UA’s Online Social Work Program Credited with UPCEA Award

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama School of Social Work is the recipient of the 2013 Program of Excellence Award for the South region, given by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association.

The School of Social Work’s primarily online master’s program, which launched in fall 2011, earned the award, which recognizes the program’s outstanding instructional design and effectiveness in meeting an educational need.

A representative from the School of Social Work will formally receive the award during the UPCEA South Regional Conference on Oct. 17 in Birmingham at the John Lewis Room of the Birmingham Convention Center.

Dr. Tyrone Cheng, chair of UA’s Master of Social Work program, said student enrollment in the program has grown by 26 percent and almost 40 percent in graduates since the online program launched. The Master of Social Work program grew from 243 students to 333 from fall 2008 to fall 2012.

Cheng said the quality of instruction is identical to on-campus classes. Additionally, practice skills labs are taught by adjunct faculty members who, on average, have more than 17 years of post-Master of Social Work  experience.

“Data showed no difference in the GPAs of students who graduated from on-campus programs and the primarily-online program,” Cheng said. “With faculty’s team efforts, syllabi in primarily online program are equivalent to those in the on-campus program.”

The University Professional and Continuing Education Association is the leading association for professional, continuing and online education. Founded in 1915, UPCEA now serves more than 365 institutions, including most of the leading public and private colleges and universities in North America. The association serves its members with innovative conferences and specialty seminars, research and benchmarking information, professional networking opportunities and timely publications.