An accredited program maintains active membership with the Council.

What are the benefits of having a Human Service program accredited?

 CSHSE accreditation holds programs to the highest national standards in Human Services education.

 CSHSE accreditation confirms quality programming through an external review process and provides information that asserts and confirms the program’s compliance with the National Standards.

 CSHSE accreditation facilitates an in-depth analysis of the effectiveness of the human services program and curriculum, and identifies its strengths, uniqueness, and growth areas according to the National Standards of human service education.

 CSHSE accredited program graduates have interdisciplinary knowledge and skills which expands employment options within the field of human services, e.g., nonprofit organizations, for-profit social service agencies, and local, state, and federal governments.

 Graduates of CSHSE accredited baccalaureate programs have more options for graduate school, e.g., master’s degrees in human services, human service administration, social work, counseling, law, and nonprofit administration.

 CSHSE accredited programs support transfer students from various programs and disciplines, e.g., criminal justice, social work, counseling, psychology, sociology, political science, etc., that align with the interdisciplinary nature of the field of human services.

 CSHSE accredited programs align with standards for many federal, state, and local licensures, certifications, or statutes, and work within a multitude of Health and Human Services professions, e.g., mental health, clinical services, public administration, addictions, gerontology, child development, disability services, criminal justice, etc.

 CSHSE maintains accountability of the accreditation process through recognition by the Council for Higher Education Association (CHEA)

What are the standards for Human Service Programs?

There are separate Standards for each degree level that the CSHSE accredits: Associate, Baccalaureate, and Master’s. The Standards are separated into two major categories: program and curriculum. There is a total of 20 Standards for the Associate Degree level, 21 Standards for the Baccalaureate Degree level and 18 Standards for the Master’s Degree level. The Program Standards are related to the operation, policies, and procedures of the Program. The Curriculum Standards are related to the coursework that defines the knowledge, theory, skills, and Field Experience requirements.