU obtained regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which is why it can accept credits when a student transfers. This same accreditation allows the university to give financial aid packages to students who qualify through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Eastern Illinois University Application Requirements
To apply to a graduate program, students must create an account with the MyEIU site, which also lets them learn more about the program and the university. They will then apply to the university’s graduate school. This requires that they pay a $30 application fee, submit their official college transcripts and complete the application. The special education program has other requirements that include two letters of recommendation that the university encourages students to get from their former professors, a 250-500 word statement of goals and a resume. EIU also asks prospective graduate students to submit the assistantship application and provide evaluations completed by their employers and/or professors.
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The admissions requirements for future undergrads include a grade point average of 2.5 or higher and a score of 18/960 on the ACT/SAT. They should also take the minimum courses established by the state for college students, which include four years of English, two years of social studies, science and foreign language and three years of math. EIU requires that students who have less than 24 credits of college courses they want to transfer have a college GPA of 2.0 or higher. Students will submit the EIU application online, pay an application fee over the web and then submit both their test scores and transcripts.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergrads from Illinois and states that border Illinois qualify for the EIU in-state tuition rate, which also goes to residents of California. These students pay $302 per credit hour or $9,060 per year when they take at least 12 credits of classes. Students who do not qualify for the in-state rate pay $378 per credit hour or $11,340 per year. The university charges fees of more than $2,600 each year and asks that students pay for a dorm room and meal plan. Graduate students at EIU pay $306.50 per credit hour as an Illinois resident and $735.60 per credit hour as a nonresident.
When graduate students apply to EIU, they will also apply for a job as an assistant. They can work on research projects and in different positions around the campus. As long as they also submit the FAFSA, they can qualify for student loans too. Undergrads can also submit the FAFSA to see if they qualify for work-study, government loans and grants, and EIU scholarships. EIU will award scholarships based on the student’s demonstrated need, merit and skills/talents. It will also recruit students and give them full scholarships based on their athletic talents. Students who want to study ABA at Eastern Illinois University can get one or more types of financial aid.