The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services is responsible for issuing licenses to qualified applied behavior analysts in the state.
To qualify for state licensure, you must earn the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) credential through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), a national non-profit that has established the universally recognized national certification standards that serve as the basis for ABA licensing in most states.
Complete these steps to earn the BCBA® certification in preparation for licensure in Wisconsin:
Step 1. Obtain a Qualifying Graduate Degree
Candidates for BCBA® certification must:
- Earn an acceptable graduate degree from an accredited university, including coursework in behavior analysis
- Complete a defined period of supervised practical experience
- Pass the BCBA® exam
Earning a master’s degree or higher in behavior analysis that’s accredited by the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) or accredited/recognized by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) ensures you’ve met all educational requirements for BCBA certification.
These graduate programs cover all the important topics in this field:
- Applied behavior analysis introduction
- Advanced behavior analysis
- Behavior change theories and methodologies
- Conducting behavioral assessments
- Single subject research designs
- Ethical issues and legal issues
- Skinner’s writings on applied and theoretical behavior analysis
Comprehensive ABA master’s programs include a thesis and qualifying supervised field experience as part of their curriculum. You will use what you learn and observe during your experience in the field to develop a thesis topic that represents your unique contribution to the behavior analyst profession.
However, you may also qualify for BCBA® certification by earning a master’s or doctoral degree in behavior analysis or in a similar field like psychology or education and then 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
The ABAI maintains a list of programs called Verified Course Sequences (VCS) that meet the above coursework requirements. Most of these programs are delivered as graduate certificates, and many are offered through online formats for maximum convenience and flexibility.
You can also complete the required coursework independent of a VCS. After you’ve completed the coursework, your 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.
Behavior Analyst Master’s Programs Prerequisites
Some behavior analyst master’s programs accept a bachelor’s degree in any major, while others require an undergraduate major in a more relevant field like:
- Education
- Counseling
- Psychology
- Special education
- Social work
ABA programs may also have prerequisites that include undergraduate courses in topics such as:
- Research methods
- General psychology
- Applied behavior analysis
- Conditioning and learning
- Developmental psychology
Step 2. Complete an Acceptable Period of Supervised Experience
You must also complete a period of supervised fieldwork totaling between 1,500 and 2,000 hours. The total number of required hours will depend on how much supervision you receive during this time If you choose to complete an ABAI- or APBA-accredited program, you’ll being earning fieldwork hours as part of your practicum. Your department head will help you locate and secure a qualified supervisor and site where you can begin earning your fieldwork hours.
You can also complete fieldwork hours on your own. You’ll be able to begin earning your hours as soon as you start taking graduate-level courses in behavior analysis and have secured a qualified supervisor and site.
Supervised fieldwork hours should satisfy the following:
- 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
Step 3. Pass the BCBA® Exam
Once you’ve satisfied all educational and fieldwork requirements for BCBA® certification, you’ll apply to the BACB. Once the BACB has approved your application, you’ll register with Pearson VUE, the exam administrator, to take the exam at a Pearson VUE testing center near you.
In Wisconsin, there are Pearson VUE testing centers located in:
- Ashwaubenon
- Madison
- Brookfield
- Milwaukee
- Kenosha
- Eau Claire
Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA®) Exam Content
The BCBA® exam consists of 175 scored questions and 104 tasks that cover 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%
Step 4. Apply for a Behavior Analyst License with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
As of May 2022, all applications for licensure must be completed through the LicensE system. You must earn your BCBA® certification before you apply for the Behavior Analyst license.
Note: If you have any outstanding criminal issues, you must complete Form 2252. If you have any outstanding malpractice suits or claims, you must complete Form 2829.
License Renewal
You’ll need to renew your license with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services by December 15 of each even-numbered year. As a requirement to renew with the state, you must keep your BCBA® credential current.
That means renewing the BCBA® with the BACB every two years, a process that entails meeting the BACB’s continuing education requirements:
- 32 units of approved continuing education
- At least four hours must relate to behavior analyst ethics
Approved continuing education includes:
- College and university coursework
- Scholarly activities
- Retaking and passing the certification exam
- Education from approved providers
- Teaching or instruction activities
Wisconsin’s ABA Providers Effecting Change for Children and Adults with Autism
A growing number of providers are bringing ABA therapy to Wisconsin’s children, adolescents, and adults with autism and other developmental disorders. Just some of the agencies and organizations providing at-home and in-clinic ABA services include:
Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP)
The Wisconsin Early Autism Project, which has been working with autism diagnosis and treatment for more than 25 years, is now a leader of ABA therapy in the state. With a rich history of clinical research and practice, WEAP provides ABA services to help young children with autism reach their full potential. They offer diagnosis, center-based ABA therapy, in-home ABA therapy, youth programs, and telehealth ABA therapy. WEAP is part of LEARN Behavioral, a national organization that’s devoted to helping children with autism and their families. WEAP helps thousands of children across Wisconsin through their local centers in:
- Glendale
- Oak Creek
- Mount Pleasant
- Brookfield
- De Pere
- West Bend
- Oshkosh
- Janesville
- Prairie
- Madison
- Altoona
Mindcolor Autism, Madison
Mindcolor Autism, which serves families in the Madison, Fitchburg, Verona, Middleton, Sun Prairie, and Cottage Grove areas, provides customized, individualized ABA services to children ages 2-13. Since 2019, Mindcolor Autism has been providing evidence-based treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders. Their dedicated team of ABA professionals are focused on ABA therapies that promote growth, independence, and a brighter future for children and their families.
Mindcolor Autism serves children through their centers in Brookfield, Mequon, Greenfield, Franklin, and Madison.
Beyond ABA, Kenosha
Beyond ABA provides both in-home and in-clinic ABA services. The dedicated staff developments individualized plans that are focused on behavior reduction, behavior replacement, and skills acquisition. They utilize a number of methods and practices, including discrete trial training (DTT), natural environment training (NET), and incidental teaching.
Their functional behavior assessments are utilized alongside other skills-based assessments like ABLLS-R, (The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-Revised), VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program), and AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills), and standardized assessments like the Vineland III create customized programs that meet the needs of each child.
In addition to one-on-one clinic sessions, Beyond ABA offers social group sessions that bring two to four students together in a semi-structured environment. Children are able to engage with one another while they work on reaching their individual goals.