CSWE’s Board of Accreditation (BOA) is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit baccalaureate, master's, and practice doctorate social work degree programs in the United States and its territories.
Below you’ll find information for institutions seeking accreditation or reaffirmation of baccalaureate, master's, or practice doctorate social work programs.
Additionally, the BOA also accredits post-master’s social work fellowship programs—click here for more information.
Important Reminders
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 and reporting certain changes. Accreditation staff send periodic news and updates via email to the program’s primary contact after BOA meetings and as-needed.
Unsure whom to contact? Email [email protected].
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 accreditation standards. Thus, it is important to understand all tools and resources available to you to successfully navigate accreditation.
Programs must also demonstrate honesty and integrity, in submitting materials for candidacy, reaffirmation, or other accreditation-related review processes.
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.
Practice Doctorate (DSW) Program Accreditation
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) approved CSWE’s request for a change in scope of accreditation in July 2025 to include practice doctorate social work programs. CSWE began accepting practice doctorate accreditation applications in August 2025.
