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The Importance of a CSWE Accredited Program in Social Work

January 24, 2025

Earning a master’s degree in social work can prepare individuals for clinical and leadership roles like school social worker, mental health social worker, or social services program director. However, many prospective graduate students do not realize the importance of programmatic accreditation for social work. 

The Council for Social Work Education (CSWE) serves a critical function in preparing social workers, and earning a master’s degree from a CSWE-accredited program can benefit your education and career opportunities.

What Is the Council for Social Work Education? 

A nonprofit association dedicated to social work education, CSWE was founded in 1952. CSWE advocates for social justice, provides professional development opportunities, and sets standards for social work education.

Master of Social Work (MSW) programs that meet CSWE standards can earn accreditation after undergoing an extensive peer-review process. Currently, CSWE accredits about 340 MSW programs, with an additional 20-plus candidate programs meeting accreditation requirements. CSWE’s Board of Accreditation is the only accrediting agency for social work education recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 

What Is a CSWE-Accredited MSW Program

MSW programs provide graduate-level preparation for social workers, covering social work theory and practice while strengthening skills in program and policy evaluation. Programs accredited by CSWE meet the highest standards for educating social workers. CSWE conducts rigorous reviews of MSW programs to ensure they prepare graduates for careers in the field. 

The accrediting agency develops Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, most recently updated in 2022, to evaluate MSW programs. Programs must follow these standards — field experience requirements, faculty qualifications, program resources, and program mission — to receive and maintain their accreditation status. 

CSWE-accredited MSW programs must meet these accreditation standards:

  • Minimum of 900 hours of field experience
  • Full-time faculty with CSWE-accredited MSW and doctorate degrees
  • Systematic plan for ongoing assessment of student outcomes
  • Staff and financial resources to meet program goals
  • Program policies providing inclusive opportunities for student input

Accredited programs must engage in continuous quality improvement and undergo an accreditation review every eight years to maintain their status. 

MSW Curriculum

Accredited MSW programs strengthen advocacy, research, and social work practice skills, preparing graduates for licensure and careers in counseling and clinical social work

Common MSW courses include:

  • Human behavior across the lifespan
  • Community organizing and policy advocacy
  • Social work practice with individuals, families, and groups
  • Program evaluation
  • Social welfare research
  • Community practice

MSW students attending CSWE-accredited programs also complete field-based training. These supervised clinical experiences prepare graduates for licensure and careers in social work.

Social Work Salary and Job Outlook

The job outlook for social workers remains strong. Overall, social workers earn a median pay of $58,380 per year, according to May 2023 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Social workers with a master’s degree and a clinical license typically earn higher salaries.

Social workers with an MSW benefit from strong demand, with 7 percent job growth from 2023-33, according to BLS projections. Clinical specialties such as healthcare social workers and mental health social workers will see even stronger growth of 10 percent and 12 percent, respectively. 

Attending a CSWE-accredited MSW program also prepares graduates for leadership roles, including as a social or community services manager. These careers report a median annual salary of $77,030, based on May 2023 BLS data, with 8 percent projected job growth from 2023-33. 

Why Does CSWE Accreditation Matter? 

A program’s CSWE accreditation status can impact a student’s academic experience, licensure eligibility, and employment opportunities. Choosing a CSWE-accredited program, therefore, can be critical for graduate students in social work. 

Academic Quality

Accredited schools and programs follow the best practices in higher education. For social work education, CSWE sets high standards for MSW programs through its competency-based education framework. 

In addition to emphasizing high-quality coursework, CSWE also promotes academic quality through its requirements for faculty educational qualifications and experience. For example, faculty who teach social work practice must hold a CSWE-accredited MSW and bring at least two years of social work practice experience to the classroom.

These high standards and a regular peer-review process raise the quality of social work programs. 

Social Work Values

The CSWE accreditation process ensures that MSW programs emphasize core social work competencies throughout their curriculum and that students demonstrate competency in these areas. 

When evaluating programs, CSWE determines whether the curriculum prepares graduates to engage in policy practice, conduct assessments, advance social justice, and demonstrate ethical behavior. Accreditation reviews also evaluate whether MSW students meet CSWE benchmarks in nine core competencies, publishing data on the percentage of students who meet the benchmarks.

Licensure Preparation

In every state, clinical social workers must hold a license, and some states also require licensure for nonclinical social workers. A CSWE-accredited program meets the educational requirement for a master’s-level social work license.

In Louisiana, for example, candidates for the Licensed Master’s Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Social Worker licenses must attend a CSWE-accredited program.

Advance Your Career With a CSWE-Accredited MSW Program

Tulane University’s master’s program in social work dates back to 1927, which was the first year that social work education in the U.S. was accredited. Integrating clinical and community-based practice, its Online Master of Social Work program is CSWE-accredited and meets high professional standards while offering students the flexibility of an online learning format. 

With advanced standing and traditional tracks, as well as part-time and full-time options, Tulane’s Online MSW can help you take the next step in your social work education. You can also reap the benefits that come with a CSWE-accredited program.

Contact Tulane today to learn more about its Online MSW program.