Developing an interdisciplinary master's program in applied behavior analysis.

Alsop et al. (1995) mapped out how to build a master’s program in ABA that pulls faculty from many departments. The paper is a road map, not an experiment. It lists who to invite, what classes to share, and how to keep every chair happy.

No kids were tested. The authors simply wrote down what worked when their university stitched psychology, special ed, and social work into one degree.

Starting small and bottom-up beats top-down orders. When professors from different fields co-write the syllabus, the dean is more likely to fund it. Side perks appeared: shared grant money, cross-listed courses, and a campus clinic run by students.

Reeve et al. (2016) later showed the next step. After you have the coalition, run a PR campaign, hire more faculty, and open an on-campus autism center to keep enrollment climbing. The 1995 paper plants the seed; F et al. give the fertilizer schedule.

Doughty et al. (2015) add a warning. Once the program is running, line every course up with the BACB task list or your grads can’t sit for the exam. B et al. never mentioned certification; H et al. make it the gatekeeper.

Friedman et al. (2024) extend the idea again. They proved a four-month coaching package can teach soft skills like self-compassion and teamwork—exactly the gaps B et al. never talked about. New programs can now plug this module into the curriculum.

If you teach in or near a college, use the 1995 recipe to pitch a joint master’s. Start with friendly faculty, steal their syllabi, and write the grant together. Then borrow the 2016 growth plan and the 2024 soft-skill course to keep the degree current and BACB-ready.