MSW, Master of Social Work is Post Graduate Degree in the Social Work. It is also known as Master of Arts in Social Work (M.A.S.W). It is two year course for gradates in social work or related field, united under UGC. The programs aims for those who are working or desired to work for society, especially in the welfare and development of children, old age people and with the NGOs. The course mainly focused on the field work or internship, where the students have to work with the different old-age homes, children homes or undertakes socially relevant projects. The topics covered under the course are Human Behavior and Growth, Social work Research etc:-

• Advantages or Benefits of Master of Social Work Degree
• It is seen as not only a profession but also a way to serve the society and people.
• Many reputed organization looking forward the experience MSW holders as their consultants.
• A MSW holder can choose the research field by opting Ph.D or M.Phill.

Eligibility Criteria for MSW

The minimum eligibility for applying MSW is graduation from the reputed institutes. Students from other discipline like social work, social science, humanities, sociology or other related subjects and commerce or management etc. are eligible. Students appearing for the final year examination can also apply. Some universities suggest 60%  in the qualifying exam; it is subjected to the university/institution applying for. The selection process is depending upon the Entrance test and the followed by personal interview along with group discussion.

Admission Procedure for MSW

Most colleges and University starts their academic year from June or July for MSW. Hence the admission process starts from September or November of the previous year. Students hoping for MSW can get the application form from the respective institution or university. The eligible candidates get a call for entrance examination at the desired centre. The selection process totally based upon the entrance exam. The qualified candidates then get an opportunity to attend the group discussion conducted by the institution. The well performed candidates then have to meet the interview panel. Interview mainly assesses the students real interest towards social work.

MSW Entrance exams in India

• Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) MSW Admission Test
• Amia Millia Islamia MA Admission Entrance Test
• Calicut University MSW Entrance Examination
• IGNOU Entrance Examination
• KUCET Social Work Entrance Exam
• Manipal University Entrance Exam
• Sree Sankaracharya University MSW Entrance Examination
• Tata Institute Of Science And Technology Social Work Entrance Exam
• University Of Delhi Combined Entrance Examination
• University Of Mysore Entrance Exam

How to fill in MSW Entrance Application form

The students get online and offline option in filling the application form. For online option, they can go to the official website of the respective exam body and get the application form. The required information should be given and take the printout of the filled application. This along with the necessary document with set DD should be send to the exam authority. For offline application, the aspirants can purchase the form from the respective institution/centre. The application form needs great attention while filling. Only the correct official data should give and cross check after filling. Applicant can find help from the brochure and can follow the instructions. After completing the formalities the form along with the needed documents can be sent to the set address.

MSW Entrance Exam Pattern

The exam is of objective type with minimum 100 marks. Most of the institutions follow the negative mark system. The students need to mark their answers in OMR sheets. The questions of the MSW entrance examination mainly asked from the areas like

• General Knowledge
• Reasoning Ability
• Social Work
• Verbal Ability

The weightage varies from universities; most of the universities give higher weightage to the social work part.

Reference Books for MSW Entrance Exam

For preparing the entrance examination one can go with Competition success, GK books and other magazines so as for the general areas. But for the social work area, the suggested books are

• Developmental Psychology by Elizabeth B. Hurlock
• Government of India: Encyclopedia of Social Work in India from Ministry of Welfare
• India Social Problems by G.R.Madan
• Principles of Population Studies by Asha A. Bhende and Tara Kanitkar
• Psychology by Norman L. Munn
• Rural Sociology in India by A.R.Desai.
• Sociology by C.N.Shankar Rao
• Text Book of Preventive and Social Medicine by  J.E.Park and K.Park

Top 10 MSW Colleges in India

• College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai
• Delhi School of Social Work Delhi
• Dept of Social Work, Christ College, Bangalore
• Dept of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi
• Dept of Social Work, Pune University, Pune
• Dept of Sociology, Mumbai University, Mumbai
• Institute of Rural Management (IRMA, Anand
• Madras School of Social Work, Chennai
• Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai
• Xavier Institute of Labour Relations, Mumbai
• Other Reputed Colleges/ Universities offering MSW program
• Acharya Nagarjuna University , Guntur
• Al-Azhar College of Arts and Science, Thodupuzha
• Alva’s College of Social Work, Moodbidri
• Amrita School of Arts and Sciences, Kollam
• Andhra University : Colleges of Arts and Commerce, Vishakapatnam
• Ansar Women’s College, Thrissur
• Assumption College, Changanassery
• AWH Special College (Association for Welfare of the Handicapped Special College)
• Bhagini Mandal-College of social work, Jalgaon
• Bharathiar University, Coimbatore
• Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli
• Biju Pattnaik College of Journalism, Social Work and Yoga,Bhubaneshwar
• C.M.S. College of Science and Commerce, Coimbatore
• Central Institute of Hotel Management and Catering (C.I.H.M.C.T.),Bhubaneshwar
• Chhatrapati Shahu Central Institute of Business Education and Research
• Christ University, Bangalore
• College of Social Work, Mumbai
• D.N.R. College, Bhimavaram
• Dept of Social Work, Annamalai University, Chennai
• Dept of Social Work, Lucknow University, Lucknow
• Dr. B.R. (Bhim Rao) Ambedkar University, Agra
• Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University : College of Social Work, Aurangabad
• Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad
• Gulbarga University : Department of P.G. Studies and Research in Social Work, Gulbarga
• Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Yamuna Nagar
• IISWBM, Calcutta
• Indore School of Social Work, Indore
• Institute of Professional Science and Management, Mangalore
• Jai Bharath Arts and Science College, Kochi
• Jain University, Bangalore
• Jain Vishva Bharati Institute- Directorate of Distance Education, Nagaur
• Jayadev Institute of Social Science and Reserch, Bhubaneshwa
• Karnataka University : Department of Social Work, Dharwad
• Karpagam University, Coimbatore
• Karve Institute of Social Science, Pune
• Kurukshetra University : Department of Social Work, Kurukshetra
• Little Flower Institute of Social Sciences and Health (L.I.S.S.A.H.),Kozhikode
• Loyola College of Social Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram
• M.S. (Maharaja Sayajirao) University of Baroda : Faculty of Social Work,Vadodara
• Madurai Institute of Social Sciences, Madurai
• Mahatma Phule College of Social Work, Nandurbar
• Mangalore University : Department of Social Work, Mangalagangothri
• Matru Sewa Sangha (M.S.S.) Institute of Social Work, Nagpur
• Milagres College, Udupi
• Modern Institute of Management College, Jhalawar
• School of Social Work, Mangalore University, Mangalore

MSW course curriculum

MSW course is of two year, 4 semesters. Most of the universities follow a common structure include,

• Foundation Courses (FC)
• Core Courses (CC)
• Extra Disciplinary Courses (EDC)
• Fieldwork Practicum
• Block Placement
• Research Thesis Work.

MSW Specializations

• Criminology and Correctional Administration.
• Family and Child Welfare.
• Human Resource Management.
• Industrial Relations & Labour Welfare.
• Medical and Psychiatric Social Work.
• Personnel Management.
• Rural and Urban Community Development and Schools Social Work.
• Urban and Rural Community Development.

MSW Projects

Field action project is a vital part of MSW. Most of the institution plan the course structure giving significant important to this area. The students have to undertake different project/internship during their course time. The project time may extent up to 900 hours during the course, depends upon the institution. Some major areas of project are

• Constructing new programs for exclusion of Beggary and other social crime.
• Developing special cells for crime against women
• Developing special cells for the welfare of homeless children
• Development program for Old-age people and their life.
• New innovative practices and policies for social changes.
• Programs for the Welfare and Development of Rural Health and Life
• Project  for disabled population in India
• Project on criminal impartiality and social justices
• Social Awareness program for adolescent children and their mental Health
• Social Awareness program on HIV/AIDS
• Social consciousness against epidemic disease like Malaria, Leprosy etc.

MSW Course Evaluation

The course evaluation is mainly done by assessing student’s initiation in the social welfare activities. Also term exams and viva based evaluation is also there for the MSW student. The degree and extent of these evaluation criteria are vary from institution to institution. The most common methods are,

• Social Work Practices
• Assignments
• Exams
• Research Programs
• Field Works

MSW Text Books

• Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children by Liana Lowenstein
• Creative Interventions for Children of Divorce by Liana Lowenstein
• Hidden Curriculum One-A-Day Calendar for Older Adolescents & Adults By Judy Endow.
• Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment by Sarah Taylor; Elizabeth A. Mulroy and  Michael J. Austin
• Juvenile Justice Guide by Edward A. Thibault and John J. Maceri
• More Creative Interventions for Troubled Children and Youth by Liana Lowenstein
• Practical Exercises for Individuals and Groups by James E. Phelan
• SKIN SENSE, A Story about Sun Safety for Young Children by Lori Lehrer-Glickman
• The Down Syndrome Transition Handbook: Charting Your Child’s Course to Adulthood (Topics in Down Syndrome) By Jo Ann Simons.
• Welcome Them Home Help Them Heal By John Sippola. Chaplain,  Amy Bluenshine, Donald A Tubesing, and Valerie Yancey

What to do after MSW?

There are two options for MSW holder, either to go with further studies in the field or going for a job. Those who are going for job will have opportunities in the Medical field, different NGOs or can go to the academic filed.

For all those aspirants who want to go with their studies have a lot of research opportunities are there in the field. They can apply for Doctor of Social Work, DSW or else the PhD program. The other courses in the field are

• Ph.D. (Psychiatric Social Work)
• Ph.D. (Social Work)

Job and Career options for MSW

MSW holder can work both in the Government sector and with the privet sector. They can have opportunity with international NGOs like UNICEF, WHO etc. The job sector for a MSW holder can be

Employment Areas

• Clinics.
• Correction Cells.
• Counseling Centers.
• Disaster Management Department.
• Education Sector.
• Gender Issues Associations or Groups.
• Health Industry.
• Hospitals.
• HR Department of Industries.
• Human Rights Agencies.
• M.N.C’s.
• Mental Hospitals.
• Natural Resources Management Companies.
• NGO’s.
• Old Age Homes.
• Prisons.

Job Types

• Assistant Director.
• District Consultant.
• Documentation and Communication Officer.
• Humanitarian Values and PMER Officer.
• Junior Research Fellow.
• National Secretary Community Development.
• Professor.
• Programme Coordinator.
• Project Coordinator.
• Senior Manager - Human Resources.
• Sub Regional Training Coordinator.

Remuneration after MSW

Remuneration for a MSW Graduates varies according to his/her experience, quality of service and commitment and inventiveness. For a fresher in the field who are associating in different projects in the field can have a salary range Rs8000-Rs10000/month. This is same for the Government NGOs. But for the corporate houses the salary can vary from Rs.35000 and above.  But one can expect a lucrative salary from the international NGOs. For the academician the salary is given according to the industry standards.