Glossary: MSW Terms — 2027 edition

CSWE: The Council on Social Work Education — the accrediting body for social work programs in the United States. Kentucky requires an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program for the CSW, LSW, and LCSW licenses.
CSWE-accredited: A program formally accredited by CSWE's Board of Accreditation. Graduates meet the education requirement for Kentucky licensure.
Candidacy: A formal pre-accreditation status. No program in the 2027 Kentucky census is in candidacy — all nine are fully accredited.
Advanced standing: A shortened MSW track (typically 30–33 credits in Kentucky) for applicants holding a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program, usually earned within the last 5–7 years. Roughly halves tuition versus the traditional track.
Traditional track: The full-length MSW (60 credits at most Kentucky programs; 48–62 at EKU) for students without a BSW — open to any bachelor's degree.
Field education: The supervised practicum required of every MSW — typically around 900 hours for traditional programs — completed in person at an approved agency. Sometimes called fieldwork or field placement.
CSW: Certified Social Worker — Kentucky's entry-level credential for MSW graduates. Requires a CSWE-accredited MSW; no examination.
LSW: Licensed Social Worker — Kentucky's master's-level license. Requires a CSWE-accredited MSW and a passing ASWB Master's exam score.
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker — Kentucky's clinical license for independent clinical practice. Requires the MSW plus two years of post-master's supervised clinical experience, including 200 documented supervision hours per 201 KAR 23:025, and the ASWB Clinical exam.
ASWB: The Association of Social Work Boards — administers the licensing exams (Bachelors, Masters, Clinical) used by Kentucky.
KBSW: The Kentucky Board of Social Work — the board that issues the CSW, LSW, and LCSW licenses.
True-cost census: This site's editorial method: estimated total tuition = officially published per-credit tuition × officially published required credits, calculated per track, with formulas and sources shown.
Estimated total tuition: Our calculated figure: published per-credit rate × published credits for the track. Tuition only — excludes fees, books, field costs, and living expenses.
Rate year: The academic year a published tuition rate applies to (e.g., 2025–26). Every estimate on this site carries its rate year because tuition resets annually.
Residency basis: Whether an estimate uses the Kentucky resident rate or a single published rate. Public universities typically charge nonresidents more.