The Postgraduate Diploma in Behaviour Analysis offers a unique opportunity to gain experience in behaviour analysis under the close supervision of a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA). This course is approved by the Behaviour Analysis Certification Board (BACB), which is the international regulatory body for the practice of behaviour analysis.
The Behaviour Analysis course is designed to provide you with experience in the ethical application of behaviour analytic assessment and intervention strategies across a range of settings and populations. You will be taught and supervised by a team of Board Certified Behaviour Analysts who are internationally recognised for their research and clinical work in the field. They also have a wealth of experience in teaching and supervising students.
You will rotate placements approximately every six months, which will allow you to support people with a range of challenging behaviours with behaviour analytic assessment and intervention strategies.
Clients may include individuals with various disorders or difficulties, including autism, learning disabilities, social and emotional difficulties, ADHD, and antisocial behaviour. Placements with children, adolescents, or adults are available.
Settings may include, but are not limited to, schools, the NHS Learning Disability Service, and residential treatment centres. You also will have the opportunity to work in the University’s Psychology and Well-Being Clinic Wales (PAWB Wales), where you will assist in providing early intervention therapy to young children with autism. We are the only University in the UK to have an on-campus behaviour analysis clinic.
Assessments include coursework and examinations.
Facilities include observation and interview rooms equipped with a two-way mirror, CCTV and audio, which allows research and interview practice sessions to be conducted and recorded. We also have a custom-built air conditioned PC laboratory which provides access to specialist software for running psychology experiments and conducting careers guidance interviews.
The Cognitive Neuropsychology Suite houses specialist psychology equipment such as eye tracking equipment, EEG (electroencephalogram) and ECG (electrocardiogram) facilities for recording electrical activity in the heart and scalp and a driving simulator.
The University offers a wide range of psychological services to the general public through our PAWB Wales clinic facility and include play therapy, behaviour analysis, health and sport psychology interventions.
Students must be currently enrolled or have completed an MSc course in Behaviour Analysis to apply for this programme. Students without such MSc qualifications should note that this programme does not cover taught curriculum requirements required for BACB certification and should consider our companion programme MSc Behaviour Analysis and Therapy to complete this requirement. You will need an Enhanced DBS check.
The course welcomes international applicants and requires an English level of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.
Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course.
Students have access to a wide range of resources including textbooks, publications, and computers in the University’s library and via online resources. In most cases they are more than sufficient to complete a course of study. Where there are additional costs, either obligatory or optional, these are detailed below. Of course students may choose to purchase their own additional personal resources/tools over and above those listed to support their studies at their own expense. All stationery and printing costs are at a student’s own expense.
* Obligatory
| Item | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DBS * | £57.2 | This fee includes £44 for the enhanced DBS certificate, the Post Office Administration fee and the online administration fee. |
| DBS Updating Service | £13 | Whilst optional it is strongly recommended signing up for this service especially if you are likely to have placements each year and wish to persue a career post University where a DBS check is a requirement. Please note the service has to be joined within 19 days of receipt of your enhanced DBS certificate. |
| Other: Travel to Placement | Cost is dependent on placement location. |
|
| Other: Professional liability insurance * | £100 | Renewable each year the student is on the course |
Apply directly to the University for this course.
Professionals trained in behaviour analysis are in increasing demand in the UK, particularly those who are BACB-certified. Behaviour analysts are employed in a variety of contexts, including service providers for people with autism and/or learning disabilities, the NHS, schools, and residential treatment facilities for people with challenging behaviour. Some behaviour analysts also work as independent consultants in their areas of expertise.
As a USW student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.
This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Skype and through email via the "Ask a Question" service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.
Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.
The Pontypridd Campus is made up of two sites: Treforest and Glyntaff. Our students love the community atmosphere, as well as living and studying in the same place. It’s quieter than the cities, with green open spaces and views across the valley.
It’s the community and friendships you’ll build that make this place special. Outside your studies you can experience our amazing sport facilities and Students’ Union.
Living in Halls is a great way to meet new people and make friends. We have high quality accommodation in Treforest, Cardiff and Newport.
