CSWE Accreditation

  1. Academics
  2. All Programs
  3. Master of Social Work
  4. CSWE Accreditation

The MSW program of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania has achieved candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA).

Candidacy for a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the BOA indicates that it has made progress toward meeting standards of program quality evaluated through a peer review accreditation process. A program that has attained candidacy status has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the standards set by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) but has not yet demonstrated full compliance.

Students who are admitted to candidate programs in the fall (or later) of the academic year in which the program is granted candidacy status will be retroactively recognized as graduates from a CSWE-BOA accredited program as long as the program attains initial accreditation. Candidacy is typically a 3-year process and attaining candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain initial accreditation.

Candidacy applies to all program options, which include locations and delivery methods. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.

Review our program’s candidacy status in CSWE’s Directory of Accredited Programs. For more information about social work accreditation, contact CSWE’s Department of Social Work Accreditation.

Estimated Timeline

  • May 2021: Pre-candidacy
  • February 2022: Candidacy
  • June 2024: Initial Accreditation

The MSW at Commonwealth University

Student Learning Outcomes

Occupational Outlook for Social Work

Starting our program in August of 2021 was timed to hit our goal of achieving pre-candidacy for the 2021-2022 academic year. We hit that goal as predicted. Students who began the program in or after August 2021 will be “grandfathered” into accreditation once achieved. However, students may not be licensed as master’s level social workers in Pennsylvania until the program achieves initial accreditation.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact:

Andy Dunlap, Ph.D., LCSW
adunlap@commonwealthu.edu
Associate Professor of Social Work and MSW Program Director
Department of Social Work
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg, PA
139 Waller 
570-389-4932