Saint Mary’s University is celebrating a significant academic accomplishment with news of the accreditation of the Master of Social Work (MSW) program and the reaccreditation of the Doctor of Psychology in Counseling (Psy.D.) program.
The Master of Social Work program recently received accreditation from the Council of Social Work Education. The accreditation is retroactive, meaning that any student who has participated in the MSW program since its inception is now considered to have participated in an accredited program.
“The purposes of accreditation are quality assurance, academic improvement, and public accountability. Accreditation is essential for our students because many employers require documentation of a social work degree from a CSWE-accredited program,” said Mallory Knipe, program director for the MSW program.
The Psy.D. program also recently received reaccreditation by the American Psychological Association Commission of Accreditation.
In the reaccreditation letter, the Commission wrote, “The Commission recognizes the quality of training provided by the program and deems it in substantial compliance with the Standards of Accreditation. The Counseling PsyD program is housed in a large institution providing robust training experiences for students. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota recruits well-qualified students. The program has a clearly defined leadership structure and clearly values the recruitment and retention of diverse students providing numerous strategies illustrating a commitment to self-reflection.”
Ashley Sovereign, program director for the Pys.D. program, said, “A ten-year reaccreditation by the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation is a strong vote of confidence in the Saint Mary’s Psy.D. program’s curriculum. In their decision, the COA praised the ways in which the program demonstrates a commitment to the recruitment and retention of diverse students. As one of only eleven APA-accredited Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology doctoral training programs in the United States, the Saint Mary’s program has a distinctive identity, integrating the values and knowledge base of counseling psychology with a professional psychology clinical training model. Our graduates are doing well, and report that their employers value the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they gained in the Saint Mary’s Psy.D. program.”
Amy Heinz, dean of the School of Health and Human Services said, “Accreditation for the Master of Social Work and Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology programs is the gold standard of education in these fields. It ensures that the curriculum is rigorous, current, and educates future practitioners to engage in best practices. It also allows for the best outcomes for our students, as many employers seek to hire graduates who have received a degree from an accredited program. Achieving initial and reaccreditation involves months and months of effort and planning, and is a testament to the quality of our programs and the program directors, faculty, and staff that drive them.”
