Social Work Accreditation

The UNK Social Work Department has maintained accreditation at the baccalaureate level by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) since 1982. This accreditation supports the department’s commitment to educational excellence, professional preparation of graduates, and the promotion of a more compassionate society. It further confirms that the UNK Social Work Department meets and exceeds national and professional standards in areas of faculty, curriculum, resources, administrative structures, and operation. Accreditation is important in enabling graduates to pursue professional social work certification in the state of Nebraska, to seek entry into advanced standing Masters of Social Work Programs, and to be eligible for certain employment opportunities.

Students are advised to familiarize themselves with CSWE Educational Policy and Accreditation standards (EPAS) that guide the UNK Social Work Department in meeting its expectations. The following information is taken directly from CSWE’s website and provides an overview of the purpose of accreditation (2010).

The purpose of the social work profession is to promote human and community well-being. Guided by a person and environment construct, a global perspective, respect for human diversity, and knowledge based on scientific inquiry, social work’s purpose is actualized through its quest for social and economic justice, the prevention of conditions that limit human rights, the elimination of poverty, and the enhancement of the quality of life for all persons.

Social work educators serve the profession through their teaching, scholarship, and service. Social work education—at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels—shapes the profession’s future through the education of competent professionals, the generation of knowledge, and the exercise of leadership within the professional community.

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) uses the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) to accredit baccalaureate- and master’s-level social work programs. EPAS supports academic excellence by establishing thresholds for professional competence. It permits programs to use traditional and emerging models of curriculum design by balancing requirements that promote comparability across programs with a level of flexibility that encourages programs to differentiate.

To learn more about Social Work Accreditation please visit the Council on Social Work Education's website at http://www.cswe.org/.