Next COA meeting
June 8-11, 2022
Recognizing Organization

In accordance with the requirements of CSWE's recognition body, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the CSWE Department of Social Work Accreditation (DOSWA) administers a multistep accreditation process that involves program self-studies, site visits, and COA reviews.
About CSWE Accreditation
CSWE's Commission on Accreditation (COA) is responsible for developing accreditation standards that define competent preparation and ensuring that social work programs meet these standards. In accordance with the requirements of CSWE's recognition body, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the CSWE Office of Social Work Accreditation administers a multistep accreditation process that involves program self-studies, site visits, and COA reviews.
Current Number of Social Work Programs
As of the June 2022 COA meeting, there are:
- 541 accredited baccalaureate programs
- 313 accredited master's programs
- 4 accredited post-master's social work fellowship programs
- 16 baccalaureate programs in candidacy
- 27 master's programs in candidacy
- 7 baccalaureate programs in pre-candidacy
- 14 master's programs in pre-candidacy
Resources
CHEA, the organization that recognizes CSWE, has several new resources about degree mills and accreditation mills. Learn more about the problem and how to combat it at the CHEA website.
CSWE encourages all field coordinators and program directors to fully understand the Department of Labor factsheet about internships and share this information liberally with students and field site personnel.
CSWE seeks to assist accredited programs with understanding and responding to regional accreditation standards related to faculty qualifications for teaching. We encourage you to read this document and contact your accreditation specialist if you have questions or need further assistance.
Quick Links
Frequently-Asked Questions
Answers to frequently-asked questions
February 2022 COA Decisions
Decisions ratified at the February 2022 COA Meeting (decisions posted 30 days after each meeting)
Self-Study Volume I Template (Reaffirmation and Initial Accreditation)
Benchmark I Volume I Template
Benchmark II Volume I Template
Formatted templates to comprise Volume I of the full document once completed.
Accreditation Presentations
PowerPoint presentations by accreditation staff
Interpretation Guide
Regularly updated reference source for COA's interpretation of each standard
Accreditation Handbook
Handbook of Policies and Procedures
Site Visit Resources
Resources for both programs and visitors
2015 EPAS
Download a copy of the 2015 EPAS
Training
Information regarding training opportunities
Contact Accreditation
Accreditation staff contact information