Building a Community of Sociological Practice: Certifying Practitioners and Accrediting Programs

Unlike psychology and economics, the discipline of sociology in the United States has not encouraged the training and practice of sociologists outside academia and scientific research enterprises. Certification and program accreditation attempt to return the discipline of sociology to its practice-oriented origins and build a professional community of practitioners. Individual practitioners may be certified as more than adequately trained and experienced, while teaching programs may be accredited as having the faculty, facilities, and curriculum necessary for a well-rounded education. This essay traces the growth of certification of sociologists by the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology and the accreditation of training programs by the Commission on the Accreditation of Programs in Applied and Clinical Sociology in the United States