MSW Syllabus and Subjects

The focus area of the MSW syllabus is to provide an in-depth understanding of social work in India and the various practices associated with it. MSW subjects cover topics such as healthcare, childcare, psychology, sociology, etc along with core subjects and other specializations for further skill development.

The MSW course syllabus is designed in accordance with the curriculum guidelines provided by the Ministry of Education. The MSW course subjects aim to provide knowledge on several areas of social work and its various applications.

Any MSW subject is skill-oriented and provides knowledge of the best industry practices. The MSW job scope is vast as graduates can acquire relevant skills and expertise to get employed in the private and public sectors. 

Table of Contents

• MSW Syllabus Semester Wise
  • MSW 1st year Syllabus
  • MSW 2nd year Syllabus
• MSW Subjects

MSW Syllabus Semester Wise

MSW syllabus aims to ensure that the students have access to all the vital aspects of the curriculum. The MSW course syllabus may differ slightly depending on the university/college. The MSW syllabus consists of core and elective subjects. The semester-wise MSW syllabus is given below along with the MSW subjects:

MSW 1st year Syllabus

The MSW 1st semester syllabus mainly focuses on the core and foundational aspects of the coursework. The table below contains the MSW subjects in the 1st-year syllabus. 

SEMESTER I	SEMESTER II
History and Philosophy of Social Work	Social Work with Communities
Sociology for Social Work Practice	Rehabilitation and Resettlement
Psychology for Social Work Practice	Social Work Research
Social Work & Research and Quantitative Analysis	Visual Culture
Human Growth and Development	Human Rights and Social Legislation
Fieldwork-I	Fieldwork-II

MSW 1st year Practical Subjects

MSW syllabus includes practical coursework in curriculum for efficient learning. Some of the practical topics in the 1st year MSW course syllabus are listed below:

• Highlighting a current local problem requiring interventions
• Application of research methods in a controlled environment
• Playing the role of facilitator in an imaginative program
• suggestions for innovative interventions to ameliorate the situation

MSW 2nd year Syllabus 

Dissertations or projects are mandatory coursework under the MSW 4th sem syllabus. The table below contains the MSW syllabus for the second year. 

SEMESTER III	SEMESTER IV
Social Work and Disaster Management	Corporate Social Responsibility
Social Policy and Planning	Social Work Administration
Women & Social Work	Rural-Urban Community Development
Social Work Administration	Electives
Electives	Fieldwork – IV
Fieldwork – III	Dissertation Project

MSW 2nd year Practical Subjects

The practical topics under MSW 2nd-year syllabus are listed below:

• Acquire skills in systematic observation 
• Personality build-up for volunteerism
• Recording people’s voices on their experiences of social exclusion
• Suggestions for evolving strategies for solving the problem

MSW Subjects

The MSW subjects aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of social work education and community development. MSW course subjects are mostly similar for all the colleges, but they may vary depending on the institution's course module. Listed below are the core and elective subjects of the MSW course syllabus:

Core Subjects:

• History of Social Work
• Social Work Research and Quantitative Analysis
• Rehabilitation and Resettlement
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Human Rights and Social Legislation
• Social Legislation and Labour Welfare
• Social Policy and Planning

Elective Subjects:

• Human Resource Management 
• Labour Legislation and Labour Welfare 
• Medical Social Work
• Industrial Relations 
• Medical Social Work
• Livelihood Promotion 
• Public Health for Social Workers 
• Social Entrepreneurship

MSW Subjects in Detail:

MSW syllabus offers a wide range of subjects in the area of social work and community development. A detailed view of several MSW subjects is given below:

MSW Course. Subjects	Topics Covered
History of Social Work	Social work, Social welfare, Evolution of social work in India, Social work education, Social change, contemporary ideologies of social work & social change
Social Work Research	Research design, Methods of data collection, Statistics, Participatory Rural Appraisal and Questionnaire Survey, Methodology and Techniques of Social Research
Human Growth and Development	Life span perspectives, Family life cycle, Family life enrichment programs, Child Development, Developmental Psychology, Psychiatry for Social Workers
Rehabilitation and Resettlement	Types of Displacements, Role of Professional in facilitating proper R&R, Institutional Arrangement and Legal Framework
Social Legislation and Labour Welfare	Social Legislations, Legislations for STs, Role of NGOs in Social Reformation, Labour Welfare and Constitutional Provisions
Social Work Administration	Concept of administration, Social work administration & Management, Voluntary agencies, Fundraising, Public relations, Problems of Voluntary Agencies

MSW Course Structure

The MSW course syllabus is designed to impart both practical and theoretical knowledge, allowing students to work in real-life situations which helps them gain hands-on experience. The MSW course structure is as follows:

• Core subjects
• Elective subjects
• Fieldwork
• Workshops
• Debates/ Research
• Internships

MSW Teaching Methodology and Techniques

MSW course focuses on different aspects of social issues and solutions to overcome the problems in society. The course is designed based on industry requirements and helps get the most exposure to the field. Listed below are some of the general teaching methods and techniques:

• Lectures
• Assignments
• Case studies
• Research work
• Fieldwork
• Internships

MSW Projects

Students do MSW research or dissertation projects in the final year where they apply what they've learned in the MSW program and apply it to their future careers. Some of the common project topics are:

• Barriers To Housing Faced By Transitional Age Foster Youth When Transitioning Out Of Care
• Recognizing Child Abuse In The Classroom
• The Experience Of Trauma And Psychological And Behavioral Problems In Adult Children Of Alcoholics
• Perception Of Mental Health Among The Latinx Community

MSW Books

The Master of Social Work assists students in understanding the curriculum and subjects better. Students can also download the MSW syllabus PDF to have a thorough understanding of the course from respective college websites. The following are some of the most popular MSW books:

Name	Author
International Social Work	Cox, David & Manohar Pawar
Personality Development	Elizabeth Hurlock
A Dialectic Journey of Theory and Practice	J.M. Papa
Social Work Practice - A Generalist Approach	Yagna J. Stephen & Johnson C. Louise
Voluntary Social Welfare in India	Paul Choudry

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