Utica University receives accreditation for Master of Social Work program

UTICA — Utica University’s Master of Social Work program recently earned accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), a national association representing social-work education, the university announced. After a June review of the program, the CSWE granted Utica University an eight-year accreditation ending in June 2032. Accreditation ensures that graduates have met the […]

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

UTICA — Utica University’s Master of Social Work program recently earned accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), a national association representing social-work education, the university announced. After a June review of the program, the CSWE granted Utica University an eight-year accreditation ending in June 2032. Accreditation ensures that graduates have met the educational requirements to practice as a licensed clinical social worker and provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program. It also allows all students in the program to date to be recognized as graduating from an accredited program. The program focuses on clinical social work and recovery values and prepares students for social-work careers that drive mental health for diverse populations. Upon graduation, students are ready to apply to take a state’s licensure and/or certification exams. “This [accreditation] is a major milestone that strengthens our ability to attract and enroll students who have a desire to earn their master’s degree to practice social work with our recovery-orientation framework, which is unique to our Utica University MSW program,” Joseph Hunter, program director and director of field education, said in a statement. “We are particularly proud of the flexibility of our online program that enables students to attend from anywhere in New York state from a distance and at a part-time pace, which is particularly helpful to students who may be working full- or part-time jobs and/or raising children.” Utica University’s program offers all synchronous and asynchronous education is complete remote except for field placements, small student-to-faculty ratio, flexible curriculum, field placements that allow for flexible schedules, a focus on preparing for succeeding on the licensure exam, and a strong commitment to racial equity and social justice. The program also offers an advanced standing degree option. If applicable, students can use their bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) to move through the program more quickly. This option reduces the program length to 12-16 months. Founded in 1946, Utica University offers degrees in more than 40 majors and 40 minors to a student body of about 2,900 undergraduate students and 1,200 graduate students.
Journal Staff: