r/bcba • u/Willing-Box-4971 • 14h ago
Advice Needed Feeling defeated: Capella and FIT are both refusing to sign my BCBA Pathway 2 attestation after I completed additional coursework. Has anyone experienced this?
TL;DR: I completed my master’s at Capella in 2020 and additional BCBA bridge coursework at FIT in 2024. Now neither university will complete my Pathway 2 attestation. FIT has a policy against attesting to combined coursework, despite my completing the courses before the policy was communicated. Has anyone experienced this or found a resolution?
I’m reaching out to see if anyone in the ABA community has experienced a similar situation or has any advice on how to move forward.
I’ve been working toward becoming a BCBA since 2018, and I’m currently feeling incredibly discouraged after spending years pursuing this certification.
I completed my Master’s in Psychology with a specialization in ABA through Capella University in 2020 under the BACB’s 4th Edition coursework requirements. I was previously approved by the BACB to sit for the BCBA examination.
In 2024, knowing that I needed to satisfy the updated coursework requirements, I enrolled in additional bridge courses through Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). I completed these courses successfully and paid for them out of pocket. My understanding when enrolling was that these courses, combined with my previous graduate coursework, would allow me to meet the updated educational requirements.
Now, in 2026, I’m preparing to submit a new application under Pathway 2 before the requirements change in 2027, and I’ve encountered a significant issue.
Neither university is willing to complete my Pathway 2 coursework attestation.
Capella has explained that because my original coursework was completed under the 4th Edition requirements, they cannot independently attest that I meet the current requirements. They have offered to provide the Inter-University Partial Coursework Communication Form to assist with the evaluation of my combined coursework.
FIT, however, has informed me that it implemented a policy in 2025 stating that it will not complete attestations for students who did not complete their entire coursework sequence through FIT.
The frustrating part is that I completed my bridge coursework in 2024, before this policy was introduced.
I specifically enrolled in those courses to meet the updated BACB requirements. Had I known that FIT would later refuse to evaluate or attest to coursework completed across institutions, I would have made different educational decisions.
I’ve contacted the BACB directly and was informed that either institution may submit the attestation, provided the institution is willing and able to evaluate the coursework.
I’ve spent the past several weeks communicating with both universities. Unfortunately, Capella continues to refer me to FIT, and FIT maintains that its policy does not permit exceptions.
I’m currently in communication with FIT’s academic coordinator and continuing to advocate for a resolution.
What makes this particularly difficult is that I’ve invested years of education, supervised fieldwork, and thousands of dollars toward this goal. I currently work as a Licensed Behavior Specialist and remain extremely passionate about the field of ABA.
I’m not asking either university to attest to coursework that doesn’t meet the requirements. I’m simply asking for my combined coursework to be reviewed to determine whether it meets the current standards, rather than being unable to move forward because of an institutional policy that was implemented after I completed my education.
I’m wondering if anyone here has experienced something similar:
Has anyone completed their original ABA coursework at Capella and later taken bridge courses through FIT?
Has anyone successfully obtained a Pathway 2 attestation using coursework from two different universities?
Has anyone dealt with a university changing its attestation policy after coursework was already completed?
Does anyone know whether there are additional avenues for requesting a formal review or escalating this situation?
I’ve worked toward becoming a BCBA for nearly eight years, and it’s incredibly disheartening to feel like I’m at a standstill over an attestation process after completing the additional education I believed was necessary.
I’m hoping someone here might have insight, guidance, or a similar experience to share. I genuinely want to find a way to move forward without having to repeat coursework I’ve already completed and paid for.
Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this or offer advice.