Social workers play a very important role in our Nation’s development. They play a significant role in the betterment of the underprivileged and the needy. Skilled social workers can narrow the gap between the Government and the underprivileged.

The Master of Social Work (MSW) is a post-graduate degree in the field of social work. It is a specialized professional degree, pursued after the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or any other Bachelor’s degree. MSW emphasizes macro- and micro-aspects of professional social work practice, while the BSW focuses more on general social work practices in government, hospitals, colleges, and other social welfare sectors. The MSW course prepares students and makes them professional social workers. A student seeking a Master of Social Work program’s basic perspective is a commitment to the common man’s cause or society at large.

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Course Details

Master of social work is a 2-year course. It is the post-graduation course one can pursue after having a graduation degree of Bachelor of Social Work or any other Bachelors’s degree. MSW mainly focuses on training in sectors like public health, education, community health, rehabilitation and correction, family, and women empowerment.

The course curriculum is designed covering subjects like –

• Community Organisation
• Women and Child Development
• Labour Welfare and Legislation
• Communication and Counseling, etc.

Course Fees

The course fee may vary from universities to universities depending upon their standards and norms. The course fees lie in the range of INR 10,000 to 60,000 for a 2-year course.

Syllabus

The curriculum for MSW is divided into 4 semesters with different subjects in each semester.

The first semester has History, philosophy, and Contemporary Ideologies for Social work, Social Science Perspective for Social work practice, Social Case Work, and Working with groups.

The second semester’s syllabus includes Social Work Practice with Individuals And Groups-II, Community Organization and Social Action, Social Work Research, Computer Application And Statistics, Social Legislation, Concurrent Field Work -2, and Social Work Camp.Practicum-3.

The third semester has Counseling: theory and practice, Communication for Social work Practice, Specialization Paper(A / B / D), Specialization Paper(A / B / D), and Field practicum IV (concurrent fieldwork).

Management of Service Organization, Social Policy, And Planning, Dissertation / Case Study, Specialization papers (A / B / C), Fieldwork Practicum V (concurrent fieldwork), and Field practicum VI (Block placement/viva voce) are covered in the fourth semester’s curriculum.

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Eligibility

One who has qualities like- social and self-awareness, deep thinker, genuine interest for the community, as well as soft skills, can take this course. The graduation is a must to pursue MSW, be it Bachelors’s in social work or any other field.

Best Colleges for MSW in India

• Madras Christian College, [MCC] Chennai
• Christ University, Bangalore
• Stella Maris College, Chennai
• Kristu Jayanti College, [KJC] Bengaluru
• Aligarh Muslim University, [AMU] Aligarh
• Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science, [SR-CAS] Coimbatore
• Vimala College, Thrissur
• Bharata Mata College, [BMC] Kochi
• Kongu Arts and Science College, [KASC] Erode

Career Aspects

Candidates who have completed their MSW course have great international recognition. Some of the reputable organizations working to promote socio-economic support and to support disadvantaged orphans and disabled people are CINI, CRY, Department of Rural Development, HelpAge India, UNESCO, UNICEF, Internationally recognized NGO’s, etc.

The other job opportunities include Assistant Director, District Consultant, Documentation and Communication Officer, Humanitarian Values and PMER Officer, National Secretary of Community Development, Junior Research Fellow, Project Coordinator, Professor, Programme Co-ordinator and  Senior Manager – Human Resources.

The average salary for working after MSW is INR 3.96 lakhs per annum.

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