MSW (Master of Social Work) Courses: Full Form, Eligibility, Admission 2025, Fees, Syllabus, Entrance Exam, Top Colleges, Career Scope

MSW is a social Science course that teaches you how to use available assets to resolve societal issues and try to lessen people's suffering through social interventions like counselling and funding. MSW is a postgraduate-level degree in social work. If you pursue an MSW degree you would be trained to work in various fields, such as healthcare, mental health, education and social services. If you have completed your graduation and fulfill the desired criteria then you can pursue MSW course. If you want to contribute in a significant manner to society then this is a suitable course for you. The main issues addressed under the social issues include poverty, child marriage, inequality and domestic violence. It can give  you a sense of job satisfaction to those who want to earn peace and gratification. There are around 540 MSW colleges in India. The course gives specialist expertise on a range of social work-related topics, including community engagement, human resource development and management, rural rebuilding and labour safety. The training primarily emphasizes research and gives candidates the necessary tools to assist those who need it. 

MSW course (full form Master of Social Work) is a postgraduate degree with a duration of 2 years, usually comprising 4 semesters.

To pursue MSW course in India, one should have a BSW degree or a Bachelor Degree in Humanities/Social Science/Science, commerce or management studies.

Specializations in Social Work:

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

MSW is an abbreviation of Master of Social Work. It is a 2-year postgraduate degree in the field of Social Work. Students who have completed their undergraduate degree in any specialisation can pursue this degree, if they secured at least 45% marks. Students who wish to serve the community can go for the MSW degree.

The MSW degree is pursued at the post-graduate level. Generally, the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree course duration is of two years, if it is being pursued from a regular, full-time college. A distance/correspondence MSW degree course duration can extend to 4 years, depending on the student. 

No, if the candidate has done a Bachelor of Social Work, its not difficult. However, a candidate applying for Master of Social Work needs to understand the theoretical and practical part of the course. The course involves plenty of fieldwork as well so candidates have to be dedicated in order to gain experience in the field. The difficulty of an MSW programme is determined by a variety of factors, including your prior academic background, your personal strengths and weaknesses, and the exact programme you pick. However, MSW programmes are generally regarded as difficult.

If your aim is to be a social worker, pursuing an MSW course will enhance your skills and widen your horizons in the field. This field requires licensed people so a master degree can provide you with many opportunities. You may have the opportunity to widen your social work after earning a master's degree in social work and work with people on a variety of mental, physical, and emotional challenges. Your prospects for a social work job can expand if you pursue a master's degree. You can pursue new opportunities, work in a variety of fields, or refine your current profession.

Yes you can pursue MSW course or Master of Social Work course without pursuing a BSW or Bachelor of Social Work course. You should be a graduate to pursue MSW. Make sure that you have secured at least 50% aggregate marks to be eligible to apply for the course. Also ensure that you have studied from a recognised institute. It is not compulsory that you should have completed BSW course to pursue MSW though BSW graduates would be able to better understand cencepts covered MSW course.

No there is no age limit to pursue MSW course so you can pursue this course at any age. Make sure that you satisfy other eligibility parameters such as academic qualifications, marks criteria and appearing and passed criteria.
Most colleges and entrance exam conducting bodies do not prescribe any age limit. However, some colleges, especially private colleges may have their own eligibility criteria that you may have to satisfy. A valid reason for year gap may also be required in some colleges.

Yes you can pursue MSW course after BTech. This is because the minimum eligibility criteria to pursue MSW is that you should be a graduate. You should also have secured at least 50% marks or 5.5 CGPA in BTech to be eligible to apply for the course. You could have graduated in any branch of BTech.
You can apply for the course through entrance exams to get MSW admission in good colleges.
Since MSW is an arts course you may have to change your learning approach to pursue this course.

Yes, you can pursue MSW degree after graduating with Life Sciences or with a BSc degree in general. However, you can also look into the prerequisites defined by the university you want to get admission into. Entrance criteria for MSW courses also vary from college to college. Most of the universities accept MSW admission against any UG degree. 

For instance, one university may only require a basic UG degree to pursue the MSW course; whereas, some other university may require the candidates to clear entrance exams and appear for interviews along with a basic UG degree to get admission into an MSW course. 

Students who wish to pursue the MSW course from IGNOU must fill out the online application form on the official website of IGNOU. Students have to submit their personal details and the required documents along with the application fee.

Students are eligible for MSW courses if they have completed their graduation. Students are admitted to Master of Social Work courses on the basis of merit i.e. their scores in undergraduation. Generally, no entrance exams are required for MSW courses.

Once selected, students simply have to pay the required fee amount to confirm their admission.

Hope this answer helps you!

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Document Verification is an important part of the admission process. Students are required to submit identity proof documents like Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Drivers Licence, Voter ID, etc. 

Students are also required to submit Class X certificate and marksheet, class XII certificate and marksheet, undergraduation certificate and marksheet to record their academic qualifications and background.

Apart from these, most colleges require Passport size photographs and Transfer/ Character Certificates.

CUET PG 2025 syllabus released by NTA on January 2, 2025. Candidates preparing for CUET PG 2025 can download the CUET PG syllabus 2025 pdf by visiting the official website of CUET PG 2025 or can check out in this Shiksha page.

It is also observed that the CUET PG syllabus doesn't this year, so candidates are suggested to either go to the CUET PG 2024 official website and search for CUET PG syllabus there.

Yes, lot of universities are offering MSW in Distance mode for example IGNOU, Acharya Nagarjuna University in Andhra Pradesh, etc

Many candidates like you are confused in choosing between distance MSW course and Online MSW course. Though, pursuing MSW in correspondence or distance mode is a popular option you may not know about online MSW courses. You can refer to MSW Online Courses. Here are some basic information about distance and online MSW courses:

Yes you can pursue MSW course in online mode. Here are some details about online MSW course:

Students who wish to pursue MSW courses can pick from various specializations and fields of social work. Some popular ones are:

• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Work: They work with people suffering from mental health disorders or addiction issues.
• Health and Medicine Social Work: They work in hospice and help in taking care of the disabled, the aged or the sick.
• Child Welfare and Education Social Work: They work to protect the rights and interests of infants and minors. They may also work in the education sector to promote child literacy.
• Women Empowerment Social Work: They help uplift women living in adverse circumstances and help them build stability and self-sufficiency.
• Justice and Advocacy: They use legal methods and procedures to bring justice to the oppressed.

Though MSW syllabus primarily focuses on social structure, social problems and their solutions 'Law' is also a significant component of the course. Labour Laws and the fundamentals of the Indian Constitution are a part of MSW curriculum because when you become a Social Worker after pursuing MSW you would be required to know basic laws. This is because as a Social Worker you would have to take major decisions that will positively affect the lives of people and serve as a voice for the voiceless. It would provide you a better understanding about the rights duties of Indian citizens.
Hope now you have a better understanding about the inclusion of law and political Science topics in MSW course.

Here are some books that you can refer to for Professional Social Work:

Here are some elective subjects covered in MSW syllabus:

If you are looking for MSW colleges then the fee structure is one of the important criteria that you will consider. Many government and private colleges in India can offer you scholarships. These scholarships are usually awarded to students from weaker socio-economic backgrounds. You can also claim scholarships and fee concessions based on merit or exceptional caliber in sports or other fields.

I have mentioned the names of some colleges which provide MSW with an affordable fee structure:

Placement Sessions are conducted in many colleges for MSW students, in their final year. Though the placement scenario for MSW courses is not at par with that of technical courses, many companies can give you lucrative packages based on the skills, experience, academic record, and knowledge of a student.

The salaries offered during placement sessions along with the name of the college have been mentioned below:

Hope this helps!

The admission process at St Xavier's University Kolkata differs as per course requirement. Students can check the points mentioned below for clarity:

UG Programme:- Candidate have to apply for application before Class 12 result. Aspirants must have more than 45% marks in class 12th. .

PG Programme:- PG programme like MCom, MA, MSW, in all these programs admissions are done on  the basis of test conducted by University, before that candidate must have to apply for applications.

MBA Programme:- Candidate can apply for take admission on the basis of XAT, MAT, CAT, And other National level exam.

Karve Institute of Social Service offers admission to its postgraduate programme; MSW based on the valid score obtained in the entrance exam conducted by the institute. Those interested in getting admissions at Karve Institute of Social Service must appear for the entrance exam which is held in three rounds. The first round requires the candidate to appear for the written test. Those who clear the written test must appear for the group discussion followed by the final round of personal interview. For further details, the candidates can visit the official website of the institute. 

IISWBM Kolkata offers MSW or Master in Social Welfare as a 2 year programme affiliated by the University of Calcutta. The programme involves summer internship and field work as a part of the curriculum and is divided in 4 semesters. One of the salient feature of the IISWBM Kolkata MSW is the dual specialisation it offers. The eligiblity criteria for a successful candidature involve a minimum aggregate received from an honours degree held by any recognised University. Candidates can seek final admission to MSW after the receiving an approval from the University of Calcutta. The IISWBM Kolkata MSW fee structure involve a tuition fees of INR 2.44 Lakh. 

The salary of MSW graduate differs as per the field they are working in or the organisation that they are working at. However, the average salary falls between INR 3 to 6 LPA. You can increase their salary with experience. Here are the salaries of MSW graduates at different levels:

After pursuing a Master degree in social work, one can apply for jobs in various fields. The job opportunities are always high in the medical field. MSW pass outs with specialisation in the medical field can work in hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation centres.

Substance abuse is another area where social workers are high in demand. MSW graduates can work in substance abuse areas like rehabilitation centres, prisons, private practices and for non-profit organizations. Social work graduates help in the treatment and rehabilitation of people addicted to drugs and suffering from problems related to other negative emotions like anger and mood swings

A Masters degree is not required in all areas of social work but mental health is a field which requires a Master degree with specialisation in mental health.

One can work in community health centers, mental hospitals, schools and charitable trusts for mental health.

MSW holders can also work for child welfare organizations where they can serve the children who are neglected by parents or children from low-income families.

Another area where social workers can find jobs is social school work. This is one of the most common areas of social work. A MSW graduate can work as a counselor and offer guidance to students and address their issues such as behavioral programs, sexual education, health education, truancy prevention programs, crisis intervention and communication between teachers, parents and students.

To become a registered Social Worker you have to get a relevant degree, such as a BSW or related field. Gain supervised experience through internships or entry-level positions. Consider pursuing an MSW for advanced training (optional). Research and meet specific licensure requirements in your region. Pass the required licensing exams, often administered by the ASWB. Submit an application for social work licensure to the appropriate regulatory body.

MSW courses have a wide scope. A student who has completed their MSW degree can work in an NGO, or start their own NGO. If hey wish to work in the private sector, their knowledge and skills from the MSW course can help them in work as an HR. They may choose to become a social rights activist or go one step further in their education and pursue an M.Phil or Ph.D in Social Work. A PhD in Social Work allows them to conduct their own research independently or become a professor. They can also apply for government posts and vacancies that are related to social work. There are plently of organizations abroad that hire MSW course graduates.

MSW is the abbreviation of Master of Social Work course whereas MSSW is the abbreviation of Madras School of Social Work. The MSW course is offered in many colleges in India including MSSW. 

Even if you have pursued the Master of Social Work (MSW) course through distance mode in India, it can still help you land a job abroad. However, the level of recognition and job possibilities depends on various other factors such as:

• Accreditation: Your MSW degree should be granted from a UGC (University Grants Commission) approved university as international employers generally give more importance to degrees from accredited institutions.
• Practical Exposure: Complete internships or appear for fieldwork to gain practical experience while getting your MSW degree, as international employers tend to prioritize candidates with practical exposure.
• Country-Specific Pre-requisites: Every country have specific accreditation or licensing requirements to hire social workers, which may require to undergo various documentation and validation procedures.

After completing an MSW degree, students can choose to pursue one of the following postgraduate programmes to further specialize or expand your expertise in particular social work or related fields: Doctorate in Social Work (DSW or PhD): Get a PhD in social work to work in clinical practice, academia, policy development, or higher education conducting cutting-edge research or teaching. MPH: A master's degree in public health (MPH) addresses community health challenges, policy formulation, and health promotion by fusing social work and public health. Degree in NGO: A master's degree in nonprofit management will help you become a better manager and leader of nonprofit organizations, which will improve your capacity to effect social change and assume leadership positions. Public Administration Master's Degree (MPA): Obtain managerial and administrative abilities to work in government or the public sector.

Social Work courses are academic degrees in the field of Humanities & Social Sciences. These courses are intended to equip you for pursuing social work as a career option.These courses usually deal with psychology, criminal justice, gender based development, health, corporate social responsibility etc. You can pursue Social Work courses at different course levels such as BSW and MSW. Social Work is also available as a specialisation in arts courses such as BA in Social Work and MA in Social Work.