Credentialing and Accreditation

We have developed a detailed plan to ensure that students in the inaugural cohorts have a clear pathway toward BCBA eligibility and program accreditation. Our program is built from the ground up around requirements for credentialing and accreditation set forth by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). Beginning in 2032, BACB policy will require that BCBA applicants have graduated from a program accredited by a behavior-analytic body (e.g., ABAI).

The M.S. in ABA at San Jose State University is pursuing recognition through ABAI’s Tiered Model of Education. Pursuit of recognition does not denote recognition status. After achieving recognition, we plan to apply for “accredited on contingency” status. Here is our current (as of June 2026) planned ABAI recognition and accreditation timeline:

Summer 2027: Submit Intent to Apply for Recognition (Tier 2a)
Summer 2028: Program starts. Apply for Recognition
January 2029: Apply for accredited on contingency status
August 2029: Gain accredited on contingency status
December 2029: First cohort graduates
January 2030: Apply for full accreditation status
August 2030: Earn full accreditation status

We will post updates here as we reach each step.

Accreditation FAQs

How does accreditation work for new programs?

ABAI requires that programs have graduated at least one student in order to become fully accredited. This means that the earliest our program can apply for full accreditation will be January 2030. 

In June 2026, the ABAI Education Board announced a new “accredited on contingency” status designed for new programs like ours. We have since developed a detailed plan, in consultation with ABAI leadership, to achieve that designation as soon as possible. Accredited on contingency is the form of accreditation that a new program can obtain before it graduates its first students. To apply for accredited on contingency status, a program must have enrolled students.

For the purposes of BACB Pathway 1 requirements, students in programs with accredited on contingency status are considered as having a degree from an accredited program (i.e., program graduates will be able to sit for the BCBA exam via Pathway 1).

How would changes to this timeline affect students?

Accreditation is an important consideration for applicants. We built this above timeline to ensure that students are set up for success. From 2029-2031, students can qualify for the BCBA credential and sit for the exam under Pathway 2, which our curriculum is designed to meet. The BACB’s Pathway 1 (accreditation-based) requirement does become applicants’ only option after January 1, 2032, which is about 2.5 years after our target date for initial accreditation (accredited on contingency). As a result, our program's accreditation timeline includes multiple pathways intended to support students' progress toward BCBA eligibility while accreditation activities are underway.