Apply to the  Applied Behavior Analysis Master of Arts (MA) Program

Application Deadlines for Fall 2021 (August Start):
Rolling admissions on a space available basis

Application Deadlines for Spring 2022 (January Start):
Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Apply Online. Use this link to fill out and submit your application online.

With the exception of transcripts all materials should be submitted through your online application account. Transcripts should arrive directly to our Admissions Office from the issuing Registrar Office.

Please begin the process early as we will consider only those completed applications which arrive on or before the deadline.

An international applicant, that is, neither a citizen nor a permanent resident of the U.S., must meet our regular admission requirements, as well as those listed below.

If written in a foreign language, all transcripts and other documents must be accompanied by an official English translation and certification of equivalency to the American education system. Bachelor degrees that are three years in length will not be recognized as equivalent to a U.S. four-year bachelor degree by William James College. You can have both, the translation and equivalence certified by the World Education Service (WES). For detailed information visit www.wes.org.

Applicants who are non-native speakers of English and have not taken the General Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Please note: the GRE is required of all applicants to the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology PsyD Program. Applicants to other programs are encouraged to submit GRE scores to enhance their application.

After acceptance of the admission offer, international students will be sent a Foreign Student Certification of Finances (FSCF) form which must be submitted by every student who does not hold a permanent resident (immigrant) visa in the United States. Because international students are ineligible to borrow Federal student aid, and private loans may be difficult to obtain, the FSCF is required by US Regulation to confirm that all of the necessary financial supports are secured for the duration of study. Only after this certification is sufficiently submitted the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status INS I-20 form will be issued.International applicants must plan and secure funding sources for the length of their stay in the U.S. before applying. This includes living expenses, health insurance and travel. Once enrolled, there are no opportunities to earn income through employment in or outside campus.

Successful completion of all requirements towards the degree which you seek to pursue will include your completion of one or more paid internships. To undertake paid internships, students are required to demonstrate to employers they are authorized to work in the U.S. Students who are unable to do so may be unable to complete all requirements for their degree program. 

Please be aware that online and blended (hybrid) programs do NOT support Student visas.

International applicants in on-campus programs must provide a copy of their visa before beginning the program. 

• $60.00 Application Fee (non-refundable), $75.00 if applying to two programs. On the electronic application it is paid online before submission.

  Please note: If you enroll in the fall 2021 semester, we will rebate $60 of your paid application fee directly to your student account during your first semester. This will occur after the add/drop period.

• Completed application form
• One letter of recommendation
• Curriculum Vitae
• Application Essay
• Official transcript(s)
• Re-Application Statement*
• Change of Career Statement*
  *if applicable, see appropriate section below.

Please begin the process early as we will consider only those completed applications which arrive on or before the deadline. If you have questions or concerns about the electronic application process, please contact the Admissions office at info@williamjames.edu or 617-564-9376. Thank you.

A letter of recommendation is required from people who are able to attest to your personal qualities, such as: professional; academic; intellectual; motivational; interpersonal; and emotional. References should not be provided by family members, friends, or others who don't know you in either a professional or academic context.

The electronic recommendation form is required and although a supplemental letter is optional it is strongly recommended. Both, the recommendation form and letter must be submitted electronically through your online application account.

Please attach a current CV or résumé which includes the following: educational background; current activity; length and description of employment and/or training experiences; hours per week at each job or training site; names of supervisors at each facility; workshops and seminars attended; and any other professionally-related material (e.g., presentations, publications, etc.). You may also include any extracurricular activities or interests that you deem relevant.

Please prepare a 500 word essay which addresses these topics:

1. Discuss your professional and/or scholarly interest in the study of behavior analysis. How did you come to be interested in this field? What are the most important outcomes for you regarding your graduate study?
2. Please summarize your overall readiness for graduate study and employment. What areas are your strengths? In what areas do you feel you need the most growth?

Please request an official academic transcript from each undergraduate and graduate institution that you have attended. Paper transcripts or e-transcripts should be sent directly to William James College from the issuing registrar's office. We recommend that you request these documents as soon as you decide to apply for admission and to allow at least ten business days for the issuing registrar to process your request. If you have completed a semester abroad and these corresponding courses do not appear on your home institution's transcript with a letter grade, then you must provide a separate transcript for this period of study.

Paper transcripts must be addressed to:

William James College
Office of Admissions
One Wells Avenue
Newton, MA 02459

E-transcripts must be sent to admissions@williamjames.edu.

To arrive at William James College on or before the set deadline. Post marked on the deadline date is not acceptable.

All applicants who have attended a non-US institution of higher learning must provide an official translation and equivalency to US Higher Education of their academic record. William James College recommends that applicants contact World Education Services to request this service. For more information, please visit www.wes.org.

A supplemental statement is required of all applicants who have previously applied for admission to a program. Your statement should reference the date of your prior application and the program to which you applied, as well as the circumstances that contributed to your decision to re-apply. You should also describe your personal and professional interim experiences that occurred following your past application. 

Previous admission files are kept on hand for a period of two years. Reapplicants may utilize any, or all, of the original application. However, we strongly recommend that you take the time to strengthen your original application, update your statements and recommendations whenever possible.

This section applies to those applicants who have made a decision to change careers.

Please attach a statement regarding your decision to change careers. Describe the evolution of this career change and discuss the ways in which the experiences you have had and skills required by your previous career might relate to your graduate training at William James College.