Prepare young challenging future social work professionals to Improve social, environmental, and economic justice, social inclusion, promote equity and human rights and enhance human health and well-being among the diverse communities, establishing dynamic partnerships through academic excellence.
Provides social work education, applied research, disseminating knowledge, partnerships and collaboration with social work and human services providers and enhance quality of life of individuals and communities.
The Department of Social Work was established in the year 2020. Master of Social Work is a four semester two-year postgraduate programme, consisting of professional social work practices in different fields of social services and it enable the students to bring about changes in the overall quality of life of individuals and communities. The course is more focused on fieldwork training which has direct application to the different sections of society.
The Department conducts different activities for the exposure of the students in the field situations. The Department makes opportunity to students to visit various developmental and welfare agencies. The department arranges rural/tribal camps in the nearby villages/tribal areas to offer awareness amongst the rural/tribal people regarding prevailing social problems and developmental issues. Students actively participate and organize workshops and seminars etc in different titles.
The MSW Program is a quality oriented social work education through a progressive and people centred pedagogy and practice, research and field interventions. It encompasses of classroom and fieldwork components spread across four semesters. The MSW program provides the students solid theoretical base, opportunities for skill development and a value-based education.
The contemporary society confronts different types of the problems in daily life and they need its solution through skill-based education. The Department prepares students for professional employment to contribute their skill-based knowledge to solve these problems. The academic program enable the students to develop an appropriate attitude, knowledge and skill to improve the quality of life of the needy and downtrodden.
MSW is a two year programme in four semester. The academic work is a package of 14 common theory papers, 4 specialization papers, 4 concurrent supervised fieldwork internships, one rural live-in camp, specialisation specfic live-in experiences, a PRA Camp, a Street Theatre Workshop, attending conferences/seminars/workshops and paper presentations in conferences, a viva voce at the end of the first, second and third semesters to evaluate fieldwork and comprehension, two block field work internships spanning 15 days during the second and third semesters, one dissertion/project work and a comprehensive viva-voce.
The MSW Programme offers two specialisations:
Stream A: Medical and Psychiatric Social Work
Stream B: Community Development
The Entrance Test, GD and Interview are conducted on the dates prescribed by the University. The Common Admission Test (CAT) conducted by the University assesses candidates for objective / descriptive components. Group Discussion is conducted in the college with the participation of subject experts appointed by the University and the nominees from the respective domains. All the candidates are interviewed by an interview panel consisting of the Principal, a University nominee and the Head of the Department concerned.
A rank list is generated by the University giving weightage to the four components i.e., Marks obtained in qualifying exam marks, CAT (Common Admission Test) marks, Group Discussion marks, Personal Interview marks.
Eligibility: shall be required to have passed an appropriate Degree Examination of Kerala University as specified or any other examination of any recognized University or authority accepted by Kerala University as equivalent thereto with 50% marks.
50% of the seats are filled by management from the Rank List. So, all the candidates have to appear for entrance examination, GD and Interview prescribed by the by Kerala University. Total 25% Seats are reserved for BSW candidates.
As part of MSW curriculum the students have to visit 10 socially relevant institutions to understand the major social work activities carried out in different fields.
The Rural camp of 10 days for the S1 and PRA for S3 students was conducted in Attapadi, Palakkad. The students were accompanied by two faculty members. AADI was the place of stay and the camp activities was carried out in the Sholayur Grama Pachayat. The camp was inaugurated by the Sholayur Panchayat President Sri. Ramamoorthy Sir. The social work students were able to undertake various activities with the support and help of the panchayat. The major activities carried out include -
1. Hamlet visits
2. Observation of their lifestyles and culture
3. Application of PRA tools
4. Collecting their demographic details
5. Visit to panchayat office and KILA
6. Visit to field for understanding their agriculture and cultivating methods
7. Interaction with officials of govt departments
8. Poster making for waste management awareness
9. Culture exchange with tribals
The semester one students are doing their concurrent field work under various wards of Kattakada Grama Panchayat. The major activities carried out include -
1.Home visits
2.Observation visit to nearby institutions
3. Case study
4. Case work
One of our semester students Ms Biji has successfully placed a CNCP from the ward where she is doing her field work to government care home through CWC.
Third semester students were able to undertake their one-month block placement in the following prestigious institutions;
• NIMHANS, Bangalore – Psychiatric Social Work Department
• St.Johns Medical College, Bangalore – Psychiatric Social Work Department
• Chaithanya Institute of Mental Health, Pune – Psychiatric Department
• Shadhiya Hospital, Chennai – Psychiatric Social Work Department
• PRS Hospital, Trivandrum – Medical Social Work Department
Our S4 students are currently undergoing their living –in experience of Medical Social Work and Psychiatric Social Work. Two batches including number of 6 and 4 students are continuing their living –in- experience of Medical Social Work at National Health Mission (NHM, Thycaud) and PRS, Hospital, Trivandrum respectively. One of our students is at Pratheksha De-addiction Centre Shagumugham for her Psychiatric Social Work living-in – experience.
Jinsha (3rd semester) student secured 2nd prize for one leaf magazine at Social Work Student’s Congress conducted at Don Bosco College, Kannur.
Anushree, Parvathy and Seena (1st semester) won 3rd prize for hand painting at National Conference organized by Christ college, Thrissur.
Devika.M(3rd semester) paper was selected for presentation at the Student Social Work Congress held at Don Bosco College, Kannur.
We were able to collaborate with some of the renowned institutions (Govt and NGO) within and outside Kerala during this acadamic year.
1. National Health Mission (NHM), TVPM
2. Pallium India, TVPM
3. Dale – View Institutions, TVPM
4. Kattakada Grama Panchayat
5. Women and Child Development Department, Govt.of Kerala
6. NIMHANS, Bangalore, Karnataka
7. St.Johns Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka
8. Sadhiya Hospital, Chennai, Tamilnadu
9. Chaithanya Institute of Mental Health, Pune, Maharashtra
10. PRS Hospital, TVPM
11. AADI, Attapadi, Palakkad
12. Rotatory Institutions
13. Sholayur Gramapanchayat, Attapady
14. Karuna Sai Charitable Society, Trivandrum
In the forthcoming years we look forward to expand our collaborations with more institutions, networking and strengthening the relationships for providing quality social work services.
Working in the areas of disabilities, mental health, de-addiction and targeted public health concerns. Medical Social workers provide services in various departments (oncology, neurology etc) and also work as counsellors in the psychiatric and palliative care.
working as Project coordinators, project planners, community organizers, liaison officers and community mobilizers in fields such as gerontology, child rights and working for the health of women and other vulnerable groups.
Welfare officers, Probation officers, Researcher and program developer in departments such as the Home Ministry, Child and Women Welfare Departments and the Department of Social Justice.
Working as community mobilizers, project managers, documentation experts, specialists in specific skills such as livelihood generations, capacity building, Community organizer, field worker and project coordinator.
Researchers, lecturers, School Counsellors etc.
Opportunities to work with UNICEF, UNDP, Red cross, Amnesty international, NABARD, NHM, KSACS and many such organizations, Greenpeace International
Other Employment Areas- Disaster Management Department, MNCs, Natural Resources Management Companies, Old Age Homes, Prisons etc.