The Department of Social Work was established in 1995 and belongs to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The Department makes use of all opportunities to participate in various extension activities in and around the campus.

The postgraduate programme offered by the Department (MSW) is recognised by the social work accreditation councils of the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Our students get their recognitions and accreditations in these countries on the basis of the verification of the course modules they have completed at the University and the field practicum they have undertaken as part of the programme.

There are a number of students who have established their professional careers in social work in these countries, and some of them also pursue higher education programmes on the basis of the postgraduate programmes offered by our Department.

The Social Work discipline and profession aims at planning and implementation of social policies, services and programmes needed to meet basic human needs and to support the development of human capacities and abilities. It facilitates change within the individual in relation to his/her social environment, of the social environment in its effect upon the individual, and of both the individual and social environment in their interaction. The ultimate aim of social work is to promote or restore a mutually beneficial interaction between individuals and society in order to improve the quality of life for everyone.

The social work training and profession, despite having an existence of more than sixty years in the country, has progressed at a slow pace. It is still a developing profession and only limited effort has been made to make it indigenous or Indian. The profession still holds the theoretical and practical foundations of the West and has not made appropriate Indian adaptations. The picture is similar in the context of Kerala as well, and people consider it an alien profession. Hence, an effort to acculturate and adapt modern professional concepts and practices of social work with traditional and cultural perspectives is a long-pending need requiring pioneering initiation and continuous effort.

The Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit was initiated and formed for the preservation and promotion of the social and cultural heritage of India in general and Kerala in particular. The methodological approach was interdisciplinary collaboration and indigenization of traditional and modern theoretical and academic discourses in knowledge generation and dissemination for the betterment of society. The sociological and anthropological ecology around the University is that of a rural village inhabited by middle- and lower-class people who need assistance and leadership in academic and social initiatives.

1. B.S.W.(Bachelor of Social Work)

2. M.S.W. (Master of Social Work)

3. Ph.D. in Social Work

To be an abode of excellence for nurturing and burgeoning young professional visionary social workers, who contribute to the augmentation of human and social capital for the nation through participation, strategic change and empowerment.

• To make a distinction all the way through positive action and live out for establishing the utmost standards of performance in Social Work education and practice with an Indian perspective, through research, knowledge generation, facilitation, training, consulting and extension works.
• To mould young challenging professionals with right attitude, adequate knowledge, and proficient skill to work with individuals, groups and communities for effecting desired social changes at local, national and international realms.
• To craft a constructive and transformative brunt on the existential conditions of people, academic life of the students within the University, and the communities and society at large.

The Department of Social Work is committed to professional social work education, research, training and extension activities, with emphasis on an Indian perspective and the development of individuals, communities and society.

Faculty: View Faculty