A master’s degree in social work (MSW) teaches the macro, meso, and micro aspects of professional social work practices in society. It also qualifies you as a licensed social worker and provides professional chances in direct practice. This also opens the door to lucrative jobs and career advancements in the industry.
A master’s degree in social work takes two years to accomplish. It is offered as a full-time and part-time program. Furthermore, the correspondence course can be finished in as little as five years. Delhi University (DU), IGNOU, Yashwantrao Chawan Maharashtra Open University Nashik (YCMOU), and others are famous distance learning institutions for Masters in Social Work.
The cost of a normal Masters in Social Work programme ranges from INR 20,000 to 2 lakh. Furthermore, when compared to government colleges, private institutes charge a greater tuition. In contrast, the charge for correspondence mode is around INR 40,000 to 50,000. You can work in the government sector, healthcare, private institutes, and non-governmental organizations after completing the Masters in Social Work program. As a result, the average pay after completing a Masters in Social Work is INR 3-4 lakh per year. After 8-9 years of job experience, your compensation could climb to INR 10 lakh per annum.
Eligibility for MSW
The basic eligibility criteria required for Masters in Social Work admission are:
- Firstly, a bachelor’s degree from a recognised institute with an aggregate of 55% marks.
- Secondly, the undergraduate degree is preferred in Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). However, the candidate can hold a degree in Arts and related subjects like psychology, social work, and sociology.
- Thirdly, some institutes also accept students from science, engineering, management, and other backgrounds.
In addition, you also need to possess excellent communication skills. Some other skills that are required for Masters in Social Work are critical thinking, social perspective, good listening skills, integrity, self-awareness, tolerance, persuasion, coordination, ability to set boundaries, emotional intelligence, and empathy.
Syllabus of MSW
The core subjects and concepts covered in the Masters in Social Work course are mentioned below:
- Social casework
- Introduction to the Social work profession
- Social group work
- Dynamics of human behaviour
- Study of Indian constitution
- Analysis of Indian Society
- Study of Indian economics
- Block placement
- Social work research and statistics
- Personal and professional growth
- Social work with the rural, urban and tribal community
- Labour welfare and legislation
- Communication and counselling
- Human resource management
- Introduction to disaster management
- Medical and psychiatric social work
- Social policy, planning, and development
- Women and child development
- Community organisation
- Social work approaches for social development
- Criminology and correctional administration
- Social work administration
In addition, there is a lot of fieldwork that will help you gain professional experience and show you a glimpse of the professional environment. Moreover, the fieldwork includes social work camps, summer placements, and study tours.
op Institutes in India
Some of the top institutes that provide the Masters in Social Work Degree are:
- Delhi University, New Delhi
- Tata institute of social sciences, Mumbai
- Madras school of social work, Chennai
- Rajagiri College of social work, Kochi
- Loyola College, Chennai
- Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
- Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi
- Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi
- Christ University, Banglore
- Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer
Since most of the above-mentioned Universities are private institutes they have a high fee in the range of INR 1-2 Lakh per annum. Also, some of these universities conduct their own entrance examinations for admission like the Delhi University Skills Assessment test, BHU PET, TISS NET, etc.
Scope after Pursuing MSW
The student can either continue their studies or look for work after completing the Masters in Social Work program. The jobs that are available in the field of social work, on the other hand, are covered below. NGO’s, educational institutes, the government sector, rural communities, and international enterprises are all places where Masters in Social Work graduates can find work. Furthermore, health industries and hospitals, old age homes, psychiatric institutions, gender issues NGOs, counselling centers, disaster management, clinics, the educational sector, correction cells, management firms, and prisons are some of the typical fields of work.
The highest-paying profession for Masters in Social Work degree holders, however, is that of a professor, who earns $45,000 a year. Case manager, counsellor, program manager, and project coordinator are the following high-paying jobs on the list.
In addition, you can work in the government sector in the following departments to ensure that basic policies are followed. Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Law & Justice, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Ministry of Social Justice & Employment, and Ministry of Women & Child Affairs are all part of the Ministry of Culture.
The highest-paying profession for Masters in Social Work degree holders, however, is that of a professor, who earns $45,000 a year. Case manager, counsellor, program manager, and project coordinator are the following high-paying jobs on the list.
- Department of Rural Development
- CINI
- UNESCO
- CRY
- UNICEF
- KISS foundation
- HelpAge India
- Teach for India
- Goonj
The job roles that Masters in Social Work candidate can take up after post-graduation are:
- Consultant
- Counsellor
- Program manager
- Professor/lecturer
- Project coordinator
- Documentation specialist
- Case manager
- Social worker
- Community health worker
Conclusion
In conclusion, the core values of social work include compassion, fostering dignity, and promoting strong human relationships. If you think you have these, then you should definitely work to achieve a degree in Social Work. Thus, it is important to promote individuals, communities, and societies.
To secure a seat in top institutes for a masters in social work, contact us now.