The Catholic University of America Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation. Accreditation of a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’ Commission on Accreditation indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the Commission on Accreditation has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.
Accreditation applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.
The B.S.W. program has been accredited since 1974 and was reaffirmed for eight years in June 2017. The next accreditation review will be in February 2024.
The M.S.W. program (both on campus and online) has been accredited since 1923 and was reaffirmed for eight years in June 2017. The next accreditation review will be in February 2024.
A baccalaureate and master’s social work degree from a CSWE-accredited program positions graduates for:
- Employment: Some employers require documentation of a social work degree from a CSWE-accredited program.
- Advanced standing: All accredited graduate social work programs require a bachelor’s degree from a CSWE-accredited program for a prospective student to be eligible for advanced standing.
- Licensing: The licensing boards in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia require a social work degree from a CSWE-accredited social work program in order to sit for a licensing exam. For more information on individual state requirements, visit www.aswb.org or see our M.S.W. Licensure by State spreadsheet.