DANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University has been ranked one of 2022’s best schools for earning a master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis online by OnlineMastersDegrees.org. The complete list can be seen at www.onlinemastersdegrees.org/best-programs/applied-behavior-analysis-aba/.
WCSU’s recognition comes at a time when enrollment in master’s degree programs is on the rise. In October 2021, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) reported a 7.3 percent increase in first-time graduate student enrollment in fall 2020. First-time, part-time student enrollment rose by 13.5 percent. The CGS report cites the growth of online and hybrid learning options as a primary driver of these trends.
“Our goal was to find the master’s programs that are making online learning a priority,” said Kyle Darland, co-founder of OnlineMastersDegrees.org. “Each school in our applied behavior analysis ranking offers at least one partially or fully online master’s degree option, and for a price students can afford.”
OnlineMastersDegrees.org researched and analyzed more than 7,700 accredited schools using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and from the schools themselves. The website’s data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying applied behavior analysis programs. Primary data points included: Number of online master’s programs in subject area, number of online students, online program tuition and fees, percentage of students offered institutional aid and amount of institutional aid awarded per student.
Dr. Stephanie Kuhn, coordinator of WCSU’s Applied Behavior Analysis Program, responded to the ranking. “Our faculty have worked diligently to design and deliver a high-quality online program for our students. I am proud of this recognition and feel it’s reflective of the hard work the faculty and students have put into the program.”
Dr. Katherine Roe, chair of WCSU’s Department of Education and Educational Psychology, added, “This recognition is representative of the excellent programs in Education, Educational Psychology, and Educational Leadership at Western Connecticut State University. Recently, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) pointed to WCSU as a ‘Standout Institution’ for the success rate of its Education program graduates on the Praxis licensing exams, underscoring WCSU’s mission to offer programs that support and develop a strong, diverse workforce of teachers. Furthermore, the rigor of the undergrad programs has resulted in 100% employment upon graduation, meeting the needs of our community schools and the critical shortage of educators.”
For more information, contact the Office of Public Relations at pr@wcsu.edu.
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.