Would you go to a non-accredited program?

[emilyelizabeth95]

I’m VERY late to the game in applying for fall 2018 MSW programs. I’m currently planning to apply to 3 programs in Michigan. One isn’t accredited yet, but should be by October 2018. There’s a chance this is the only school I’ll get in to. If this turns out to be the case, should I/would you go or wait to apply for next year’s cycle?

[TooExcited&Nervous]

I would definitely wait. There is some hassle when a school is not accredited when trying to get your license later. You don't want to risk it, especially if it isn't definite that they will be accredited by October. 

[doctormelody]

42 minutes ago, TooExcited&Nervous said:

I would definitely wait. There is some hassle when a school is not accredited when trying to get your license later. You don't want to risk it, especially if it isn't definite that they will be accredited by October. 

I agree, why risk it? It’ll set you back further in your career to attend a non-accredited school than it would to wait another year and reapply to reputable programs.

[TheCrow]

Do you mean it's not regionally accredited, or it's not CSWE accredited? 

[emilyelizabeth95]

7 hours ago, TheCrow said:

Do you mean it's not regionally accredited, or it's not CSWE accredited? 

I’m not sure. My professor didn’t specify. See she’s on the faculty for that program which is why she’s encouraging me to apply, even though it’s past the deadline. But I can’t find anything online about any accreditation for the MSW program. Their BSW program is CSWE accredited. 

[noivilbo]

Here is a link to the directory of CSWE accredited programs:  https://www.cswe.org/Accreditation/Directory-of-Accredited-Programs.aspx

 

According to this, there are 9 CSWE accredited MSW programs in Michigan. The list is as follows:

Andrews University, Eastern Michigan, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Michigan State, Spring Arbor University, U of M, Wayne State, and Western Michigan. If the school you are considering is on this list, you should be good to go. That being said, I checked the accredited programs in my state and it showed only 3 schools with MSW accreditation even thought I know that there are multiple more not listed so even if the school is not explicitly listed here it might still have CSWE accreditation.

 

 

[emilyelizabeth95]

46 minutes ago, noivilbo said:

Here is a link to the directory of CSWE accredited programs:  https://www.cswe.org/Accreditation/Directory-of-Accredited-Programs.aspx

 

According to this, there are 9 CSWE accredited MSW programs in Michigan. The list is as follows:

Andrews University, Eastern Michigan, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Michigan State, Spring Arbor University, U of M, Wayne State, and Western Michigan. If the school you are considering is on this list, you should be good to go. That being said, I checked the accredited programs in my state and it showed only 3 schools with MSW accreditation even thought I know that there are multiple more not listed so even if the school is not explicitly listed here it might still have CSWE accreditation.

 

 

Yeah it’s not listed. I think I’m going to wait if I don’t get in to one of my top 2. 

[louise86]

It would be helpful to know what school it is so we can dig around for more information.

I would ask how confident they are accreditation will be granted. I would also ask what their plan is if accreditation does not come through because tuition for an MSW is not cheap anywhere. I would also get information about the amount and quality of their field placement sites.

You could apply and then drop from the program in October if accreditation doesn't happen with hopefully a full refund of tuition/fees.

[louise86]

Is it Madonna University?

ETA: Madonna University was granted candidacy status in Oct 2016. From the CSWE website I found:

"Candidacy for a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it has made progress toward meeting criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process.  A program that has attained Candidacy has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the compliance standards set by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, but has not yet demonstrated full compliance. 

Students who enter programs that attain Candidacy in or before the academic year in which they begin their program of study will be retroactively recognized as having graduated from a CSWE-accredited program once the program attains Initial Accreditation.  Candidacy is typically a three-year process and attaining Candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain Initial Accreditation.  Candidacy applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program.  Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program."

https://www.cswe.org/Kentico82/Accreditation/Standards-and-Policies/EPAS-Handbook.aspx

Unfortunately, I cannot find information on what happens to students if the program fails to attain accreditation. However, if they are expecting a final decision in Oct of this year then it appears they are pretty far along in the accreditation process which is probably a good sign.

Edited March 17, 2018 by louise86

[emilyelizabeth95]

On 3/17/2018 at 11:03 AM, louise86 said:

Is it Madonna University?

ETA: Madonna University was granted candidacy status in Oct 2016. From the CSWE website I found:

"Candidacy for a baccalaureate or master’s social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it has made progress toward meeting criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process.  A program that has attained Candidacy has demonstrated a commitment to meeting the compliance standards set by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, but has not yet demonstrated full compliance. 

Students who enter programs that attain Candidacy in or before the academic year in which they begin their program of study will be retroactively recognized as having graduated from a CSWE-accredited program once the program attains Initial Accreditation.  Candidacy is typically a three-year process and attaining Candidacy does not guarantee that a program will eventually attain Initial Accreditation.  Candidacy applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program.  Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program."

https://www.cswe.org/Kentico82/Accreditation/Standards-and-Policies/EPAS-Handbook.aspx

Unfortunately, I cannot find information on what happens to students if the program fails to attain accreditation. However, if they are expecting a final decision in Oct of this year then it appears they are pretty far along in the accreditation process which is probably a good sign.

Yup it’s Madonna! She seemed confident...but she also gave me the email of someone else who knows more about the accredidation process. Any suggestions for questions I can ask them? Other than, if they are not accredited, will students receive a refund on tuition? Regarding field placements, I was told they overlap with Wayne State and University of Michigan.