Limestone University’s MSW Program Receives Initial Accreditation From CSWE

Limestone University has announced that the Commission on Accreditation, as part of the Council on Social Work Education (CWSE), has granted initial accreditation to its Master of Social Work Program.

“Our faculty worked extremely hard to get this done and they deserve a tremendous amount of gratitude,” said Dr. Jackie Puckett, Limestone’s Master of Social Work (MWS) Program Director. “This accreditation decision confirms that our MSW program is moving in a very positive direction and should assert to our prospective students that we offer an excellent opportunity that will help them in their careers. Our accreditation certainly serves to make our students even more attractive to local employers.”

During the accreditation process, the CSWE examined the curriculum, conducted site visits, interviewed students and faculty, reviewed student assessment data, and ensured that the program was in strict compliance with competency standards, social work professional standards and specialized practice standards in order to make an accreditation determination.

The accreditation allows Limestone to produce more social workers in a time where there is an increasing unmet need in communities across the city, state, and country.

“We feel affirmed that CSWE has recognized that both of our Social Work programs meet the industry's rigorous standards,” said Dr. Shelly Meyers, Limestone’s Dean of the College of Education and Health Professions. “Moving forward, we are excited to expand our service area and corporate grants to meet the demand for social workers desperately needed in a multitude of fields.”

According to Limestone’s Associate Provost for Online and Graduate Program Admissions Adair Hudson, the University has 53 MSW students in the program. Limestone offers two start dates each year in January and August for students who graduated with their BSW degree, and one start date each year in May for students who graduated with a degree outside of social work. The University has a total of 90 MSW alumni.

Applications are currently being accepted for Limestone’s MSW program start dates in January and May of 2024.

Earlier this year, the website EduMed.org ranked Limestone’s Master’s In Social Work No. 7 nationally for online degrees and certificates in the healthcare field going into 2024. Just six percent of regionally accredited colleges and universities earned a ranking position. The only other institution in South Carolina ranked in the Top 50 was Winthrop University at No. 48. Limestone was the highest-ranking private institution on the list.

Limestone’s MSW program began in the summer of 2020. The University currently offers a Social Work degree at the undergraduate level, both in the traditional classroom setting and online.