Our Programs
Popular Searches
What Can we help you find?
Translation of this page is provided by the third-party Google Translate service. In case of dispute, the original language content should prevail.
La traducción de esta página la proporciona el servicio Google Translate de terceros. En caso de disputa, prevalecerá el contenido del idioma original.
La traduction de cette page est fournie par le service tiers Google Translate. En cas de litige, le contenu de la langue originale prévaudra.
The mission of Western Connecticut State University’s ABA program is to broaden access to effective, science-based applied behavior analysis by providing students with high-quality instruction and to foster the field’s ongoing growth and continual improvement as an evidence-based profession and practice.
The program consists of 30 semester hours completed online using an asynchronous format. The fall, spring, and summer semesters are 14-16 weeks in length. Students take two lecture courses and one practice skills course during the fall and spring semesters and three lecture courses during the summer semester. It takes approximately 16 months to complete the program. Candidates are admitted in fall and spring cohorts and will generally follow the recommended course sequence. Courses are delivered via the Learning Management System (LMS) Blackboard® and consist of video-based lectures, interactive discussion boards, application activities, quizzes, and learning modules.
Classes do not meet at a specific time each week, allowing students the flexibility to complete coursework based on their scheduling needs. Materials necessary for courses include the materials supplied by the professor via Blackboard as well as required textbooks designated for each course by the professor and purchased by the student. This program does not require practicum, fieldwork, or internship. Please note that fieldwork is required by the BACB to be eligible for the BCBA examination.
Candidates will be able to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge of the basic skills, ethics and underlying principles of applied behavior analysis. In addition, candidates will demonstrate mastery of practical skills in applied behavior analysis. The goal of the program is to ensure candidates are professionally competent and proficient in all areas of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB) and are prepared for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Certification (BCBA) Examination.
Success rates of first-time test takers on the BACB certification examination for candidates who successfully completed the program at WCSU are publicly posted below:
(9,911 national test takers – 54% pass rate)
(8,255 national test takers – 56% pass rate)
(7,179 national test takers – 55% pass rate)
These pass rates are regularly updated by the BACB. The historical and most recent data can be found here: https://www.bacb.com/university-pass-rates/
The national pass rates can be found in the BACBs annual reports here: https://www.bacb.com/about/bacb-certificant-annual-report-data/
Admission to the program is competitive and is based on the criteria listed below:
In a single, double-spaced page please describe previous experiences which would make you a successful candidate for Western Connecticut State University’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program. To evaluate your application, it will be helpful to have the following information such as why you wish to pursue a career in ABA, what are your goals upon earning a degree, and what are some experiences you feel prepare you for success in our program (e.g., relevant coursework, GPA, job, etc.)?
The courses in the MS in ABA program include coursework in the following areas:
Required Courses (30 Semester Hours (SH)):
Completion of EPY664, EPY665, EPY666, EPY667, EPY655, EPY656, EPY657, EPY658, EPY659, EPY660, EPY662, EPY653, and EPY663 for a total of 30 credits inclusive of 330 classroom hours of graduate-level instruction.
See the catalog or the ABA Program Handbook for course descriptions.
This form is intended for applicants pursuing BCBA certification under Pathway 2.
Please submit this form immediately after completing all required coursework. Doing so ensures the attestation is added to your BACB account prior to submitting your final certification application.
The Pathway 2 Coordinator will review and submit the attestation on your behalf to verify that you have met all coursework requirements for certification. You will receive notification from the BACB once the attestation has been added to your account.
Beginning January 1, 2026, submission of this attestation will be mandatory for allPathway 2 applicants
Students may start in either the Fall or Spring semester. Applications can be completed online.
NOTE: Please email the Program Coordinator, Dr. Stephanie Kuhn, at kuhns@wcsu.edu if you are interested in more information about applying.
Call the Educational Psychology department.
Please allow some time for our response
ABA Program HandbookTuition & FeesCertification Examination Pass rates for universities
Professor Curtis Darragh IV is an adjunct professor in the Counselor Education Program. Darragh primarily teaches practicum and internship. In 2021, he won the CSCA award for the Connecticut school counselor of the year! He is currently a school counselor at Westside Middle School Academy in the Danbury Public Schools and has been there for the past ten years.
Professor Darragh holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a focus and concentration in child and youth. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the University of Connecticut. He plans on continuing his education in the near future in counseling education.
Professor Darragh has passion for social and emotional development in grades sixth-twelfth. He currently serves as a board of director in the CSCA board, mentoring school counselors in middle school across the state and serves as a member on the advocacy committee to help support and bring awareness to school counseling law. Darragh believes in the message that “When you find what you love and do, you will never a work a day in your life.”
Dr. Hyemi Jang (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the MS Counselor Education program. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from North Carolina State University and her M.A. in Educational Counseling from Seoul National University. Her clinical interests and experience center on adolescents and young adults. Before joining WCSU, she worked for four years at the Korea Youth Counseling and Welfare Institute (KYCI), a South Korean government-affiliated counseling institute for at-risk adolescents and their families, and for 3.5 years at North Carolina State University Counseling Center. Her research interests focus on multicultural and social justice issues in counseling and counselor education, particularly concerning BIPOC counselors and clients, underserved adolescent populations, international students, and immigrant families.
Dr. Diana Naddeo is an assistant professor and teaches in the MS Counselor Education Program in the clinical mental health concentration. She is a licensed clinical psychologist. For the last several years, Dr. Naddeo taught concurrently in the WCSU Psychology Department, creating the undergraduate Internship in Applied Psychology program, and was an adjunct professor for WCSU’s Counselor Education Program, helping to train the next generation of graduate students entering the counseling field.
In addition to her work at WCSU, Dr. Naddeo also ran the Pediatric Assessment program within the Department of Neuropsychology at Associated Neurologists/Nuvance Hospital in Danbury, CT. She has broad clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and adults doing individual and group therapy. She recently opened a private group practice in Newtown, CT, Center for Assessment and Psychotherapy, specializing in child, adolescent, and young adult mental health. Dr. Naddeo gained specialty training in college mental health through her pre-doctoral internship at Brooklyn College Counseling Center and post-doctoral fellowship at Sarah Lawrence College Health Clinic.
Her research interests in emerging adulthood led to a dissertation that focused on treatment approaches for self-injurious behaviors in high-functioning female college students. She earned her BA in Communications from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst; M.S. in Counseling from Fordham University; and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with specialty in Psychological Assessment from Chestnut Hill College.
Dr. Theresa J. Canada is a Professor in the Education and Educational Psychology Department at Western Connecticut State University. She served as chairperson of the department from 2007 until 2011. Research interests include cultural diversity in K-12 and higher education programs, early childhood/adolescent development, equity, and urban education.
Dr. Canada presented papers and conducted webinars and workshops at national and international conferences. Her television credits include Dateline NBC, The Discovery Channel and local cable stations. She is a member of several professional organizations and has been a board member of several national organizations. Her certifications and licenses include N, K 1-6 Teacher (NYS – permanent), School District Administrator (NYS – permanent), National Certified Counselor, Board Certified – TeleMental Health Provider and Licensed Professional Counselor (CT). Her latest accomplishment was the book entitled, Desegregation of the New York City Schools: A Story of The Silk Stocking Sisters.
Dr. Jessica Gutheil teaches in the counselor training programs. She received her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Hispanic Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University and her master’s degree in clinical Mental Health Counseling from DePaul University. She then received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Nevada Reno in 2023.
Her research interests include self-efficacy theory, immigrant stress and mental health, mental health access, and bilingual therapy. Clinically, she enjoys working with children and adolescents and underserved populations.
Dr. Antonia Giannakakos-Ferman, Ph.D., BCBA-D, received her doctorate at Caldwell University and gained postdoctoral experience at Université de Montréal. She is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst at the Doctorate level. Dr. Ferman has previously held a position as an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator at Manhattanville College. Her research interests include staff training, supplemental statistics for single-case designs, and the development of procedures to better teach safety practices to children.
Dr. Ferman has published several studies in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored a book chapter on teaching safety skills. She has also served as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals. She has over 10 years of clinical experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis working in clinical and home-based settings. With her husband, she enjoys watching tv, reading, and spending time outside.
Dr. Kuhn has over 25 years of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavioral Psychology. She is a licensed psychologist, a licensed Behavior Analyst, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the Doctorate level. She currently holds a faculty appointment and teaches full time in the ABA program at Western Connecticut State. In the past, she has held faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and New York Medical College.
Dr. Kuhn has authored and co-authored multiple publications in peer reviewed journals and has extensive clinical experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She has provided school consultation and school-based assessment treatment services for many years as well as home based individual services including program supervision and parent counseling and training.
Adam Brewer, Ph.D., BCBA-D, received his doctorate at the University of Kansas in Behavioral Psychology. He gained postdoctoral experience at the Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research at Texas Tech University and the Beatrice H. Barrett Behavior Analytic Neuroscience Initiative at the University of North Texas. Thereafter, he taught and mentored students at the Florida Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor and Site Director.
During his tenure at Western Connecticut State University, he was a core member of the Applied Behavior Analysis program team that revitalized coursework, resulting in significantly higher pass rates on graduates’ board certification exams.He also served as the Director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. He co-edited an open educational resource on Behavioral Pedagogies and Online Learning.
Recently, he developed the Translational Human Operant-Respondent laboratory that investigates basic learning processes underlying fear/phobias, anxiety, avoidance, and relapse with an eye toward treatment using virtual reality technology. His other research interests include gaining a better understanding of the negative aspects of positive reinforcement related to transition-induced emotion dysregulation and the behavioral economics of “impulsive” and “self-control” decision making. Across institutions, his students have earned awards and disseminated their research at conferences and in publications. He has held key service roles such as president of the South Carolina Association for Behavior Analysis and co-founder of the Annual Fall Conference for Northeastern Applied Behavior Analysis.
He has also chaired committees for Western Research Day and online education at both the university and Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system levels. Additionally, he serves on journal editorial boards including Perspectives on Behavior Science, Behavior Analysis in Practice, and the Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Bulletin. He is the proud recipient of the 2024 Provost Teaching Award at Western Connecticut State University.
Dr. Lorrie-Anne Monte is the MS Counselor Education Program Coordinator, teaches in the school counseling focus area and serves as Fieldwork Coordinator for school and clinical mental health counselor students. Dr. Monte is also the director for the federal HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) grant awarded to the Counseling Education program for 2021-2024. Prior to becoming a professor, she was a high school counselor for over 18 years.
Dr. Monte holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Relations from the University of Connecticut. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling and a Master of Public Health degree from Southern Connecticut State University. She completed her 092 Educational Leadership coursework at Sacred Heart University and completed a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology: Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology at UConn.
Dr. Monte loves to learn and is passionate about personal and professional development. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider (BC-TMH) and is also a Certified Health Education Specialist and a Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She strongly believes in being of service to others and is a Past President of the Connecticut School Counselor Association and the President of the Connecticut Association for the Gifted.
