Continuing education units, commonly known as CEUs, are a structured mechanism for professional development that ensures Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) maintain competence throughout their careers. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) requires these units to ensure certificants stay current with the evolving research, applications, and professional standards in applied behavior analysis. Acquiring these units demonstrates a commitment to ethical practice and high-quality service delivery.
Understanding the BCBA Recertification Cycle
The BCBA credential operates on a fixed two-year recertification cycle established by the BACB. This defined period ensures regular engagement with new developments in behavior analysis. For a newly certified individual, the cycle officially begins on the first day of the month in which they passed the certification exam or had their application approved, whichever occurred last. The BCBA status requires renewal every 24 months from its specific start date. Planning for this two-year window is important to allow ample time for completing all required activities.
Mandatory CEU Requirements: The Total Count
To successfully recertify, a BCBA must accumulate a specific minimum number of continuing education units within the designated two-year cycle. The mandatory total is 32 CEUs, which must be earned and documented before the certification expiration date. This quantity is a firm minimum set by the BACB to ensure consistent professional development across all certificants. This requirement is in place regardless of an individual’s specific job role or practice setting.
Breakdown of Required CEU Categories
The total of 32 CEUs is divided into specific content areas to guarantee a well-rounded professional update. A minimum of four CEUs must be dedicated to the topic of Ethics, focusing on the BACB’s ethical code and responsible professional conduct.
Additionally, BCBAs who provide supervision to trainees, RBTs, or BCaBAs must complete a minimum of three CEUs in the area of Supervision. If a BCBA does not provide supervision, this three-unit requirement is waived, changing the remaining balance.
The balance of the required units falls under the category of General Learning CEUs, which can cover any content area relevant to the science, practice, or methodology of behavior analysis. If a BCBA is a supervisor, they must complete the remaining 25 CEUs in this general category. For those who do not supervise, the remaining general requirement increases to 28 CEUs. All required units must be earned within the two-year cycle and cannot be carried over from a previous period.
Acceptable Methods for Earning CEUs
BCBAs have several approved pathways for earning CEUs, which fall broadly into three types: Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship activities.
Learning activities are the most common method, such as attending live or recorded events offered by BACB Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) Providers, including webinars, conferences, and workshops. BCBAs can also earn CEUs by successfully completing approved graduate-level university coursework related to behavior analysis.
Teaching activities include instructing a college-level behavior analysis course at an accredited institution or presenting at an ACE Provider event.
Scholarship activities offer another avenue, awarding eight CEUs for publishing an article on behavior analysis in a peer-reviewed journal. Writing a review or decision letter for a peer-reviewed journal submission counts for one CEU per letter. All activities must be directly related to the field and meet the BACB’s specific standards for documentation.
Maintaining and Reporting Your CEUs
The responsibility for documenting and maintaining proof of CEU completion rests entirely with the individual BCBA, as the BACB does not track these records automatically. Professionals must retain certificates of completion, transcripts, or other verifiable documentation for a specific period after recertification. This record-keeping is necessary because the BACB conducts random audits of certificants to ensure compliance.
Once CEUs are completed, the recertification application must be submitted through the BACB Gateway system. The application can be submitted no more than 45 days before the certification expiration date. Failure to meet the required CEU totals and submit the application by the deadline results in a lapse of certification, requiring a separate, often costly, reinstatement process to regain active status.