The Virginia Board of Medicine is responsible for issuing licenses to applied behavior analysts practicing in the state.
The Board of Medicine recognizes the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) as the sponsor of the national credential you must earn to qualify for state licensure: the Board Certified Behavior Analyst – BCBA® credential.
To qualify for the credential, you must:
- Earn a master’s or higher degree that includes a specific series of graduate-level courses in behavior analysis
- Complete a period of pre-professional supervised experience, either as part of your graduate program curriculum or independently
- Pass the BCBA® certification exam
Follow these steps to become a BCBA® and earn licensure as an applied behavior analyst in Virginia:
 | Earn a Master’s or Higher Degree |
 | Complete a Qualifying Period of Supervised Experience |
 | Pass the BCBA® Exam |
 | Apply for State Licensure with the Virginia Board of Medicine |
Step 1. Earn a Master’s or Higher Degree
To earn BCBA® certification, you must earn a master’s degree or higher and complete specific, graduate-level coursework in behavior analysis.
Programs that have been either accredited by the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) or accredited/recognized by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) provide a clear pathway to BCBA® certification because they meet all educational requirements.
Behavior analysis master’s programs cover all the important topics in this field:
- Applied behavior analysis introduction
- Advanced behavior analysis
- Behavior change theories and methodologies
- Single subject research designs
- Ethical issues
- Legal issues
- Skinner’s writings on applied and theoretical behavior analysis
- Conducting behavioral assessments
The most comprehensive ABA master’s programs include a thesis and qualifying supervised field experience as part of the curriculum. Your thesis is your opportunity to develop a unique contribution to this field.
Prerequisites for Master’s ABA Programs
While some master’s programs accept a bachelor’s degree in any field, others expect incoming students to hold an undergraduate degree in a more relevant field like:
- Education
- Counseling
- Psychology
- Special education
- Social work
ABA programs may also require you to have completed certain undergraduate course prerequisites before you are admitted:
- Research methods
- General psychology
- Applied behavior analysis
- Conditioning and learning
- Developmental psychology
Other Educational Options
You can also meet the educational requirements for BCBA® certification by first earning a master’s or doctoral degree in behavior analysis or in a related field like psychology or education and then completing the required graduate-level coursework in behavior analysis.
The ABAI maintains a list of programs that mirror the behavior analysis coursework requirements. Most of these programs, called Verified Course Sequences (VCS), are delivered as graduate certificates, and many of them can be completed online for added convenience and flexibility.
You can also complete the required coursework outside of a formal program. Upon completion of the required coursework, you department chair, dean, or BCBA®-certified VCS Coordinator will need to perform a course-by-course review of your completed coursework and then complete a Non-Verified Course Content Attestation for the BACB.
Note: As of January 2026, the ABAI is discontinuing the VCS system, and all candidates for BCBA® certification will need to provide proof to the BACB through a course-by-course review.
Education Requirements for Assistant Applied Behavior Analysts (AABA)
To become an assistant behavior analyst in Virginia, you must first earn the BACB’s Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA®) credential, which requires earning a bachelor’s degree in behavior analysis or in a similar field like psychology or teaching that meets specific coursework requirements.
Step 2. Complete a Period of Supervised Practice
You must also complete between 1,500 and 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork to qualify for the BCBA® exam. The total number of required hours of supervised fieldwork will depend on the level of supervision you receive during this time.
During each supervisory month, you must earn between 20 and 130 hours of fieldwork, and you must earn all required fieldwork hours within five years. If you are earning an ABAI- or ABPA-accredited program, you’ll begin earning these hours as part of your practicum. Many students of these programs are able to satisfy most or all of the required hours before they graduate. Your program director will be able to help you locate and secure a qualified supervisor and field site.
Otherwise, you can begin earning the required hours as soon as you begin taking the required graduate-level courses in behavior analysis.
Your supervised fieldwork must incorporate these elements:
- Development of performance expectations
- Behavioral skills training, observation, and delivery of performance feedback
- Modeling of ethical, professional, and technical behavior
- Guidance of behavioral case decision making, conceptualization, and problem solving
- Review of written materials like reports, behavior programs, and data sheets
- Evaluation and oversight regarding the effects of the behavioral service delivery and supervision
- Up to half of the supervision can be conducted in small groups
- The supervised experience must be conducted according to a written contract pre-established between you and your supervisor
- The supervised experience must be well documented, including hours and activities
Supervised Experience Requirements for Assistant Applied Behavior Analysts (AABA)
To qualify for the BCaBA® exam, you must meet the BACB’s supervised experience requirement, which means earning between 1,000 and 1,300 hours of supervised fieldwork, depending on the level of supervision received.
Step 3. Pass the BCBA® Certification Exam
Once you’ve met all educational and fieldwork experience requirements, it’s time to apply to take the BCBA® exam. You’ll apply for this online with the BACB. Once the BACB approves your application, you’ll be able to register to take the exam through Pearson VUE, the exam administrator.
Pearson VUE has testing centers located throughout Virginia, including:
- Lynchburg
- Glen Allen
- Richmond
- Roanoke
- Alexandria
- Reston
- Newport News
Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA®) Exam Content
The BCBA® exam includes 175 scored questions and 104 tasks that are divided into the following domains:
- 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 Assistant Behavior Analysts
The process of applying for, scheduling, and taking the BCaBA® exam is similar to that for the BCBA® exam. You’ll apply with the BACB once you’ve fulfilled the education and supervised experience requirements.
Step 4. Apply for State Licensure with the Virginia Board of Medicine
This information applies to both behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts.
Once you’ve received BACB certification, you’ll be eligible to apply online with the Virginia Board of Medicine for state licensure. Making a full application requires the following:
- BACB certification – You must request that the BACB send your certification to the Board by completing their online form. Make sure to include “Virginia State Verification” in the subject line and the Board’s email address: [email protected].
- Employment Activity – Your application must include all employment activities from the date of graduation from your professional school. Activity must include all employment, internships, observorships, volunteer service, affiliations, and periods of unemployment.
- License Verification – If you’ve ever been licensed in another jurisdiction, you must request a copy of your license to be sent to the Board. It can be emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 804-527-4426.
- National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) Self Query – You must complete an online Self-Query through the NPDB.
License Renewal with the Virginia Board of Medicine – Behavior Analysts and Assistant BAs
You must renew your license biannually in odd-numbered years during your birth month.
You must meet the continuing education requirements required for renewal of your BACB certification:
- 32 hours of continuing education for licensed behavior analysts
- 20 hours of continuing education for licensed assistant behavior analysts
Four hours must cover ethics in the behavior analysis field.
Supervision Requirements for Assistant Behavior Analysts
Throughout your career as a licensed assistant behavior analyst, you must work under the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst. The rules covering this supervision are established by the Virginia Board of Medicine.
You must establish a written supervisory agreement with your supervising behavior analyst that specifies:
- The domains of competency within which your services may be provided
- The nature and frequency of your supervision
Types of supervision include:
- Direct real-time observation
- One-to-one interactions to review and discuss issues regarding behavior analysis
- Real-time interactions between a supervising behavior analyst and a group of supervisee assistant BAs to review and discuss issues regarding behavior analysis
Real-time is defined as being live and person-to-person. Informal review and discussion of behavior analysis topics on the phone, via email, and by other types of written communication do not constitute types of supervision; however, these are also encouraged.
ABA Providers in Virginia
Whether you’re looking for an ABA provider where you can earn your fieldwork hours for certification and licensure or begin your career in the rewarding ABA field, you’ll be pleased to know that Virginia is home to a growing number of ABA providers. Just some of the leading providers include:
Autism Behavior Therapies, Woodbridge
Autism Behavior Therapies provides home-based ABA therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy services. The mission of Autism Behavior Therapies is to foster growth and positive behavior change for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. ABA services here are customized to suit the needs and preferences of each child and their family. Goals include developing communication, decreasing problem behaviors, and improving social and self-help skills.
Improved Dynamics ABA, McLean
Improved Dynamics ABA, which serves the Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland region, provides a host of services, including assessments, one-on-one treatment, family training, and case management. Care coordination here is valued, with the professionals of Improved Dynamics ABA ensuring that the ABA techniques are implemented throughout the child’s life, including in home, community, and school settings.
Some of the areas focused on include:
- Food acceptance
- Behavior regulation
- Sensory integration
- Compliance
- Social interaction
- Independence
- Communication
- Self-advocacy
Autism Services of Virgina: Richmond, Norfolk, and Fredericksburg
Home to three Virginia ABA centers, Autism Services of Virginia provides services to autistic children between the ages of 15 months and 21 years. They offer autism evaluations, as well as ABA therapy for children and teens. Services here are aimed at helping children live more confidently and independently while they build positive behaviors and life skills and reduce problematic and aggressive behaviors.