ACE: Approved Continuing Education
ACE approval demonstrates that a provider or course has been rigorously reviewed and found to offer quality continuing education according to best practices.
ASWB’s Approved Continuing Education program has been designed to review and approve high-quality CE providers and courses, whether they are delivered in person or via distance learning. This approval means that social work continuing education programs are generally acceptable to social work regulatory boards across the United States and Canada.
ACE standards
Regardless of whether a CE provider pursues individual course approval or provider approval, programs must adhere to the ACE standards outlined in the ACE Handbook.
Download the ACE Handbook- Approval for the U.S. and Canada
States and provinces that accept ACE
Most U.S. states and all Canadian provinces recognize ACE continuing education credits for social workers.
Even when a social work board accepts courses offering ASWB ACE credit, licensees are responsible for determining whether courses meet the CE requirements in their jurisdictions. States and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether any individual course may be accepted for credit.
New York does not accept ASWB ACE provider or course/conference approval.
For continuing education providers
With options for individual courses, conferences, or entire CE catalogs, top-notch social work continuing education providers benefit from ACE approval.
Three ways to find social work CE credit
ACE individual course/conference approval
Individual course/conference approval evaluates individual courses and conference sessions and approves them for licensees to earn continuing education credit.
ACE provider approval
ACE provider approval is optimal for CE providers that offer a large number of courses or programs.
Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education
ACE collaborates with Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education for CE in multiple professions.
ACE approval
- Serves as a mark of distinction recognized by social work licensing boards and social workers
- Is currently recognized by most states and provinces in North America
- Demonstrates that continuing education meets rigorous standards for quality and relevance
- Supports competency in the social work profession
- Allows providers to list and manage courses directly to an online database
- Entitles providers to receive timely information on CE issues and requirements via the Continuing Competence newsletter
Are you eligible to apply to ACE?
- Does your organization have a licensed social worker involved in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of social work continuing education?
- Does your organization have someone with appropriate experience to serve as continuing education director?
- Is your organization able to supply evaluation and documentation of programs?
If you can answer YES to all these questions, then you meet the minimum requirements and are eligible to apply to ACE.
Which ACE program is right for you?