Master of Arts or MA Social Work is a 2-year postgraduate course that prepares students to work for the welfare of the society. They are trained to provide services to individuals, families, groups, and communities and help them overcome the social issues like poverty, social inequality, etc.
The most common subjects include Sociology, Social psychology, Social development, policy & planning, Labour welfare, Prevention & Social medicine, Social problems & services, Medical social work, counseling, Labour legislations, Women & Society, etc. The basic eligibility to undertake the MA Social Work course is to have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% aggregate from a recognized university.
Admissions are conducted through university level entrance exams, followed by counseling or interviews and Group discussion rounds as made valid by the participating university. In the rare scenario, the merit-based is also considered.There are various institutes that offer this course. The average fees of the course range from INR 20,000 to INR 2 lakhs for 2 years.
Master of Social Work exposes the candidates to recruiting areas like Hospitals, Education institutions, NGOs, Old age homes, Private clinics, etc. They can work as a Social Worker, Counselor, Customer Service Representative, Journalist, Community Mobilizer, etc. The average salary is expected to be INR 2 Lakhs to INR 4 Lakhs per annum.
Zee Media, Hindustan Times, Apollo Munich are the top firms that place you post completion of the degree. Completing the Masters in Social Work could place in any of the social working industries where helping each other is the utmost focus. The graduates can also go for higher studies in Ph.D. and M.Phil in Social Work or any other specialization.
Some of the basic information about the course has been mentioned in brief in the table below.
| Course Name | MA Social Work |
| Course Level | Post Graduate Degree |
| Full-Form | MA -Master of Arts |
| Related Full Forms | Bachelor Of Social Works, Master in Social Work |
| Duration | 2 years for regular candidates. |
| Examination type | Semester wise degree |
| Eligibility | Allied Under Graduation Degree with at least 50% and 10+2 exam from any recognizable institution in India |
| Admission Process | Entrance-based (Institute level and national level exams) including Group Discussion and Interview Rounds or merit-based |
| Average Course Fee | INR 1 Lakh |
| Average Salary | INR 5 Lakhs |
| Top Recruiting Companies | Deloitte India, Hero Motocorp, RIL, Mahindra and Mahindra, FINO, Zee Media, TCS, etc. |
| Top Recruiting areas | Education institutions, NGOs, Old age homes, Governmental Child welfare departments, Governmental Women welfare departments, Governmental Human rights, departments Private clinics, etc. |
| Job Positions | CSR Representative, Community Mobilizer, Health Educator, Journalist, School and Career Counselor, Social Worker, Counselor, etc. |
The following points say what the MA Social Work course is all about.
- This course or degree is equipped with the skills and knowledge needed for helping individuals and society dealing with several mental and health issues.
- This course mainly deals with working with individuals and groups; Family and Child Welfare; Personnel Management and Community Development; Industrial Relations; and Medical and Psychiatric Social Work.
- This degree is designed in the way to enrich the practical skills through Field Work Practicum.
- Many basics in computers are also part of the syllabus taught under MA Social Work.
Why study MA Social Work?
There are several reasons to choose this course, some of the benefits are mentioned below:
- Social work bachelor holders: One who possesses a bachelor’s degree in social work and relevant disciplines might have the passion and eligibility towards the MA in Social Work. One who has a bachelor in Social work will be open to a wide range of opportunities (Better pay and best-in Placement) after doing a master’s in it.
- Passion for Social Work: One who has a passion for serving the society in return could prefer taking up a master’s in Social Work. They could make others happy with their caring attitude.
- Scope for working with NGOs: Doing a master’s in Social Works could open a variety of opportunities for starting their careers with many Non-Governmental Organizations throughout the nation who strive to tackle social issues like throwing garbage in the public places, poverty, drought, pandemic consequences, inequality, etc.
- Scope for Medicare jobs: Since social skills are the core in MA social work, the candidates get enough skills and expertise for getting placed in the governmental and private hospitals. Thus, future job opportunities in Medicare might increase from governmental hospitals drastically.
- Demand in the welfare sector: Many governmental welfare departments operating under state and central governments prefer the candidates with MA Social Work in the child and women welfare and Human rights department. These welfare organizations strive to put forth a better and desired change in the society of ours by intricating changes in child labor, women abusing, human beings treated lower than the animal, etc.
- Higher CTC Per Annum: One could earn around 5 Lakhs as a fresher itself since the job role involves both the mind related work and also the physical work.
MA Social Work Admission Process
The most common mode of admission process taking place for admitting the candidates into MA social work is the entrance-based mode. These entrance exams may be university level or national level tests. Most popular entrance exams include DUET, TISSNET, and AUCET.
Merit-based Admission
- This merit-based admission mode of admitting candidates into MA social work is not common in many institutions but followed by institutions like Delhi University.
- In this case, the previous academic records are considered to evaluate students.
Entrance-based Admission
- Almost all governmental and central universities prefer entrance exams.
- The students are shortlisted based on the marks scored in the entrance exam and a merit-list is released.
- Shortlisted students will have to attend a GP/ PI round.
- The final selection will be based on the interview and also the previous academic score of the candidate.
MA Social Work Eligibility
Most common eligibility criteria for the sake of getting admitted into the Master of Social Work degree include:
- The candidates should possess a relevant bachelor’s degree from any recognized institution in the nation.
- Some institutions prefer honors bachelor degrees from the allied discipline.
- Minimum marks to be secured in UG could start as low as from 50% onwards.
MA Social Work Entrance Exams
Many arts institutions conduct entrance tests to admit candidates into the MA Social Work course. Few of the entrance exams offered towards MA Social Work admission are:
- TISSNET : TISSNET stands for the Tata Institute of Social Sciences National Eligibility Test. This entrance exam is being conducted by Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai towards the admission of all categories of courses.
- DUET : DUET stands for Delhi University Entrance Test. DUET is being conducted each year by the Delhi University towards the PG Program admission.
- JNUEE : JNUEE stands for Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination. The entrance is conducted each year by the Jawaharlal Nehru University towards the admission of all UG, PG, and Ph.D. courses.
- PU CET : PU CET means Punjab University Common Entrance Test conducted by Punjab University by conducting PU CET UG and PU CET PG.
- AUCET : AUCET is an abbreviation of the Andhra University Common Entrance Test. This is exclusively conducted by Andhra University, Visakhapatnam to admit the candidates into PG courses.
The below table shows the list of common entrances for MA Social Work.
| Exam name | Exam date |
|---|---|
| PUBDET | Check PUBDET Exam Dates |
| APU UG NET | |
| TS EAMCET | Check TS EAMCET Exam Dates |
How to Prepare for MA Social Work entrance exams?
All the entrance exams pertaining to the MA Social Work course could be cracked with the expertise and practice in the sections of it. The exam paper consists of the following sections:
- Physics
- Mathematics
- English
- Chemistry
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Physical Sciences
Points to know before the entrance exams:
- Basics of Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry should be known in the fingertips.
- The mathematics part should be concentrated and focused. Regular practice improves the ability to solve the problems.
- Core subjects of Humanities and Social Sciences and Physical Sciences should be well versed with reference to CBSE and ICSE syllabus irrespective of the board of study in 10+2.
- Should study the pre and post freedom struggle eras in India.
- Indian Constitution could be a significant area of questioning.
- All the dates and updates pertaining to entrance must be followed.
How to get admission in a good MA Social Work college?
Some points pertaining to select and admit into good MA Social Work institutions are as follows:
- List and investigate the top institutions based on the rankings and ratings. Also, filter the governmental and private institutions offering MA Social Work degrees.
- If merit-based admission is preferred, it is a must to fulfill the minimum eligibility criteria.
- Preparation for the entrance exams should be done seriously. Practice all the numerical with utmost care.
- Dedicate the separate time for the mocks since it improves the ability to complete the exam faster.
MA Social Work Syllabus
There are totally 4 semesters in the MA Social Work degree. Semester I and Semester II subjects are common in all specializations and Semester III and Semester IV will be varying based on the specialized electives.
Thus, Semester III and Semester IV subjects for MA Social Work Medical & Psychiatric Social Work along with common Semester I and Semester II subjects as follows:
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| History and Philosophy of Social Work | Economics in Relation to SocialWork |
| Work with Individuals and Families | Social Welfare Administration |
| Sociology in Relation to Social Work | Work with Communities |
| Work with Groups | Statistics |
| Dynamics of Human Behavior | Social Development, Policy & Planning |
| Social Work Research | Social Development, Policy & Planning |
| Social Problems and Services | Development Communication |
| Field Work Practicum | Field Work Practicum |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
| Social Psychology – I | Labour Welfare – II |
| Social Psychology – | Trade Unions |
| Preventive & Social Medicine–I | Human Resources Development |
| Medical Social Work | Labour Legislation – II |
| Computer Application | Women & Society or Project Work |
| Developmental Psychology | Women & Society or Project Work |
| Counseling: Theory & Practice | Women & Society or Project Work |
| Field Work Practicum | Field Work Practicum |
MA Social Work Books
A few of the reference books for MA Social Work Medical & Psychiatric Social Work are discussed below.
| Name of the book | Author |
|---|---|
| Social Work | Social Work |
| Social Work Education and Family Planning | Association of School of Social Work in India |
| Concept and Methods of Social Work | Walter A. Friedlander |
| Castes old & New Essay in Social Stratification | Beetle A |
| Human Society, New York | Davis K |
| Perspectives on Social Groups Work Practices | Alessi A.S. |
| Methodology in Social Science Research | Blalock H.M. |
| Indian Economy | Agarwal A.N. |
| An Introduction to Social Psychology | Kuppuswamy B. |
| Principles of Public Health Administration | John J. Hulon |
| Synopsis of Psychiatry | Kalpana & Sadock |
| Medical Social Work in India | Pathak S.H. |
| Computer fundamentals | P.K.Sinha |
MA Social Work Colleges
Below is the table of top colleges ranked by NIRF and other information like the average annual fees and average placement is mentioned below:
Top Government MA Social Work College in India
A list of top government colleges that offer MA Social Work, has been mentioned below.
| College/University Name | City | Average Annual Fees in INR |
|---|---|---|
| Loyola College | Chennai | NA |
| Banaras Hindu University [BHU] | Varanasi | 4,620 |
| Jamia Millia Islamia [JMI] | New Delhi | 10,000 |
| Delhi University [DU] | New Delhi | NA |
| Panjab University [PU] | Chandigarh | 9,825 |
| Tezpur University [TU] | Tezpur | 30,186 |
Top Private MA Social Work Colleges in India
A list of top private colleges offering MA Social Work are mentioned below:
| College/University Name | City | Average Annual Fees in INR |
|---|---|---|
| Rajagiri College of Social Sciences | Cochin | 3,125 |
| Sri Krishna Arts and Science College | Coimbatore | 8,000 |
| Madras Christian College | Chennai | - |
| Banasthali Vidyapith University | Jaipur | 1.2 Lakhs |
| CMS College of Science and Commerce | Coimbatore | - |
MA Social Work College Comparison
Top comparable colleges/universities offering MA Social Work are depicted in the below table.
| Parameters | Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) | Amity University | University of Calcutta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | It is governmental arts and Science course offering university | It is a private deemed to be university offering plenty of arts courses | It is governmental arts and Science course offering university |
| NIRF Rank | 8 | 63 | 11 |
| Location | New Delhi | Noida | Kolkata |
| Average Fees in INR | 1,381 | 1 Lakh | NA |
| Average Package Offered in INR | 12 Lakhs | 5.6 Lakhs | 5 Lakhs |
| Top Recruiting companies | Amazon, IBM, Info gain, etc. | American Express, BIS Research, Broadcom, etc. | ITC, Amazon, Line, A & D, etc. |
Source: Payscale
Course Comparison
MA Social Work vs MA Sociology
Masters in Social Work and MA Sociology go hand in hand and are somewhat similar. Thus, a comparison table is depicted below.
| Parameters | MA Social Work | MA Sociology |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | This degree is designed to empower the candidates who wish to serve the needy people in the nation and tackle many sociological issues in the surrounding area. | This degree is designed to empower the candidates who wish to comprehend human society, their human behavior, and their association with organizational behavior. |
| Duration | 2 Years for regular | 2 Years for regular |
| Eligibility | Graduation Degree with at least 50% aggregate from a recognized institution in India | Graduation Degree with at least 50% aggregate from a recognized institution in India |
| Admission Process | Entrance-based (university level/ national level exams)/ Merit-based. | Entrance-based (university level/ national level exams)/ Merit-based. |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 1 Lakh | INR 2 Lakhs |
| Top Recruiting areas | Education Institution (both governmental and private), NGOs, Governmental Child welfare departments, Governmental Women welfare departments, Governmental Human rights, departments, etc. | International Organizations, Welfare Organizations, law firms, NGOs, Old age homes, Private clinics, News, and Media Industry, Entertainment sector, etc. |
| Job Roles | CSR Representative, Community Mobilizer, Health Educator, Journalist, School and Career Counselor, Social Worker, Counselor, etc. | Counselor, Researcher, Consultant, Consultant, Administrator, Journalist, etc. |
| Average Salary | INR 5 Lakhs | INR 6.5 Lakhs |
Source: Payscale
MA Social Work Specializations
Some of the specialized subjects under MA Social Work are discussed below. These subjects will be elective or mandatory based on the university /college offering these courses.
-
MA Social Work Community Development: The outcomes of this specialized course help one to put forth stronger and positive developments in varied and distinct Indian communities so that it can reflect a betterment towards the society.
| Average Fees | INR 80,000 |
| Average Salary | INR 6 Lakhs |
-
MA Social Work Human Resource Management: This program is intended to aid the day-to-day issues that every employee faces in an organization. It strives to balance the management decision towards the production of their employees and the satisfaction of the employees.
| Average Fees | INR 1.5 Lakh. |
| Average Salary | INR 5.7 Lakhs |
-
MA Social Work Family and Child Welfare: This program trains and expertizes the candidates on the variety of family issues, child ill-treatment, abuse, and misbehaviors happening in and around India.
| Average Fees | INR 66, 500 |
| Average Salary | INR 5 Lakhs |
-
MA Social Criminal and Justice: This program strives to aid the needy people who got affected due to the consequences of any criminal activities.
| Average Fees | INR 66, 500 |
| Average Salary | INR 5 Lakhs |
-
MA Social Work Dalit and Tribal Studies and action: This specialized program is objected to aid the people who suffer in accordance with their lower categorical castes and origin of living in the mountainous/forest regions in India.
| Average Fees | INR 66, 500 |
| Average Salary | INR 5 Lakhs |
MA Social Work Job Prospects and Career options
Candidates passing out of MA Social Work usually get placed in the arena of social work (i.e.) helping the needy people at the right time.
- MA Social Work degree holders could mostly be placed as social workers in a variety of governmental and non-governmental organizations paying him/her around INR 4 Lakhs.
- Other roles that these degree holders can grasp are Counselor; Customer Service Representative; Journalist; and Community Mobilizer.
- The average salary drawn could be around INR 5 Lakhs.
- Zee Media, Hindustan Times, Apollo Munich are the top firms that place them post completion of the MA Social Work degree.
Job roles that the MA Social Work holders could serve are as follows:
| Job Profile | Job Description | Average Salary in INR |
|---|---|---|
| Social Worker | They are trained in the different ways of helping people around them including Child and Labour supports | 4 Lakhs |
| Counselor | They are trained to help needy people through their motivational and intricating speech. | 2.5 Lakhs |
| Customer Service Representative | They are trained to help the customers to solve their issues, usually through phones or mail. | 2.5 Lakhs |
| Journalist | They are responsible to create true and meaningful news so that others can be aware of the world around them. | 3.5 Lakhs |
| Community Mobilizer | They are responsible for making sustainability between the human and other non-human sources around us. | 2 Lakhs |
Source: PayScale
MA Social Work Scope
Some of the future scopes that the MA Social Work graduates have are:
- Healthcare demand: Our nation is always in need of social workers towards the aim of providing quality medical facilities. Thus, these social workers can get easily placed.
- Substance Abuse requirements: These social workers have much scope in the arena of substance abuse. The rate of such crimes in our country is so high that we need a helping hand to maintain and reduce them.
- Higher studies in the allied discipline: Doing a Master’s degree in Social Work creates a scope to take the desired doctoral level courses on Political Science or Sociology or any other allied discipline related to Social Work.
- Placement in Governmental arena: Post completion of social allied master degrees, the candidates might get placed in many of the governmental organizations but not limited to the arenas like Child, women, and human welfare departments in India. Not just that, the scope for the educational sector and Medicare is also on hike.
- Additional Career as a Journalist: As a trained social worker, they also can get placed as a journalist in the news and media industry. Some might get opportunities to work as an Investigative journalist depending upon the expertise they gather during their master’s degree.
MA Social Work FAQs
Ques. What does MA Social Work stand for?
Ques. Which is the topmost institution offering MA Social Work?
Ques. What are the common entrance exams towards the admission into MA Social Work courses?
Ques. Which sectors are paying well for MA Social Work candidates?
Ques. What are the options after MA Social Work?
Ques. Whether any entrance exams pertaining to MA Social Work admission got affected because of the current pandemic?
Ques. Whether any eligibility test exempts the candidates from appearing in entrance exams in India?
Ques. List some top governmental institutions offering MA Social Work?
Ques. List some top private institutions offering MA Social Work?
Ques. What is the significance of studying MA Social Work courses in India?
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