A new Ph.D. program at UNMC will train students to teach others how to treat autism and behavior disorders.
The program is a component of the Medical Sciences Interdisciplinary Area and will be located within the Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI). MMI faculty will teach the core courses and supervise the students’ clinical and research experiences.
This unique program will be the first of its kind in the state of Nebraska and the first one in the nation to be integrated with a University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities in a university medical center.
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The Munroe-Meyer Institute now offers students a chance to earn a Ph.D. in behavior analysis. |
UNMC’s doctoral program will focus on applied behavior analysis for children, adolescents and families. The training model for the program is similar to programs used to train basic researchers and scientists, in which principles and concepts introduced in the classroom are immediately applied in a clinical and research settings.
“By integrating courses and hands-on experience, students get practical use right away which maximizes learning,” Dr. Fisher said. “They retain more when learning and doing go hand-in-hand.”
All students admitted to UNMC’s doctoral program in applied behavior analysis receive a full tuition scholarship and a stipend of $21,777. Students’ health insurance fees are paid by UNMC.
Once admitted, students will select an applied behavior analysis “track” of courses. These “tracks” will focus on:
- Intensive Applications of Behavioral Psychology and Behavior Analysis; and
- Clinical Behavior Analysis in Pediatrics.
“The goal of this new program is to prepare students for prominent leadership positions in academic, clinical and research arenas,” said Joe Evans, Ph.D., faculty member in the program and director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute Psychology Department.
Other objectives for students include:
- developing innovative and effective behavioral interventions for children and adolescents with behavior disorders;
- conducting clinical and translational research on applied problems; and
- integrating systematic, data-based methods into the delivery of clinical services.
To enroll in the program, students must have a master’s degree and qualify to be credentialed as a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA). Four students enrolled were enrolled in the fall of 2009. They will graduate in 2012. Download additional information.