August 18, 2021

Waxahachie, TX l Andrew Hurst

Southwestern Assemblies of God University’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program recently received accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission. 

With this accreditation, the university’s BSW majors who graduate in 2021 and future years will be considered in “advanced standing” for accredited Master’s of Social Work (MSW) programs worldwide. This essentially means that the program’s graduates could complete their master’s degree (MSW) in half the time because many of the required courses for a master’s level degree will have been completed during their undergraduate studies at SAGU. 

Dr. Sandra Barberis, Assistant Professor and Program Director for SAGU’s BSW program and LMSW, has played a critical role in establishing candidacy and accreditation for the program, a tedious process that she explains has taken several years. 

“We had been working diligently toward the goal of accreditation for years and can now affirm that the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is accredited. This is huge for our students!” – BSW Program Director Sandra Barberis, Ph.D., LMSW

As a faith-based university, biblical principles and practical instruction are meaningfully intertwined throughout the program’s curriculum. Dr. Barberis mentioned that she is excited for the university’s BSW graduates who will enter an MSW program or straight into the workforce with a high-quality education from a Christian worldview. 

“Interestingly, one of our students had just told me the day before we received confirmation of accreditation that the Holy Spirit had told her to go ahead and apply to grad school because the SAGU BSW program would be officially accredited that week.”

Through perseverance and prayer, the lengthy and challenging accreditation process began over six years ago for SAGU’s Social Work department. “Early on, it was made clear at SAGU that an emphasis for myself and Professor Godsby was to build the program and ultimately become accredited,” said Dr. Barberis. 

Lacey Godsby, SAGU Assistant Professor and LCSW Board Approved Supervisor, is the BSW program’s Field Director. She has worked closely with Dr. Barberis to ensure that the national social work accreditation board recognizes SAGU’s curriculum for meeting all of its requirements. 

“It ensures that our program provides cultural competency, ethical training, and provides students with the skills required to excel in the field of social work” -Lacey Godsby, SAGU Assistant Professor & LCSW Board Approved Supervisor

Graduates of SAGU’s BSW program can now be assured that their faith-based education is nationally accredited and recognized by the esteemed Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited social work programs. 

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

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.