Points of interest…
- CSWE's draft 2029 EPAS would swap the ADEI competency for person-in-environment language.
- Educators walked out of CSWE's October 2026 Atlanta conference over the proposed DEI revisions.
- Nineteen states' ADEI restrictions, covering about 40 percent of programs, drove the rewrite.
Social work educators walked out of CSWE's national conference in Atlanta in October 2026 over one clause in a draft: the standalone anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion competency would give way to a broader person-in-environment standard by 2029.
The stakes are concrete. In the 19 states with ADEI terminology restrictions, required coursework, field competencies, and licensure-track compliance all run through that wording, according to reporting on the walkout, and the two standards, read clause by clause, show where programs can adapt language without dropping content.
Faculty in restrictive states are already rewriting syllabi while all nine 2022 competencies remain in force.
Eight MSW Programs With a Documented Position on the 2029 EPAS, Ranked
Very few social work programs have put a position on the record about CSWE's draft 2029 standards, and silence is not endorsement: most have said nothing publicly at all. The clearest documented example is a University at Buffalo faculty publication dated October 14, 2026 that argues for a tenth competency on generative AI, filed during the comment window that closes November 20, 2026. The accredited programs below are ordered on this publication's standing measures rather than on the strength of any statement, and each entry notes what the school's own published curriculum says about the anti-racist and person-in-environment content the rewrite would touch.
University of California-Berkeley
#1Berkeley, CA · ~$16,000/yr (est.) · ASWB pass rate 93% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Clinicians seeking anti-oppressive practice training
Berkeley's Master of Social Welfare is a two-year, full-time program the school describes as training multi-level practitioners in anti-oppressive, anti-racist practice, which is the precise language CSWE's 2029 draft would fold into a broader person-in-environment standard. It has held CSWE accreditation continuously since 1928 and offers a School Social Work Credential pathway for students heading into K-12 settings. Concurrent MSW/MPH, MSW/MPP, and MSW/JD options round out the offerings.
- Two-year, full-time program, CSWE-accredited continuously since 1928
- Training in anti-oppressive, anti-racist practice across the social ecology
- Concurrent MSW/MPH, MSW/MPP, and MSW/JD options available
- No standardized entrance exam listed in program materials
- 45 semester units plus a 1,000-hour practicum
- At least 450 practicum hours completed in school settings
- Requires SOCWEL 232: Social Work and Education Policy
- Leads to eligibility for the California Pupil Personnel Services Credential
- Certificate of Clearance and Basic Skills Requirement needed
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
#2Seattle, WA · ~$19,000/yr (est.) · ASWB pass rate 84.5% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Working practitioners needing part-time evening options
The University of Washington's Seattle school builds its MSW on a professional foundation plus advanced policy, services, and methods coursework, with a public-service orientation that runs through its clinical and administrative pathways. Part-time evening and part-time online formats make it one of the more schedule-flexible options among large public programs, a real advantage for students who need to keep working while states sort out ADEI rules. A 48 to 75 credit range reflects its advanced standing and extended-degree routes.
- Two-year full-time, three-year part-time, and one-year advanced standing routes
- 48 to 75 credits depending on track
- Human biology and statistics prerequisites for admission
- Concentrations include Clinical Social Work and Administrative and Policy Practice
- Part-time evening and part-time online formats available
- Field practicum placements in publicly funded social services
University of Pennsylvania
#3Philadelphia, PA · ~$48,000/yr (est.) · ASWB pass rate 90.3% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Aspiring macro practitioners in policy and advocacy
Penn's School of Social Policy & Practice prepares students for clinical or macro practice and writes coursework on racism directly into the required curriculum, which leaves its public catalog language more exposed to a standards rewrite than programs described only in general terms. Full-time, part-time, and advanced standing routes are available, and more than 90% of students receive financial aid. Practicum placements are based in Philadelphia agencies, with dual degree and certificate options alongside the MSW.
- Full-time two-year, part-time three-year, and advanced standing options
- Required coursework on racism, human behavior, and research methods
- Clinical and macro practice preparation with a social justice focus
- Practicum placements with Philadelphia agencies
- Dual degree and certificate options available
- More than 90% of students receive financial aid
University of Michigan
#4Ann Arbor, MI · $29,000 – $58,000/yr (est.) · ASWB pass rate 87.2% (3-yr weighted avg)
Michigan's MSW runs on a 60-credit generalist foundation plus one of eight specialized pathways, so ADEI content can travel through population-specific practice courses instead of a single standalone requirement. Online and on-campus formats are both offered, along with part-time schedules and a 45-credit advanced standing route. Field education and dual degree options are built in.
- 60-credit program with full-time and part-time schedules
- Advanced standing reduces requirements to 45 credits for BSW graduates
- Eight pathways, including Community Change and Policy and Political Social Work
- Tracks: Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health & Substance Abuse; Children, Youth & Families
- Online and on-campus formats available
- Students may add a second pathway; dual degree options offered
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
#5Champaign, IL · ~$19,000/yr (est.) · ASWB pass rate 82.4% (3-yr weighted avg)
Illinois Urbana-Champaign pairs a campus MSW with a hybrid iMSW track built for working professionals taking online evening classes. The curriculum names racism and poverty among the social issues students address, and field education uses a block placement model with one- or two-semester immersions. Advanced Clinical Practice and Leadership & Social Change are the two campus concentrations.
- Advanced Clinical Practice and Leadership & Social Change concentrations
- Block placement model with one- or two-semester field immersions
- Full-time and part-time study; Advanced Standing for BSW graduates
- Curriculum examines racism, poverty, and evidence-based practice
- CSWE-accredited with a required field internship
- Hybrid format with online evening classes for working professionals
- $620 per credit hour; financial aid limited to student loans
- Advanced Standing students can finish in 18 months; others take 36 to 48 months
- Admission requires a 3.0 GPA and 20 hours of relevant coursework
- No GRE required
San Diego State University
#6San Diego, CA · ~$10,000/yr (est.) · ASWB pass rate 87.5% (3-yr weighted avg)
San Diego State's MSW offers one-, two-, three-, and four-year completion plans, which makes it unusually accommodating for students who need to work while enrolled. The program emphasizes culturally responsive practice and social justice, content that state-level ADEI restrictions could push schools to relabel while keeping the underlying competencies intact. Direct Practice/Clinical and Administration and Community Development are the two concentrations.
- Tracks: Direct Practice/Clinical; Administration and Community Development
- One-, two-, three-, and four-year completion plans available
- Qualifying exam after 31 units; thesis or comprehensive exam to graduate
- Field practicum completed in approved community settings
- Culturally responsive practice and social justice emphasized across courses
- Three-year, 93-unit concurrent MSW/MPH program
- Health Promotion & Disease Prevention concentration
- Internships in the second and third years; thesis required
- Apply through SOPHAS; Fall admission only
Florida International University
#7Miami, FL · ~$11,000/yr (est.) · ASWB pass rate 57.7% (3-yr weighted avg)
FIU's 60-credit MSW is a clinical program that already describes its coursework in person-in-environment terms, the same framing CSWE proposes as the replacement for the ADEI competency in 2029, which makes it a useful test case for how a licensure track absorbs the rewording. Rolling admissions, part-time options, and a three-year MSW/MPH dual degree give students several entry points. Small cohorts and tailored field placements are part of the pitch.
- 60-credit clinical program preparing graduates for licensure
- Tracks: Advanced Clinical Practice
- Person-in-environment framework used across clinical coursework
- Rolling admissions; fall domestic deadline June 1, spring October 1
- 3.0 upper-division GPA plus biology, statistics, and social science prerequisites
- No GRE listed among admission requirements
- Three-year dual degree with a Health Promotion & Disease Prevention concentration
- Social work courses in person; MPH coursework fully online
- Three semesters of fieldwork across both programs
- Separate applications to the MSW and MPH programs required
California State University-Fullerton
#8Fullerton, CA · $9,000 – $19,000/yr (est.) · ASWB pass rate 82.9% (3-yr weighted avg)
Cal State Fullerton's MSW Flex Program is a hybrid, cohort-based degree built around evening classes for working professionals, with a Community Mental Health concentration and two nine-month field placements. Its curriculum leans on multicultural social work practice, which places most of any potential change at the level of course titles and catalog descriptions rather than core content. The program takes about three years and ends in a capstone master's project.
- 60-credit hybrid program designed for working professionals
- About three years to complete with evening classes year-round
- Community Mental Health concentration
- Two nine-month field placements totaling 576 clinical hours
- Cohort-based structure ending in a capstone master's project
Washington University in St Louis
#9St. Louis, MO · ~$65,000/yr (est.) · ASWB pass rate 91.7% (3-yr weighted avg)
Washington University in St. Louis runs an in-person MSW with full-time, part-time, advanced standing, and 3-2 pathways, backed by a practicum network of more than 400 affiliations. Two practica totaling 960 hours give students extensive field exposure, one of the routes CSWE recognizes for teaching and assessing required competencies.
- Full-time, part-time, advanced standing, and dual degree pathways; all in person
- Tracks: Children, Youth & Families; Mental Health
- Two practica totaling 960 hours: 360 foundation and 600 concentration
- More than 400 practicum affiliations
- Practicum Support Award covers practicum tuition and adds a living stipend from fall 2026
- 3-2 MSW pathway for WashU undergraduates
University of Maryland, Baltimore
#10Baltimore, MD · ~$18,000/yr (est.) · ASWB pass rate 81% (3-yr weighted avg)
The University of Maryland, Baltimore offers its MSW in online and hybrid formats at its Baltimore and Shady Grove campuses, with a 36-credit advanced standing path alongside the 60-credit track. Clinical and Leadership, Policy and Social Change concentrations let the program spread ADEI-related content across practice, policy, and field requirements rather than one mandated course. Field practicum is required in every format, and about three years is typical for the online track.
- 60-credit online and hybrid options, plus a 36-credit advanced standing path
- Clinical and Leadership, Policy and Social Change concentrations
- About three years for the online track; field practicum required
- Secondary concentration options available
- Offered at the Baltimore and Shady Grove campuses
What Your MSW Program Must Teach Today Under the 2022 EPAS
The standards in force today are still the 2022 EPAS. Any MSW program enrolling students today is being evaluated against it, and the proposed 2029 revision would not displace it before a full-time student finishes a two-year degree.
The Competency That Houses ADEI
Competency 3 is titled "Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice." Note the verb: engage. Students are expected to demonstrate it, not merely discuss it, and the 2022 standards pair it with a required behavior: demonstrate cultural humility through critical reflection and self-awareness while treating clients as experts in their own lived experience.
What Accreditation Actually Buys You
When people ask what CSWE-accredited means, the practical answer is licensure access. CSWE is the programmatic accreditor whose seal most state social work boards accept when they review an applicant's degree, which is why a standards rewrite is licensure news and not just a curriculum debate.
The Expectations Are Concrete
The 2022 Interpretation Guide does not leave ADEI abstract. Its examples of acceptable effort under the explicit-curriculum standard include assignments about white supremacy and "classroom organizing to dismantle oppressive policies." Schools also document ADEI work in admissions, the implicit curriculum, and assessment.
Person-in-Environment Is Not New
Person-in-environment has been a foundational social work framework for decades. The 2029 proposal would elevate it into the competency slot now occupied by ADEI, so the shift is a reframing of language programs already teach rather than an invention.
2022 vs. 2029 EPAS: The ADEI Competency and Its Proposed Replacement, Side by Side
The 2022 EPAS names ADEI as Competency 3 and ties it to both explicit and implicit curriculum requirements. The proposed 2029 revision reframes that ground as a person-in-environment standard centered on context, dignity and worth, and barriers to opportunity. The table uses released draft language and marks where the wording is still unsettled.
| Dimension | 2022 EPAS (in force) | Proposed 2029 revision (released draft language) |
|---|---|---|
| Title and number | "Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice." One of nine competencies; the nine carry 20 behaviors, reduced from 31. | Framed as a "person-in-environment" standard within a proposed set of ten generalist competencies. A final competency number and verbatim title are not confirmed in released materials. |
| Core charge | Engage ADEI in practice. AS 2.0.1 requires ADEI in the explicit curriculum; AS 2.0.2 covers the implicit curriculum. | Prepare students to recognize "the inherent dignity and worth of all people" and to "identify and address personal, institutional, and systemic barriers that may limit opportunity and well-being," consistent with person-in-environment practice. |
| Required practice behaviors | Competency behaviors integrate knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affective processes. ADEI teaching is addressed in AS 3.1.2 and M3.2.4. | Draft keeps four dimensions and observable behaviors for each competency. Specific ADEI-linked behaviors are not final; the writing committee will reassess "more explicit language around addressing and combating racism." |
| Interpretation-guide examples | The 2022 guide lists assignments about white supremacy and "classroom organizing to dismantle oppressive policies" as ADEI examples. | No companion interpretation guide or parallel examples have been released with the draft. Programs should not assume the 2022 examples carry forward unchanged. |
| How compliance is assessed | AS 5.0.1(a-d) assess ADEI in explicit curricula; AS 5.0.2(a-b) assess ADEI in implicit curricula. | Assessment mapping is not spelled out. The draft preserves behavior-based review across ten competencies but does not yet show ADEI-specific benchmarks or implicit-curriculum reporting lines. |
| Terminology risk under state law | CSWE cited ADEI terminology restrictions in 19 states with roughly 40 percent of accredited programs as making advising schools harder. | A context-and-barriers frame may lower terminology friction, but the draft still asks students to address systemic barriers, which some state laws may treat as covered. Boise State's DEI-course exemption shows case-by-case handling. |
| Student-facing effect on transcript and field evaluation | Transcript shows a named ADEI competency. Field evaluation ties to ADEI behaviors and implicit-curriculum reporting. | Transcript would likely show a person-in-environment competency instead of a named ADEI one. Field evaluation would follow the replacement behaviors, but final wording is still with the writing committee, so ask how field tasks will map to the new standard. |
Inside the Atlanta Walkout and the Demands Behind It
The 2029 EPAS rewrite has turned a routine accreditation revision into a live dispute over what social work programs must teach about race and oppression. CSWE's 72nd Annual Conference, held October 22 to 25, 2026, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, drew more than 3,200 attendees and 400-plus sessions, with the draft standards on the agenda. The College Fix reported a walkout over the proposed ADEI changes, but organizer names, participation counts, and the exact wording of the demands have not been independently confirmed at publication, so treat those details as claims to verify, not facts to repeat.
Where to Look
Start with CSWE's conference and Annual Program Meeting pages, member communications, governance minutes, and official social accounts. Then check Atlanta-area social work school and program websites, student organization pages, and dean or director statements for demand texts and institutional reactions. Cross-check NASW chapters, ASWB, local Atlanta news, and campus newspapers; then compare any participation or labor-action figures with BLS.gov data or school-published counts where applicable.
Verify Before You Repeat
- Contact CSWE communications staff, walkout organizers, and affected program leaders for on-record confirmation.
- Record dates and direct links for every claim you plan to use.
- Label each claim as primary-source, institutional statement, or secondhand report.
explicit, assessable anti-racist and anti-oppressive competencies
Why 19 States' ADEI Laws Pushed CSWE Toward a Rewrite
Nineteen states have enacted restrictions on anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion terminology, and roughly 40 percent of CSWE-accredited social work programs operate inside them. That concentration, not academic fashion, pushed the accreditor to reopen its ADEI competency.
CSWE's Own Account
CSWE's stated rationale is administrative. When state law constrains terms like "anti-racist" or "DEI" in course descriptions, syllabi, and accreditation documentation, advising programs on how to stay compliant becomes, in the accreditor's phrasing, increasingly difficult. The 2029 draft is presented as preserving the underlying expectations (the dignity and worth of the person, understanding people in context, identifying barriers to opportunity and well-being) while using language that can travel across state lines. CSWE adds that the rewrite does not drop requirements; it rewords them.
What Critics Read Into It
Opponents see a different motive: an accreditor softening enforceable commitments under political pressure. The National Collaborative for Reproductive Justice, Innovation, and Political Education in Social Work cites an exemption allowing Boise State's social work programs to keep requiring DEI-related courses, and treats it as proof that compliant room already exists. CSWE's 2026 guidance places institutional waivers outside its scope and does not require programs to submit documentation of them, so how far that single example generalizes remains unsettled.
Which State ADEI Restrictions Collide With Which CSWE Standards
CSWE's environmental scan identifies the states below, but it does not assign any single state's law a specific competency conflict: programs in these states are told to adapt their language while preserving all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact. To trace the collision in your own state, read the statute on your legislature's site and your state higher education agency's guidance, then compare it against the program handbook, the field education manual, and CSWE's EPAS and accreditation pages. Ask program directors which assignments were revised, ask field offices whether placement agreements changed, and ask your state licensing board whether any supervision or continuing education content is affected.
| State | ADEI restriction enacted | CSWE standard it conflicts with | MSW programs affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Listed in CSWE's environmental scan among states that passed anti-DEI legislation | No state-specific conflict assigned; programs must adapt wording while keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Arkansas | Listed in CSWE's environmental scan among states that passed anti-DEI legislation | No state-specific conflict assigned; programs must adapt wording while keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Florida | Listed in CSWE's environmental scan among states that passed anti-DEI legislation | No state-specific conflict assigned; programs must adapt wording while keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Georgia | Listed in CSWE's environmental scan among states that passed anti-DEI legislation | No state-specific conflict assigned; programs must adapt wording while keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Idaho | Listed in CSWE's environmental scan among states that passed anti-DEI legislation | No state-specific conflict assigned; programs must adapt wording while keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Indiana | Listed in CSWE's environmental scan among states that passed anti-DEI legislation | No state-specific conflict assigned; programs must adapt wording while keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Iowa | Reported law described as the most restrictive on DEI in higher education; bans required diversity training and required DEI or critical race theory coursework as general education or graduation requirements | Training bans and required-coursework limits collide with CSWE's demand that all nine 2022 EPAS competencies stay intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Kansas | Listed in CSWE's environmental scan among states that passed anti-DEI legislation | No state-specific conflict assigned; programs must adapt wording while keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Kentucky | Reported law bars DEI offices, DEI officers, DEI training, required diversity statements, and race-conscious preferences at public colleges | Office, training, and diversity-statement bans can conflict with keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Mississippi | Reported law bars required diversity training, DEI programs, courses, and offices, and discussion of listed divisive concepts | Content limits on race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin can conflict with keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Tennessee | Listed in CSWE's environmental scan among states that passed anti-DEI legislation | No state-specific conflict assigned; programs must adapt wording while keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Texas | Reported legislation would bar schools from adopting policies or training that reference specified DEI topics | Training and policy limits can conflict with keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| West Virginia | Reported restrictions bar required or solicited diversity statements, preferential consideration, mandatory diversity training, and DEI spending | Admissions, hiring, and training limits can conflict with keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
| Wyoming | Listed in CSWE's environmental scan among states that passed anti-DEI legislation | No state-specific conflict assigned; programs must adapt wording while keeping all nine 2022 EPAS competencies intact | Inside CSWE's 19-state group (about 40 percent of accredited programs); individual programs not named |
Related Articles
How Syllabi, Assignments, and Field Placements Could Shift
Rewriting a course title is one path; rebuilding the assignment behind it is another. Under CSWE's 2026 guidance, programs in states with ADEI-terminology laws may adapt competency language, but the nine 2022 competencies still govern, and ADEI content must be assessed at least twice, including once in field. The likely shift is relabeling and reframing, not deletion.
From privilege paper to person-in-environment analysis
An assignment that once asked students to map their own privilege may reappear as a person-in-environment analysis of power, access, and institutional barriers. Case-based learning and ethics linkages are among the adaptation strategies CSWE names. Programs may move some ADEI practice behaviors from required prompts to optional ones, though the assessment minimum still applies.
The field placement squeeze
Placements hosted by state agencies, public schools, or public health systems may restrict DEI training or terminology under state law, which changes how students document competency in supervision. CSWE allows a task supervisor plus an alternative field instructor when a site's supervision is constrained.
One statute, many online students
Cross-state enrollment means a single restrictive statute can shape an entire online cohort's syllabi and field contracts, even for students living elsewhere. Ask how the program maps each assignment to all nine competencies and how it reviews field learning contracts. For clinicians, continuing education and supervision that reference anti-racist practice may be described as structural or person-in-environment content, but the core supervision question stays the same: how is competence assessed?
Teach-Out Plans, Accreditation Loss, and Your Licensure Exposure
"Will my MSW degree still satisfy my state board if my program loses CSWE accreditation mid-stream?"
It depends on your board and on the stage your program is in. Under CSWE's accreditation handbook, a program seeking closure files a closure form at least 90 days before the planned date when possible, along with a plan for enrolled students to graduate or transfer. A teach-out agreement with another CSWE-accredited program is arranged case by case rather than automatically, and for collaborative programs the accreditation end date falls after the last student exits.
Probation, teach-out, and withdrawal are not the same
Probation means the Board has found a compliance problem. A teach-out is a supervised wind-down that carries enrolled students through to graduation or transfer. Withdrawal ends accredited status on the withdrawal date. How a state board treats a degree earned at each stage varies, so read the rule for the state where you plan to license rather than assuming consistency.
The sentence to say out loud on a visit
Ask: "Is there a signed teach-out agreement, and with which program?" Then ask what happens to your field placement and your projected graduation date if that agreement falls apart.
One timeline distinction worth knowing
CSWE-initiated withdrawal can begin when the Board finds unresolved noncompliance and doubts the program can fix it within a year. That corrective-action window is not a promise that students get a full year to finish. Confirm your own exposure directly with your licensing board.
Explicit, assessable anti-racist and anti-oppressive competencies, and meaningful opportunities for participation and institutional accountability.
What to Verify With a Program Before You Enroll or Stay
Bring this list to any admissions counselor or program director conversation this cycle. Ask for answers in writing, and keep the email thread, it is your record if standards or state rules shift mid-program.
- Accreditation status and next reaffirmation dateAsk when the program was last reviewed and when its next CSWE reaffirmation cycle falls; accreditation status is also listed in CSWE's public directory of accredited programs.
- Whether a teach-out agreement existsAsk the director directly whether the program has a written teach-out plan on file and request the document; CSWE requires one when a program plans to close or lose accreditation.
- Which EPAS cohort you would graduate underAsk which Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards apply to students entering your term, and confirm in writing whether the 2022 or the proposed 2029 standards will govern your final field seminar.
- How the ADEI competency is assessed in your concentrationAsk for the syllabus of the required diversity or anti-oppressive practice course and the rubric that measures it, then check whether assignments are graded or only attendanced.
- Field placement sites and any content restrictionsAsk for the list of agencies used in your concentration and whether any site agreement limits discussion of race, equity, or oppression with clients.
- Your target state board's licensure ruleCheck the licensing board's own website in the state where you intend to practice for coursework and supervised-hour requirements, since board rules vary and can outlast accreditation revisions.
Where the 2029 EPAS Stands and the Signals Worth Watching
CSWE's Oct. 20, 2026 statement confirmed that the Joint Writing Committee, drawn from the Commission on Educational Policy and the Board of Accreditation, will reassess "more explicit language around addressing and combating racism" before a second draft appears. Language substitutions tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion terminology, along with environmental justice wording, sit in the same review pile.
What Is Confirmed, and What Is Not
Confirmed: the first draft's comment window runs from Oct. 13 to Nov. 20, 2026 through an online survey; the Board of Accreditation reviews that feedback; a second draft lands around the Fall 2027 Annual Conference, with further comment in October 2027; and a final draft follows in 2028 or 2029 after three drafts total. Not yet fixed: the adoption date, the effective date, and any program transition deadline. No program can adopt the standards before they are final.
Signals to Track
- Whether the anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion competency survives in revised form or is folded into person-in-environment language.
- How many programs seek exemptions, following the Boise State precedent the opposition coalition cited.
- Whether additional states restrict ADEI terminology before adoption.
What stays fixed either way: your program's accreditation standing, which rests on the 2022 EPAS1, and your state board's licensure requirements, which no draft standard changes.
