The accreditation status covers all graduates of the Marshall University M.S.W. program from 2016 to the present, according to Dr. Peggy Harman, director of the program.
“We are thrilled with the commission’s decision because the accreditation process assures that all social work programs adhere to quality standards and all M.S.W. students receive a quality education,” Harman said. “The accreditation process is extremely rigorous and I want to give credit to the Department of Social Work faculty for their dedication and expertise in social work education. This accreditation is a reward for all of their hard work.”
The M.S.W. program will be graduating its fourth cohort in May 2019, according to Dr. Michael Prewitt, dean of the university’s College of Health Professions.
“This well-earned achievement will provide our graduates recognition for their level of preparation in the field of social work and will assist in the credentialing process, not only in the state of West Virginia, but across the country,” Prewitt said.
The program submitted a detailed self-study and received CSWE site visitors who reviewed the program for the past three years, Harman said. A site visit took place in September 2018 and the CSWE board reported its decision Feb. 21.
As of February 2019, there are 269 accredited master’s social work programs in the U.S. and 26 master’s programs in candidacy, according to the CSWE website.
Marshall’s program is currently accepting students for the fall 2019 semester. For more information on social work education and accreditation, visit https://www.cswe.org/. To learn more about the M.S.W. program at Marshall University, visit www.marshall.edu/social-work.