Accreditation Pilot and Standards Revision

Practice Doctorate Accreditation Pilot 

CSWE and its Board of Accreditation (BOA) piloted the accreditation of practice doctorate programs from 2021-2025. In February 2025, three practice doctorate programs were granted initial accreditation, and therefore the BOA is eligible to apply for an expansion of scope with Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CSWE’s BOA is currently recognized by the CHEA to accredit baccalaureate and master’s social work degree programs in the United States and its territories, and before the scope of accreditation is expanded, the BOA had to conduct a pilot of the accreditation process for practice doctorate programs in accordance with CHEA requirements. The requirement for the pilot review is to show that “the accrediting organization has the capacity and competence to carry out and sustain the requested change of scope.” Piloting is not only required by CHEA but is also best practice as it allows the BOA and CSWE staff to intentionally review each stage in the accreditation process and make adjustments, as needed.

Standards Revision

The pilot process also includes CHEA’s requirement “for the accrediting organization to review its standards to determine whether these accommodate the change or expansion of scope and whether any needed standards revisions are necessary.” 

From 2023-2025, the Practice Doctorate Program (PDP) Standards Revision Committee, comprising BOA and Commission on Educational Policy (COEP) representatives, were tasked with revising the 2020 Accreditation Standards for Practice Doctoral Programs in Social Work which were used for the pilot. Revisions to the pilot standards were made after two rounds of public feedback (Draft 1 Practice Doctorate Standards Feedback & Draft 2 Practice Doctorate Standards Feedback) and input from a practice doctorate expert advisory panel. In March 2025, the CSWE BOA released the 2025 Practice Doctorate Accreditation Standards, after approval at the February 2025 BOA meeting.Committee members included:

  • BOA representatives: Randy Magen, Chair, (Yeshiva University); César Abarca (New Mexico Highlands University); Antoinette Farmer (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), Tom Gregoire, BOA Chair, (The Ohio State University);  Emmerentie Oliphant (Stephen F Austin University); Larry Ortiz (Loma Linda University); Katherine Perone (Western Illinois University); James Herbert Williams (Arizona State University)
  • COEP representatives: Mike Daley, (Texas A&M University-Central Texas), Shirley Gatenio-Gabel, (Fordham University); Karen Rice (Millersville University)
  • CSWE staff: Shanéa Thomas, Executive Director of Accreditation; Kat Gibson-Ledl, Director of Accreditation Services; Marilyn Gentner, Director of Accreditation Operations; Megan Fujita, Vice President of Education

Practice Doctorate Accreditation

It is anticipated that additional practice doctorate programs will be able to seek accreditation in late-2025. This timeline is subject to change pending Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) review, expansion of the BOA’s accreditation scope. For a history of Practice Doctorate Program accreditation visit the PDP Timeline of Activities, which documents the process from 2010-2025.

Programs interested in seeking accreditation post-pilot are encouraged to complete the Practice Doctorate Program Record Audit Form. This will allow CSWE to maintain accurate records to communicate important updates as they become available.

Pilot Accreditation Materials