Overview

Accreditation Scope & Services 

Welcome to the accreditation process!  

Whether you are a new program administrator or a seasoned writer of accreditation documents, we invite you to explore our accreditation services and resources. 

We look forward to collaborating with you as you work towards your program’s accreditation goals.

Scope of the CSWE Board of Accreditation 

CSWE’s Board of Accreditation (BOA) recognizes social work education programs in the United States (U.S.) and its territories. 

BOA accredits: 

• Baccalaureate and Master’s Social Work Degree Programs(Opens in a new window) 

• Professional Practice Doctoral Programs(Opens in a new window) (currently piloting) 

• Post-master’s Social Work Fellowship Programs(Opens in a new window) 

Services 

Accreditation staff(Opens in a new window) provide services, resources, education and training, and/or general information to the following stakeholder groups: 

• Social work education programs  

• CSWE volunteers 

• Members of the public  

Consultations  

Is your CSWE-accredited or candidate social work education program seeking consultation on an accreditation process, Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), or interpretations?  

Schedule a 30-minute consultation with your program’s CSWE accreditation specialist(Opens in a new window).  

• Consultations are offered to social work education programs year-round via e-mail, phone, and videoconferencing. The accreditation team also provides services at CSWE’s Annual Program Meeting (APM)(Opens in a new window).  

• A program’s primary contact(Opens in a new window) may contact the program’s CSWE accreditation specialist via the scheduling application conveniently linked in their email signature. Accreditation staff communicate with the program’s primary contact and authorized designees(Opens in a new window). 

• CSWE does not permit the recording of consultations. If an individual requires an accommodation-related request to record a consultation, contact your program’s CSWE accreditation specialist.

• CSWE is not a legislative interpreter nor legal entity. Legal counsel is not permitted to attend accreditation consultation services reserved for social work education programs. 

Accreditation staff do not determine compliance. The CSWE-BOA is the accreditation decision-making authority, and the sole and final arbiter of compliance. Accreditation staff do not conduct document reviews, provide written feedback, nor offer live or on-demand reviews of written materials. 

Consultations are available to CSWE-accredited and candidate social work education programs only. For public inquires, contact CSWE headquarters at (703) 683-8080 or info@cswe.org(Opens in a new window) to locate the staff member who can best respond to your inquiry, or review our accreditation FAQs(Opens in a new window).   

Substantive Change Process | Learn more about obtaining approval to offer a new program option at an accredited baccalaureate or master's program

New Program Applicants | Learn more about starting a new baccalaureate or master's program

Training 

• Candidacy Training(Opens in a new window) | for new baccalaureate or master’s social work programs seeking accredited status  

• Reaffirmation Training(Opens in a new window) | for currently accredited baccalaureate and master's social work programs seeking formal training on the EPAS and reaffirmation process 

• Accreditation Lunch & Learn Webinar Series(Opens in a new window) | interactive topical webinar sessions  

• Past Accreditation Presentations(Opens in a new window) | repository of all publicly available past slide decks 

• Site Visitor Training(Opens in a new window) | for social work faculty and/or administrators interested in serving as a volunteer site visitor under the authority of the BOA 

Direct questions related to training opportunities(Opens in a new window) to accreditation@cswe.org.  

Communicating with CSWE Accreditation Staff  

Frequency of Communication 

• It is important to keep a line of communication open between the accreditation staff and program for timely and consistent contact. Programs are responsible for selecting a primary contact(Opens in a new window) and reporting certain changes(Opens in a new window).  

• Accreditation staff send periodic accreditation news(Opens in a new window) and updates via email to the program’s primary contact after BOA meetings and as-needed.  

• Unsure whom to contact? Email accreditation@cswe.org(Opens in a new window).  

External Accreditation-related Information  

• CSWE’s accreditation team is your primary and verified source of information. If you are unsure of information received from an external source, confirm accuracy with your program’s CSWE accreditation specialist.  

• Neither the CSWE-BOA nor accreditation staff review, comment on, appraise, nor endorse external presentations, publications, resources, or consultants.  

• Accreditation consultations and CSWE-BOA review processes are confidential. Staff do not share program-specific information with other stakeholders, including other programs. This includes discussing other program’s compliance plans, sharing samples, offering networking connections, identifying programmatic innovations, etc.  

Program Role & Responsibility 

Accreditation is an elective, program-driven, and self-managed peer-review process. Programs are responsible for meeting all deadlines associated with submission(s) of accreditation materials.  

Programs are solely responsible for implementing, demonstrating, and maintaining compliance with the EPAS. Thus, it is important to understand all tools and resources available to you to successfully navigate accreditation.  

Programs must also demonstrate honesty and integrity(Opens in a new window), in submitting materials for candidacy, reaffirmation, or other accreditation-related review processes. 

Commitment to Quality  

The CSWE-BOA and accreditation team are committed to engaging in continuous quality improvement efforts. As we assess and enhance our offerings, we appreciate your participation and feedback. When resources, policies, procedures, and interpretations are clarified or developed, staff send e-mail blast updates. 

In all exchanges, program representatives and accreditation staff engage in mutually respectful communication. Accreditation staff reserve the right terminate services and request supervisory support.  
 

Our services and resources fill your toolkit with the essential tools you need to achieve your program’s accreditation goals. You are empowered to reach out as questions arise.