OREM, Utah — The Master of Social Work program at Utah Valley University (UVU) has received full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The program received provisional accreditation in 2017 and had its first graduating cohort of 49 students in 2019.

“We are thrilled that our Master of Social Work (MSW) program has received full accreditation from the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE),” said Steven Clark, dean of the UVU College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “The entire program has worked tirelessly over the past four years to secure this endorsement and deserves our sincere thanks and appreciation.”

The process to full accreditation required MSW program leaders to submit continuing self-studies to the CSWE and participate in reviews periodically. After completing numerous site visits and considering the submissions, the CSWE determined that the UVU MSW program should advance to full accreditation retroactive to 2017.

The two-year program prepares and enables students to provide competent care to individuals, families, groups, communities, and societies as advanced generalist social work professionals. MSW graduates are prepared to become licensed clinical social workers in Utah, as per the state’s Mental Health Professional Practice Act.

“We are very proud of our graduates from our CSWE-accredited MSW program and appreciate the excellent work they are doing as licensed professionals. They improve the daily lives of individuals, families, groups, and communities,” said Elijah Nielson, assistant professor of social work and MSW program director.

Each year, approximately 30 students are admitted into the MSW program as a first-year cohort. As the cohort advances to the second-year programming, additional advanced-standing students are added, bringing the cohort population to approximately 60 students. Students who graduate from a CSWE-accredited bachelor’s degree program may enter the UVU MSW program with advanced standing designation and are only required to complete the second year of programming.

For more information on the UVU Master of Social Work, please visit the program’s website.