APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
Clinical Partnerships
THIS IS OUACHITA.
Founded in 1886, Ouachita Baptist University is a rigorous, faith-focused learning community with a highly personalized approach to higher education. Ranked among the best national liberal arts universities in the country by U.S. News & World Report , we’re committed to fostering a love of God and a love of learning in every student.
MEET THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Dr. Julyse Migan-Gandonou Horr is a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) and a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA). She has worked in the field for more than 15 years as a clinician, educator and researcher and is the owner and founder of ABA Clinical & Training Solutions consulting agency. Horr’s clinical area of expertise is in the functional analysis and treatment of problem behaviors including autism spectrum, attention deficit/hyperactivity; co-morbid psychiatric disorders; developmental disabilities; and sexually deviant behaviors. She has developed and implemented ABA training curricula, published several research studies and presented her work at national and international conferences. Horr joined the Ouachita faculty as visiting professor of applied behavior analysis in August 2020 and became ABA program director in January 2022.
APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS AT OUACHITA
As Arkansas’ first graduate program in applied behavior analysis, and one of the few faith-based institutions to offer master’s degrees in ABA, Ouachita is helping lead the way in addressing the critical shortage of Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBAs®) in the nation. With Master of Science and Master of Arts degree pathways available, our ABA program offers students the flexibility to choose the coursework and fieldwork best suited to their career goals. Both degrees can be completed in 22 months; they are 99% online with an in-person residency requirement consisting of a one-time, 3-day ABA intensive on campus.
Whether students are interested in research, teaching, earning a doctorate or becoming a practitioner, our M.S. and M.A. programs prepare them for lives of meaningful, impactful work in ABA.
I officially passed my exam and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® less than two weeks after completing the program! I’m thankful for everyone who has been a part of my journey and am so excited for the new opportunities I have. Before graduating, I was offered five different jobs and accepted a contingent position as a BCBA®! Now, I can proudly say I am an assistant clinical director at my current company in Dallas-Forth Worth!
– Alexandria Parsons, BCBA, LBA-TX
M.S. ‘23 graduate
My journey began many, many years ago when my daughter was diagnosed with autism. I had heard of ABA, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. So, I decided to study in the program to help other parents and practitioners grow in their scope. Some of my colleagues are working at the CDC as behavior scientists, some work in public and private schools, while some work in organizations to help develop their human resource departments. ABA can be used beyond the clinical setting, in both your personal and professional relationships.
– Dr. Angeletta Giles, DBH, BCBA, CBIS, LBA
M.S. ‘22 graduate
PARTNER WITH US IN PREPARING LEADERS.
Ouachita’s innovative Master of Science degree in ABA is a great fit for students working in the field who want to take the BCBA® exam right after graduation in preparation for a career in research or academics. To give students a strong foundation for understanding and applying theoretical concepts, the program combines coursework and 1,500 supervised fieldwork hours accrued with one of our 20+ clinical partners across the U.S. and Canada.
And that’s where you come in.
Join us in training the next generation of compassionate, quality-driven scientist-practitioners by allowing BCBAs® from your organization to provide quality supervision of our students. While our highly skilled ABA faculty and advisors provide classroom instruction and monitor students’ fieldwork documentation to ensure they’re Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®)-compliant, you’ll collaborate by coordinating and overseeing their training in the field as they apply what they learn to affect positive change in the lives of clients.
Becoming a quality-driven professional begins with a quality-focused education. As our clinical partner, you can help provide that for students seeking an M.S. in ABA at Ouachita – equipping them to think critically and work diligently on behalf of their clients and communities.
HOW DOES THE PARTNERSHIP WORK?
CLINICAL PARTNER COMMITMENT:
• Meet all Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) and Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) requirements for supervisors.
• Designate an experienced BCBA® to serve as a clinical site coordinator and fieldwork liaison between your organization and Ouachita’s M.S. in ABA program.
• Ensure that at least 2 BCBAs® are qualified to provide supervision in accordance with the BACB’s® supervision guidelines and requirements.
• Assist in recruiting efforts of ABA students for Ouachita’s M.S. in ABA program through its hiring process.
• Evaluate students’ clinical skills weekly as assigned by Ouachita’s fieldwork instructors.
• Complete supervisee evaluation surveys every semester.
• When supervising students, follow the outline in the field experience courses.
OUACHITA COMMITMENT:
• Include the clinical partner’s name and link to their website on Ouachita’s ABA webpage.
• Run an ethical, effective program that trains BCBAs® for immediate work in the field.
• Create a mutually beneficial relationship between our program and clinics to ease the critical shortage of BCBAs®.
• Allow clinical partners to use Ouachita’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) for research purposes.