FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 18, 2019
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University’s master’s degree program in social work has been fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation. CSWE is the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the U.S.
“By achieving full CSWE accreditation of the Master of Science in Social Work, our program joins the elite 269 master’s programs that subscribe to the highest standards in social work education,” said Dr. Sally Lewis, interim dean of Tarleton’s College of Health Sciences and Human Services. “We look forward to the many contributions of our outstanding graduates.”
The program, which welcomed its first cohort in fall 2016, received CSWE candidacy status in spring 2017.
“It is a great honor to receive full CSWE accreditation,” said Dr. Melody Loya, who leads Tarleton’s social work department. “In the short time since Tarleton’s MSW program started, a lot of hard work by faculty, staff, university administration and our many agency partners has gone into gaining full CSWE accreditation. It marks a great milestone in the growth and development of our program.”
As a CSWE-accredited program, Tarleton’s MSW follows the standards and requirements of the profession, reinforcing social work values and preparing students to meet the practical demands of the work environment, Loya said.
“The demand for highly qualified, licensed social workers is at an unprecedented high” said Dr. Tiffany Wigington, director of Tarleton’s MSW program, “and the Texas licensing board requires that social workers earn their degrees through CSWE-accredited programs. Full CSWE accreditation gives our students the confidence that they’ll be well-prepared for the next steps in their careers.”
Tarleton’s MSW includes a 32-credit hour program for students with a bachelor’s degree in social work and a 64-credit hour option for those with other undergraduate degrees. The program is designed for working professionals, with classes offered evenings in Stephenville, Fort Worth and Waco.
For more information about Tarleton’s MSW, go to www.tarleton.edu/degrees/masters/msw-social-work/index.html.
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 13,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.
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Contacts:
Dr. Melody Loya, Department of Social Work
254-968-1696
[email protected]
Dr. Tiffany Wigington, MSW Program Director
817-717-3696
[email protected]