Social Work as a subject in the University first started in 1952, when it offered the first professional social work qualification in Singapore, the two-year Diploma in Social Studies. Since then, it has evolved with the changing times, circumstances and requirements of the country into its present form.

The objective of Social Work education at the undergraduate level is to provide basic professional training to equip its graduates for entry into the profession at the direct service level. Continued emphasis is therefore placed on the development of direct service expertise. However, many new graduates are employed to pioneer professional social work in new settings where employers look to them to plan and implement innovative programmes. It has been necessary to take these factors into consideration in planning the Social Work curriculum.

Over the past few years, social work graduates have had increasing demands made on them for skills in such areas as social work research and programme evaluation, management, staff development and social entrepreneurship. The employing organizations are computerising administrative and programmatic procedures and are offering opportunities for the upgrading of professional practice through the use of ICT (information and communication technology). Student learning in these areas has been greatly enhanced by the setting up of a small research and management skills facility within the department, wherein staff and students can work together on computer-related aspects of coursework.

Students are exposed to social service visits, skills training, fieldwork placements and module projects, among other applied learning methods. The fieldwork placements are organized on a flexible basis. A wide variety of placements providing the necessary field-learning experience for these students is made available. Students also learn to document and present projects in which they are involved.

The Social Work curriculum follows the modular system in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Besides the undergraduate degree, Social Work graduate education at NUS is also available, both by coursework and by research.

The Masters and PhD degrees offer graduate students, depending on the course they are enrolled in, a range of modules for advanced direct and indirect social work practice that includes clinical social work intervention with specific client groups, policy analysis and social planning, agency management and programme development, social work research and prgramme evaluation. In addition, the Graduate Diploma in Social Work, with its general and specialization tracks, also enables non-social work degree graduates to pursue professional social work education and for social work graduates in the specialization track to study a particular field in greater depth.

Research in the Social Work Department is integrated with our practice and teaching of social work. Many of our research projects are collaborations with local community partners and international researchers. The projects analyze trends on issues of societal concern, and evaluate policies, programs and services for populations in need. Research also provides hands-on learning to students who are engaged in the projects.