Applied Behavior Analysis PhD program ranked top in country

The UNMC and Munroe-Meyer Institute’s PhD Program in ABA has been ranked the top in the country by Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide.

Nicole Rodriguez, PhD, is the director of the MMI program, which is one of only 10 Association for Behavior Analysis International-accredited programs in the nation. The program has graduated 48 students since its inauguration in 2007. More than 80% of these doctoral graduates have had their dissertations published in peer reviewed, scholarly journals, illustrating the quality of the work being done at MMI, Dr. Rodriguez said.

“Our ranking is a testament to MMI and the ABA PhD program faculty’s commitment to fostering a supportive and productive learning environment for students,” she said.

According to the article, the ranking was created to showcase some of the top degrees in the country. Authors looked at National Center for Education statistics to find schools offering PhD programs in ABA and awarded points based on factors such as student/faculty ratio, average graduate tuition rate and ABAI accreditation.

UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, congratulated MMI on the national ranking.

“With this recognition, MMI continues to enhance its position as a national leader in the field of intellectual and developmental disability education,” Dr. Gold said. “More importantly, with its first-in-the-nation program, it is turning out graduates who will themselves be leaders in the field of ABA well into the future.”

Karoly Mirnics, MD, PhD, director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute, said the institute was proud of the national ranking.

“The is an acknowledgement of the hard work of all involved in this program,” Dr. Mirnics said. “Also, it underscores the national prominence of MMI as a leading teaching and training institution, which is an important part of our mission to be work leaders in all aspects related to intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

Other ranked programs included the University of Nevada, the Teacher’s College at Columbia University and Western Michigan University.

The Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide calls itself “the #1 free online resource for exploring the nation’s best degrees for future behavior analysts.”