Master of social work program receives initial accreditation for four years

The Auburn University master of social work program in the College of Liberal Arts recently received notification that the Commission on Accreditation, or COA, for the Council on Social Work Education, or CSWE, granted Auburn’s master of social work, or MSW program, initial accreditation for four years, the maximum amount of time permitted for initial accreditation.

This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be given to a new social work educational program and shows Auburn’s substantial conformance to the accreditation standards. The MSW program has successfully navigated the multi-year, rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated during on-site visits its commitment to offering excellent graduate level social work education that is measurable, accountable and of the highest quality.

“This accomplishment represents the hard work of all of the social work faculty and could not have happened without the support of the Office of the Provost, College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work,” said Danilea Werner, program director. 

The Auburn University MSW program prepares students for advanced clinical social work practice with a focus on the areas of health and mental health with an emphasis on health disparities, prevention and policy. Graduates of the MSW program find a diverse field of employment opportunities and are eligible for professional social work licensure at the clinical level. Most states mandate graduation from a CSWE accredited program as part of the educational requirement for professional social work licensure.

“Receiving accreditation provides Auburn MSW graduates an opportunity to be professionally licensed across the country as well as expand their job possibilities,” Werner said. "Social workers are employed in mental health clinics, schools, hospitals, Veteran’s Administration, active duty or civilian service military, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers, home health care, hospice, dialysis centers, substance abuse treatment centers, public health, policy advocacy and many others areas."

"We are extremely pleased to have achieved this designation," said Carole Zugazaga, department chair. "Accreditation is a rigorous process, but one that we welcome as a quality assurance mechanism. Earning CSWE accreditation is another measure of our excellence as a premier provider of graduate Social Work education and reflects our commitment to students and the community."

To learn more about social work, go to cla.auburn.edu/socialwork.