School of Professional Studies

Accreditation and Certification

Council on Social Work Education Accreditation
The Master of Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The M.S.W. program was first accredited by CSWE in 1970 and continues to be fully accredited at both the Aurora and Williams Bay campuses. The Council on Social Work Education sets guidelines and policies which all accredited M.S.W. programs must follow in order to attain their status as accredited schools. The M.S.W. Policy Handbook contains the Council’s Curriculum Policy Statement which the M.S.W. program follows. CSWE re-evaluates and re-accredits M.S.W. programs on a regular basis.

School Social Work Certification
Type 73 Certification in School Social Work is authorized by the Illinois State Board of Education for students who complete the requirements of the School Social Work concentration. Additionally, the program offers a Post-M.S.W. Type 73 Certification curriculum authorized by the Illinois State Board of Education for social workers who have earned the M.S.W. degree from a CSWE-accredited program and who now want to become an Illinois school social worker.

Internships can be in Illinois or Wisconsin schools. All students completing the program are eligible for the Illinois certificate. Students who wish to become certified in Wisconsin will find that the requirements are closely aligned. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction states, “Candidates from other states can receive a two-year certification (allowing them time to complete an Wisconsin-specific requirements they may still need), if they have a master’s degree in social work and school social work certification from another state.

Master of Social Work
The primary objective of the M.S.W. program in the School of Social Work is to prepare students for advanced social work practice. The student acquires the professional foundation of social work knowledge, values, and skills in a generalist practice social work model. The foundation curriculum provides instruction in human behavior in the social environment/theories of human development; social welfare and policy; social work practice; diverse populations; social work with groups; social work elective and social work research. Field instruction during the foundation year consists of approximately 15 clock hours per week (225 clock hours per semester) during each semester for a total of 450 clock hours for the academic year.

The second year consists of selecting one of two concentrations: 1) Clinical Concentration; or 2) Leadership and Community Practice Concentration in advanced-level courses in social work theory and practice; advanced social work electives; and advanced social work research. Field instruction during the concentration year consists of approximately 20 clock hours per week (300 clock hours per semester) during each semester for a total of 600 clock hours for the academic year.

Please Note: The information listed on this page is current according to the 2007-2009 Graduate Catalog, unless otherwise noted.