Frequently Assigned Readings in Behavior Analysis Graduate Training Programs
Top BCBA programs assign the same core readings—use their list to bullet-proof your syllabus.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Pastrana and colleagues asked top-ranked BCBA graduate programs what they assign. They sent a survey to course instructors. The team grouped the answers into topic piles like ethics, single-subject design, and behaviorism.
The goal was to spot the articles that keep showing up on syllabi. Programs with strong pass rates on the certification exam shared their go-to readings.
What they found
The same titles appeared again and again. Core works by Skinner, Baer, Wolf, and Risley head the list. Ethics and single-subject design papers also repeat across programs.
No big surprise: high-performing schools agree on the canon. The paper gives you the actual list to copy or check against your own syllabus.
How this fits with other research
Fraley (1998) wanted better staff training decades ago. The new survey shows programs still lean on classic readings. The old call and the new list line up: teach the foundations first.
Smit et al. (2019) used the same survey trick but asked BCBAs what they do with kids, not what they read. Together the papers map both classroom input and field practice.
Rehfeldt et al. (2025) argue we should add ACT modules to graduate training. Pastrana’s list does not yet include ACT pieces, so the field may be ready for an update.
Why it matters
If you teach BCBA courses, start with the Pastrana list before you build a syllabus. Compare your assigned articles to the winners. Swap in any missing classics and you align with programs that produce cert-ready grads. If you supervise new hires, hand them the same core papers so everyone speaks the same language.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Open your syllabus and check if Skinner’s ‘Selection by Consequences’ and Baer et al.’s ‘Some Current Dimensions’ are on it—add them if they’re missing.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Demand for behavior-analytic services has greatly increased in recent years, resulting in the development of many new graduate training programs. The purpose of the present study was to identify frequently assigned readings from the course syllabi of behavior-analytic training programs with the highest pass rates on the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) examination. The readings are categorized by curriculum area (e.g., ethics, behaviorism, single-subject research methodology) to provide a resource for new program development and language translation efforts.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2018 · doi:10.1007/s40617-016-0137-9