CSWE and its Board of Accreditation (BOA) piloted the accreditation of practice doctorate programs from 2021-2025. For a history of Practice Doctorate Program accreditation visit the PDP Timeline of Activities(Opens in a new window), which documents the process from 2010-2025.
CSWE’s BOA is currently recognized(Opens in a new window) by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit baccalaureate and master’s social work degree programs in the United States and its territories. Before the scope of accreditation can be expanded to include practice doctorate programs, the BOA had to conduct a pilot of the accreditation process 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. This is further aligned with 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.” Once two practice doctorate programs are granted initial accreditation, the BOA may apply for an expansion of scope with CHEA. The BOA is committed to the accreditation of practice doctorate programs.
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.
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.
For information about post-pilot accreditation, click here.
For information about practice doctorate accreditation standards, click here.
For Frequently Asked Questions, click here.
Accreditation materials that were utilized for the pilot:
- Accreditation Standards for Professional Practice Doctoral Programs in Social Work
- Professional Practice Doctoral Program Accreditation Pilot Handbook
- Professional Practice Doctoral Program Accreditation Pilot Eligibility Standards
- Interpretation Guide for Professional Practice Doctoral Program Standards
- Professional Practice Doctoral Program Accreditation Pilot Required Forms