Social work has now become a profession now than a service. The course includes many theoretical and practical sessions that aim to develop the helping mentality in aspirants. It deals with helping the people to solve problems in various situations such as personal issues, unemployment, etc. The main requirement for the people in this profession is dedication of work. They should be patient in all situations and must find solutions to various problems that affect lives of the people.

This particular field of education is offered by a number of universities and institutions in the country. The course can be done in both at graduation and post graduation level. Some of the universities also offer research in this field. There are various specializations in Social work education. They are

• Schools Social Work
• Family and Child Welfare
• Medical and Psychiatric Social Work
• Criminology and Correctional Administration
• Rural and Urban Community Development
• Human Resource Management

In addition to these, it may also include community organizations, social policy and planning, ecology and social work and medical and psychiatric social work. This field of education can be pursued in different levels as mentioned below

Courses in Social work after 12th

Undergraduate courses in Social Work

• B.S.W
• B.A Social Work
• B.A. (Hons) Social Work

Postgraduate courses in Social Work

• M.A Social work
• M.S.W
• Master of Labor Welfare (MLW)
• Master in Exten. Education & Social work (MEESW)
• M.Phil. Social Work
• Ph.D. Social Work

Diploma Courses

• Diploma Courses in Social Work
• Diploma in Management of Welfare and Developmental Services
• Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work & Rural Development

The various certificate courses are also offered by many institutes in this field. Some of the courses are

• Certificate course in Abolition of Child Labour
• Certificate Course in Social Work
• Certificate in AIDS and Family Education (CAFÉ)
• Certificate in NGO Management

Qualifying Exam after 12th for Social Work Course

The basic qualification needed to pursue the bachelor degree in social work is a pass in 12th standard. There will be entrance tests for the admission in many universities. While some institutions intake candidates on the basis of the qualifying examination marks.

Eligibility for Social Work Course

To become professional in this field one should pursue a minimum qualification of bachelor’s degree in the related field. And to apply for this undergraduate programme the candidates must have successfully completed their higher secondary education or equivalent. The higher study options are also offered after this course. Any graduate can pursue the post graduation in social work of 2 year duration.

Apply for the Social Work Course after 12th

The students who wish to join this course can obtain the application form from the desired universities or institutions. In some universities/ institutions the application can be filled online. For this, the students must visit the website of respective centers. The details of the DD and the personal details should be filled carefully while applying online. For offline applications, the DD should be send along with the duly filled form to the specified address.

Preparing for the Social Work Course

Apart from the educational qualifications the candidates should have some personal qualities. A person with open mind, patience, understanding nature and sympathetic is suitable for this profession. Those with all these qualities along with good communication skills and strong leadership can become a successful social worker. The candidates must prepare from their high school education itself. They must concentrate in subjects like English, physical education, psychology and business. Finding short term employment in various government agencies, health care centers, etc will help more to prepare for this course.

Institutions offering Social Work Course

There are many universities and institutions that offer this branch of study. Some of them are

• Acharya Nagarjuna University (Andhra Pradesh)
• Al-Azhar College of Arts and Science (Kerala)
• Alva’s College of Social Work (Karnataka)
• Amrita School of Arts and Sciences (Kerala)
• Anand Institute of Social Work (Gujarat)
• Andhra University : Colleges of Arts and Commerce (Andhra Pradesh)
• Ansar Women’s College (Kerala)
• Bhagini Mandal-College of social work (Maharashtra)
• Bharathiar University (Tamil Nadu)
• Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu)
• Biju Pattnaik College of Journalism, Social Work and Yoga (Orissa)
• C.M.S. College of Science and Commerce (Tamil Nadu)
• Christ University (Karnataka)
• College of Social Work (Maharashtra)
• Dr. A.V. Baliga Institute of Social Science and Rural Management (Karnataka)
• Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University : College of Social Work (Maharashtra)
• Dr. M.V. Shetty College of Social Work (Karnataka)
• Gujarat Vidyapith (Gujarat)
• Gulbarga University : Department of P.G. Studies and Research in Social Work (Karnataka)
• Indore School of Social Work (Madhya Pradesh)
• Institute of Language Studies and Applied Social Sciences (Gujarat)
• Institute of Professional Science and Management (Karnataka)
• Jai Bharath Arts and Science College (Kerala)
• Jain University (Karnataka)
• Jamia Millia Islamia : Faculty of Social Sciences (Delhi)

The aspirants can choose various specializations in this field according to their area of interest. Many of these institutions mentioned above offers under graduation, post graduation and research in social work.