Bachelor of Social Work (Hons.)

The Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) is a four-year undergraduate degree offered by the department of social work at Sacred Heart College, Thevara. The curriculum, aligned with the latest FYUGP syllabus, is designed to nurture empathetic and professionally competent social workers.

BSW at SH:

  • Legacy of Excellence: Established in 1944, the college has a long-standing commitment to academic excellence, social responsibility and community engagement.
  • Values and Ethics: The program is deeply rooted in the core values of social work fostering a deep sense of commitment to social justice, equality and inclusivity.
  • Holistic Education: combines field-based learning, deeply rooted in research and a broad choice of minors and multi-disciplinary courses.
  • Service Learning: mandatory training and practice in civic engagement leading to service-learning certification.
  • Strong Community Engagement: opportunities for internships and placements with local self-government institutions, non-governmental organizations and CSR projects.
  • Placement Support: career guidance and professional grooming through the placement cell to facilitate student’s career advancements.

  • Medical and Psychiatric Social Work
  • Labour Welfare Social Work

Higher studies:
Graduates of the BSW (Honours) programme can pursue postgraduate studies in Social Work (MSW) and allied disciplines such as Sociology, Counselling, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Public Health, Criminology, and Human Resource Management. They are also eligible for professional programmes like MBA, MA in Social Sciences, and Public Policy, as well as civil service examinations and research fellowships in social sciences and development sectors.

Employment:
The BSW (Honours) programme equips students with professional knowledge, field-based skills, and ethical grounding to work with individuals, families, groups, and communities. Graduates find employment in government departments, non-governmental organisations, hospitals, schools, industries, rehabilitation centres, and international development agencies. The degree provides a strong foundation for a career dedicated to promoting human welfare, social justice, and community well-being.

Career Pathways include

  1. Medical and Psychiatric Social Worker
  2. Community Development Officer
  3. Child Protection and Welfare Officer
  4. Human Resource and Employee Welfare Executive
  5. Social Researcher and Policy Analyst
  6. School Social Worker and Counsellor
  7. Project Coordinator / NGO Professional
  8. Civil Services and Government Sector Roles

Discipline Specific Core Courses

These are the Discipline Specific Core (DSCs) mandatory courses across semesters for social work major:
1. Professional Social Work
2. Philosophical Foundations of Social Work
3. Social Work Practice with Communities & Social Action
4. Social Work Practicum Lab I
5. Social Analysis and Strategies for Social Change
6. Social Work Practice with Individuals & Groups
7. Social Work Practicum Lab II
8. Practicing Social Work
9. Administration of Service Organisations
10. Legal Information and Human Rights Practice in Social Work
11. Social Work Research
12. Counselling and Therapies in Social Work Practice
13. Social Work Practicum Lab V

Discipline Specific Electives (DSE) offered across semesters:
1. Poverty, Inequality and Social Welfare (For specializations: Development Social Work, Medical and Psychiatric Social Work, Labour Welfare Social Work, Multicultural Social Work)
2. Perspectives of Community Development (Development Social Work)
3. Medical and Psychiatric Social Work (Medical and Psychiatric Social Work)
4. Human Resource Management and Development (Labour Welfare Social Work)
5. Social Work with Differently Abled (Multicultural Social Work)
6. Green Social Work (Development Social Work)
7. Public Health and Medical Social Work (Medical and Psychiatric Social Work)
8. Labour Welfare (Labour Welfare Social Work)
9. Gerontological Social Work (Multicultural Social Work)
10. Social Work Practicum Lab IV (Health Setting) (Medical and Psychiatric Social Work)
11. Social Work Practicum Lab IV (PRI Setting) (Development Social Work)
12. Social Work Practicum Lab IV (Labour Setting) (Labour Welfare Social Work)
13. Social Work Practicum Lab IV (Social Work with NGOs/programmes addressing disability) (Multicultural Social Work)
14. Project Designing and Management
15. Disaster Management (Development Social Work)
16. Mental Health and Introduction to Mental Disorders (Medical and Psychiatric Social Work)
17. CSR and Social Work Practice (Labour Welfare Social Work)
18. Correctional Social Work Practices (Multicultural Social Work)
19. Social Work Practicum Lab VI

Foundation Courses (MDC, SEC, VAC) offered by the Department of Social Work

MDC (Multidisciplinary Courses)

  1. Pro-social Behaviour and Active Citizenship
  2. Social Science Perspectives for Social Analysis
  3. Human Behaviour and Life Span Development
  4. Positive Mental Health and Well-being
  5. Kerala Model Development and Sustainable Development

VAC (Value Added Courses)

  1. Gender Diversity and Inclusion
  2. Psychological First Aid and Crisis Interventions
  3. Social Innovations and Entrepreneurship

SEC (Skill Enhancement Courses)

  1. Communication for Development
  2. Technology for Social Work Practice
  3. Career Planning and Professional Enhancement

The Bachelor of Social Work (Hons.) programme mandates the completion of 1,020 hours of supervised fieldwork across eight semesters, carrying a total of 34 academic credits.

EC Office
  • 85472 20360
VP
  • 85472 84360
E-mail
  • eastcampus@shcollege.ac.in
Contact Address
  • East Campus,
  • Sacred Heart College,
  • Pandit Karuppan Road, Thevara,
  • kochi,682013,
  • Kerala,India