Waxahachie, TX

August 30, 2019 | Andrew Hurst

Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) is excited to announce that the Social Work Bachelor’s Degree program has achieved Candidacy for Accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation .

Dr. Sandra Harp, Instructor and Program Coordinator for SAGU’s Social Work Degree Program, has played a critical role in helping to establish candidacy – a process that she explains began several years ago before she had arrived on SAGU’s campus. “It was clear that my role was to assist SAGU with the accreditation process for the Social Work program,” she says. “Students graduating from a CSWE (Council on Social Work Education) accredited program have the ability to be in Advanced Placement at graduate schools with an accredited MSW (Master’s of Social Work) program.”

This benefit also allows BSW (Bachelor’s in Social Work) students to complete their master’s degree in half the time due to many of the required courses for a master’s level degree having been already completed at the undergraduate level. “Half the time, half the cost!” she exclaimed.

“The good news for SAGU BSW students is that since we were officially granted CSWE candidacy, these students will receive a diploma from an accredited BSW program.”

“We are placed alongside an esteemed list of universities with accredited Social Work programs. Additionally, our BSW faculty must meet specific criteria for teaching Social Work courses. I’m also excited about offering the BSW program with two options: Distance Education or On-Campus (or a hybrid).”

To learn more about SAGU’s Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, click here .

A full statement by the Council on Social Work Education regarding our candidacy is provided below.

Southwestern Assemblies of God University’s Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work program has achieved Candidacy for Accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation.

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.

For more information about social work accreditation, you may contact Accreditation .

As a leading Christian university, SAGU educates and prepares individuals who want to serve Christ and others. SAGU helps students discover and develop their God-given callings in a Spirit-empowered, learning community.

We believe in affordable tuition, made possible in part through the financial support of donors who embrace the mission of SAGU and the importance of affordable, accredited programs to train Christians for leadership in ministry, business, education, and service.

Most majors are available in-person in Waxahachie, TX, and online through a wide range of associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.