Missouri’s Behavior Analyst Advisory Board, part of the Missouri Division of Professional Registration, issues behavior analyst licenses in the state.
To qualify for a license, you need to earn and maintain the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) credential issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), a national organization whose certifications are the basis for licensing laws in most states.
Eligibility to sit for the certification exam requires the completion of an appropriate master’s or doctoral degree that meets specific curriculum requirements and a period of supervised experience.
Missouri’s Behavior Analyst Advisory Board also licenses assistant applied behavior analysts (AABAs), a process that is also covered here.
Complete these steps to earn your behavior analyst license:
Step 1. Earn a Qualifying Master’s Degree in the Behavior Analysis Field
To become a BCBA®, you must earn a minimum of a master’s degree in behavior analysis or a similar field like psychology or education and complete specific graduate-level coursework in behavior analysis. You can satisfy the educational requirements by earning a master’s degree that’s accredited by the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) or a master’s or doctoral degree that’s accredited/recognized by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).
You can also meet the requirements by earning a recognized master’s or doctoral degree and completing the following graduate-level coursework in behavior analysis:
- BACB Ethics Code and Code-Enforcement System; Professionalism: 45 hours
- Philosophical Underpinnings; Concepts and Principles: 90 hours
- Measurement, Data Display and Interpretation; Experimental Design: 45 hours
- Behavior Assessment: 45 hours
- Behavior-Change Procedures; Selecting and Implementing Interventions: 60 hours
- Personnel Supervision and Management: 60 hours
If you don’t earn an APBA- or ABAI-accredited degree, you must provide proof to the BACB that you’ve satisfied the above graduate-level coursework. You can do so by completing an ABAI Verified Course Sequence* (check out their directory of programs here), which is usually delivered in the form of a graduate certificate program.
You can also complete the required courses and then provide proof to the BACB through a course-by-course review by your chair, dean, or BCBA-certified VCS Coordinator. Upon review, they must complete a Non-Verified Course Content Attestation and send it to the BACB.
*Note: The ABAI announced that it is ending the VCS system on December 31, 2025. Beginning in 2026, verification must occur through the student’s university to demonstrate that the coursework standards have been met.
ABA Master’s Program Prerequisites
Enrollment prerequisites differ from school to school. In some cases, an accredited bachelor’s degree in any major would be acceptable, while other schools require an undergraduate degree in a related field like:
- Special education
- Education
- Counseling
- Social work
- Psychology
Behavior analyst master’s programs may also require completion of undergraduate course prerequisites including:
- Research methodology
- General psychology
- Applied behavior analysis
- Learning and conditioning
- Developmental psychology
Assistant Behavior Analyst Education Requirements
Missouri’s Behavior Analyst Advisory Board requires assistant behavior analysts to hold the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA®) credential.
To be eligible to sit for the BCaBA® exam, you need an undergraduate degree that is typically in Behavior Analysis, Psychology, Teaching, or anther closely related field. The undergraduate degree must adhere to the BACB’s coursework requirements.
Step 2. Complete an Acceptable Period of Supervised Experience
Qualifying for the BCBA® exam also means completing a period of fieldwork of between 1,500 and 2,000 hours. The total number of hours required is dependent upon the amount of supervision you receive.
Each supervisory period equals one month, during which time you’ll need to complete between 20 and 130 hours of fieldwork hours. At least 50% of your supervised hours must be individual, and at least 60% of your supervised hours must be spent engaged in unrestricted activities (not implementing therapeutic procedures) related to behavior analysis/behavioral intervention, such as:
- Observation and data collection
- Training staff and caregivers
- Conducting assessments
- Meeting with clients
- Data graphing and analysis
- Research literature relevant to a client’s programming
- Writing and revising programs
Most ABAI- and APBA-accredited programs include an embedded practicum where you’ll begin accruing the required fieldwork hours. Because you can start your fieldwork as soon as you begin taking graduate-level behavior analysis courses, many students fulfill their fieldwork requirements before graduation. Your program director will help you locate and secure a fieldwork site and supervisor.
Just a few of the ABA providers throughout Missouri where you can complete your fieldwork hour requirements include:
- Brighter Strides ABA Therapy, Kansas City
- My World ABA, Springfield
- Blue Gems ABA, Kansas City
- UCP Heartland Autism Services, Columbia
- Atlas Autism Health, Columbia
- Dash ABA, Florissant
- Daytastic ABA, Nixa
Supervision Requirements for Assistant Behavior Analysts
Candidates for the BCaBA® credential must complete at least 1,300 hours of supervised fieldwork or 1,000 hours of concentrated supervised fieldwork.
Step 3. Pass the BCBA® Exam
Once you meet the BACB’s education and experience requirements, you’re ready to sit for the BCBA® exam. You must apply with the BACB, who will approve your application and provide instructions on how to register for the exam, which is administered by Pearson VUE.
There are Pearson VUE testing centers throughout the U.S., including the following sites in Missouri:
- Rolla
- Columbia
- Louis
- Springfield
- Kansas City
- Kirksville
- Joplin
- Cape Girardeau
Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA®) Exam Content
The exam itself is computer-based and comprised of 175 graded multiple-choice questions broken down by the following areas:
- Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations: 5%
- Concepts and Principles: 14%
- Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation: 12%
- Experimental Design: 7%
- Ethical and Professional Issues: 13%
- Behavior Assessment: 13%
- Behavior-Change Procedures: 14%
- Selecting and Implementing Interventions: 11%
- Personnel Supervision and Management: 11%
Examination Requirements for Assistants and Technicians
Applying for, scheduling, and taking the BCaBA® exam is similar to the process for the BCBA® exam. Candidates can sign up once all education and supervised experience requirements have been met.
Step 4. Apply for a Behavior Analyst License with Missouri’s Behavior Analyst Advisory Board
As of January 2025, behavior analyst licensure and renewal must be done through MOPRO – the new licensure system for the Missouri Division of Professional Registration. Once you have received your BCBA® certification, you can complete the application process for state licensure as a behavior analyst.
The following items must be submitted with your application:
- Copy of your BACB certification
- Passport-style photo
- Completed Proof of Supervision form
- Completed Social Security Number Disclosure form
- Verification of Licensure form (if you’re licensed in another state)
You must also register online with the Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS) and get your fingerprints collected at a site near you. You’ll be directed to collection sites upon registration.
As of January 2019, you must complete at least two hours of suicide assessment, referral, treatment, and management training to qualify for state licensure. You can fulfill this requirement through your graduate course of study or through self-study. You can find more information on training opportunities on the Behavior Analyst Advisory Board’s website.
Provisional Licenses
The Behavior Analyst Advisory Board can grant you a provisional license to work as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst if you can fulfill all requirements for these positions but do not yet hold the BCBA® credential.
As a condition for this provisional license, you must always work under the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst, even if you’re granted a provisional behavior analyst license. The application process is identical to the regular license.
Your provisional license is valid for one year or until you earn a full license by gaining the appropriate BACB credential.
You’re allowed to renew this license once, making it valid for another year. Missouri’s Behavior Analyst Advisory Board can make an exception to this rule and allow you to renew a provisional license more than once on a case-by-case basis.
Out-of-State Reciprocity and Military Spouses
If you’re licensed in another state, you can apply for a temporary 90-day license to work as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst license. Military spouses who have had a related license for two of the past five years which is in good standing can also apply for this temporary license.
You apply by taking these steps:
- Submit a full application for licensure with Missouri’s Behavior Analyst Advisory Board
- Include your fingerprints for a background check with your full application, and pass this background check
If your application for full licensure is not approved or denied within 90 days, you can write to the board asking for a one-time temporary license renewal, good for an additional 90 days.
Renewing Your License with Missouri’s Behavior Analyst Advisory Board
Your license expires every two years. You must maintain your BACB certification and complete at least two hours of training in suicide assessment, referral, treatment, and management for to qualify for renewal.
The BCBA® credential must also be renewed every two years upon completion of at least 32 units of approved continuing education, with at least four hours of continuing education related to ethics. BACB-approved continuing education can include:
- College and university coursework
- Scholarly activities
- Retaking and passing the certification exam
- Education from approved providers
- Teaching or instruction activities
Assistant Behavior Analyst License with the Missouri Behavior Analyst Advisory Board
The application process for the assistant behavior analyst is identical to the behavior analyst application, with all applicants applying through MOPRO, the new licensure system for the Missouri Division of Professional Registration
Throughout your tenure as an assistant behavior analyst, a qualified behavior analyst must supervise your work. This means following the state’s supervision requirements for assistant BAs:
- Only work under the direct supervision of a licensed behavior analyst, which includes at minimum consultation before initiation or modification of a client’s treatment plan
- Frequent face-to-face supervision may be required
- Supervision must be an interactive process that is more than peer review or a co-signature
- May not initiate or modify a client treatment program without prior supervisor consultation
- May contribute to the screening or evaluation process, but may not perform an evaluation or assessment
- May not analyze or interpret evaluation data
- May track the need for reassessment
- May suspend treatment intervention that appears harmful to the client and immediately inform the supervisor
- All client documentation prepared by the assistant BA is part of the permanent record
ABA Providers in Missouri
A growing number of ABA providers throughout Missouri ensure that the state’s children and young adults with ASD and other developmental disorders have access to the services and resources they need to reach their full potential.
Atlas Autism Heath: St. Louis
Atlas Autism Health provides ABA services to children between the ages of 2 and 6 years. They are a Behavioral Health Center of Excellence® (BHCOE®) accredited center, providing individualized care to children throughout their seven St. Louis-area centers. They use play-based therapy that combines ABA principles with early childhood developmental science. Their naturalistic approach allows children to build their skills through play and social interactions.
BridgeCare ABA: Kansas City
BridgeCare ABA offers in-home ABA services that help children follow instructions, better communicate, improve their social interactions, reduce repetitive movements, and improve their emotional regulation.
The Pediatric Place: Knob Noster, Clinton
The Pediatric Place, which has two locations in Clinton and Knob Noster, provide ABA services that are focused on improving the lives of children with autism. Their individualized treatment plans are aimed at improving a child’s cognitive, physical, social, and motor skills. They also offer parent training to ensure that parents are able to reinforce ABA therapies at home.