MA In Social Work - Opportunities At Completion?

Hi People,

Can you let me know what careers can be pursued when choosing a MA in Social Work? Also, what opportunities are available upon completing the course?

Thanks in advance,
Mnarayan

Hi there, I am a qualified social worker in the UK and have practiced for about 15 years. Now I work in HR. There is a huge shortage of social workers in the UK, with social workers coming in from all over the world to work here. If you have qualifications in social work from India, you need to find out whether they are recognized in the UK.

We cover a fair bit on child care legislation here while we are at the university.

Regards,
Kaval

Hello, I have completed my MSW from Vinayaka Missions University in Tamil Nadu. How can I confirm if my degree is valid in the UK? Would you please be kind enough to let me know the procedure for validating any degree?

Please give me details of distance learning courses in MSW in medical psychiatric or MA in medical psychiatric.

Please help.

With Regards, Jitendra Singh

Hi Mayur Parmar,

I have completed a Master of Social Work from M.S. University of Baroda. It is a great course to pursue, and there are several good colleges offering it. Some of the best institutes in India for this course include:
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
- Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai
- Faculty of Social Work, M.S. University, Baroda
- Delhi University
- Indore School of Social Work

I am currently working in the HR field. You can develop your career in HR, Medical and Psychiatric Social Work, Corporate Social Responsibility, Development Sector, etc.

Regards,
Mayur Parmar

Hello Narayan,

First, I would like to congratulate you for your choice of pursuing an MA in Social Work.

There are loads of opportunities out there, not just in India but all over the world, with the recent shift in focus on human rights and sustainable development. There are enough jobs for an MSW graduate, if a job is your sole criterion for studying the subject in the first place.

Several specializations are being offered, such as Human Resource Management (HRM), Community Development, Medical and Social Psychology, Mother and Child Development, Corrective Social Work (related to Social Work in Prisons), etc. All of these have further subdivisions/specializations. Depending on your specialization, you can land good jobs in industries, community development works, hospitals, to name just a few. However, specializations do not determine everything, and you can always opt for job rotations if you have a knack for change and novelty.

Having said all that, I would suggest you consider the following issues:

1. Why have you chosen MSW and not just any other course? Finding a definite answer to this question would greatly benefit you. MSW can secure you a good job, but to continue in the development sector, you need certain inner drives, most importantly being passionate about your work and having a firm belief in the worth of what you are doing.

2. It is essential to remember that just studying MSW does not automatically make one a social worker. Feel the conviction within to fight against injustice, because at the end of the day, job satisfaction will be more important to you than the salary earned.

3. Lastly, in whatever you do, act with integrity. Be true to yourself, and everything else will fall into place.

4. Additionally, a practical piece of advice: knowledge of computers and a good grasp of English are essential.

I apologize if I have bored you with this lengthy lecture, but I couldn't help it. I don't usually see people around me in Kolkata studying or even knowing about MSW, which is kind of sad, so here I am going on and on :-))

Wish you all the best,

Dona (I graduated from CSRD-ISWR in Ahmadnagar last year and am currently working with the International Justice Mission, in case you are wondering who I am).

If you are creative and love writing, there's a lot of documentation and communication work that goes on in NGOs, hence leading to several jobs in communication. Additionally, you can opt for government civil service exams and work in the public sector.

Hi Narayan,

You may like to go through following details, as extracted from TimesJobs. Probably this may help you a lot:

Social Work

At A Glance
The Social Work profession promotes social change, problem-solving in human relationships, and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance their independence and happiness. If you are willing to be a partner, negotiator, supporter, communicator, re-framer, confronter and reflector and if you feel a great deal of compassion towards social issues, then this can be an excellent career option for you.

Social work is not just about doing good deeds and helping the under-privileged. Over a period of time, it has evolved into a profession. Correctly it is not a ‘conventional’ career. But with issues of disability, drug misuse, poverty, mental ill health, problems associated with aging etc. rising constantly, social work has become a vital need of our society today. If you are willing to take up a profession for emotional fulfillment and if your purpose of working is not just financial, this would be the ideal career for you.

• The Work
  Social work is all about determining people's social, economic and emotional problems. Social workers work towards the solutions of these problems through counseling, arranging conferences, increasing resources, spreading public awareness and starting social programs and health services. Assessing and treating, mental health and emotional problems is also the job of a social worker. Social work offers diverse opportunities because every individual and society deal with different kinds of problems.
  • Clinical Social Work: Social workers who venture into this field can work in psychological and mental health care settings or large companies. Their job involves psychotherapy and counseling.
  • School Social Work: This job involves providing emotional help and problem-solving to prevent family and school breakdown. Counseling the children, home visits, family assessments, making referrals to locality teams etc. is all a part of this job. Discussing and educating on issues like drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sex-related problems and diseases is also the job of a school social worker.
  • Psychiatric Social Work: Psychiatric social workers work with disturbed children and teenagers with behavioral problems. They assess and diagnose their problems and help in facilitating a treatment process.
  • Criminology and Correctional Social Work: Social Work in remand homes and prisons to prevent crimes and anti-social behavior is also carried out by social workers. Crime prevention programs are also started by social workers.
  • Medical Social Work: Social workers who venture into this area, help patients and their families in coping with stress and other personal and economic problems. Any hindrances that restrain recovery are dealt with by Medical Social Workers. Services for home care after discharge from the hospital, economic help for poor patients and long term care facilities are all provided by them. Also, they help health professionals in treating the patients by providing them with information concerning the social, emotional and economic status of the patient.
  • Community Organisation: Social workers work towards solutions to problems of specific communities. They deal with problems like lack of housing, unemployment , local services etc. They help in distribution of resources and implementing social policies.
  • Research: Social workers carry out social research to determine solutions to problems like poverty and homelessness. They also research on the causes of social problems and the effectiveness of agencies.
  • Industrial Social Work: Social workers help ensuring labour welfare in industries and commercial units.
  • Social workers also help people with mental health problems, marriage issues, substance abuse and dealing with diseases like HIV/Aids.
• What it takes?
  Interest in the psychological and emotional side of people's behavior, sensitivity, patience and persistence are a few of the characteristics that you must possess to be in this field. You need to have idealism to make a difference to the lives of individuals, the courage to make a positive decision to do a job that contributes to the society, the need to feel proud of your contribution and stimulating role and most importantly personal fulfillment. Also you need to treat everyone as equals and you can not hold a bias or prejudice against any section of the society.
• Where to study?
  You can undertake a two year course [MSW-MA] at the post-graduate level after completing your graduation in any subject. Graduates with a degree in sociology or a social science subject get higher preference. Admission is based on an entrance test which tests your mental ability and general awareness. The interview conducted in the next stage is to test your speaking skills and to understand your reasons for taking up this profession.
  The well-known institutes that you can apply to are listed below:-
  • Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi 221002
    B.A, M.A.
  • University of Delhi, Delhi 110007
    M.A.
  • Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025
    M.A.
  • Gujarat Vidyapeth, Ahmedabad 380014
    M.A. M.S.W.
  • Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deomar, Bombay 400088
    M.A.
  • Andhra University, Waltair 530003
    B.A./M.A.
  • Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati 517502
    B.A.
  • Mangalore University, Univ Campus, Mangalagangothri 574199
    B.A.
  • University of Madras, Chennai 600005
    B.A. M.A. M.S.W.
• Top Organizations
  United Nations agencies like UNESCO and UNICEF, NGOs like Cini Asha and Balwadi and Governmental agencies like Labour Bureau and Department of Rural Development.

A social worker works towards the interests of the community and ensures that its most susceptible/vulnerable citizens receive protection and care in the most responsive way possible. Can any job be more fulfilling than this one?

Hello!

I would like to have a practical idea on how to generate income to support the organization that works in the field of social services based only on donations. How would the organization generate extra income for its sustainability without hampering its norms and values, while also adding value?

Please reply, as this helps a lot.

Thank you.