Department of Social Work – Page 5 – NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Welcome

The Department of Social Work at FASS started in 1952 and provides professional social work education at the Undergraduate, Post-Graduate Diploma, Masters and PhD level. We have a dynamic team of faculty and students who are passionate about enhancing social well-being along the individual to societal levels using a variety of methods relevant to today's society.

Vision

To be a leading educational and research institution within the international social work community, providing a distinctive Asian perspective in social work and social development.

Mission

To produce and develop competent social work graduates who can contribute to the well-being of society by:
- Promoting the social functioning of people within the environment from the perspectives of the individual, family and community;
- Enabling the development of human potential to the fullest;
- Undertaking research and creating awareness and understanding of social issues and social change.
To lead in the development and promotion of regional social work education, practice and research in collaboration with Asian and other international partners.

What is Social Work?

Social work is a profession that seeks to improve the social functioning of individuals, families, and the community in general. Social workers are change agents informed by a belief in respect for the equality, worth, and dignity of all people, drawing on theories of human development and behaviour and social systems to facilitate this change.

Human rights and social justice serve as the motivation and justification for social work action. In solidarity with those who are disadvantaged, the profession strives to alleviate poverty and to liberate vulnerable and oppressed people in order to promote social inclusion.

What do social workers do? Where do they work?

As professionals, social workers provide developmental, preventive and remedial intervention utilising social work principles, knowledge, skills and ethics in discharging their responsibilities. This requires that the social worker attains a Degree in Social Work or a Graduate Diploma in Social Work or other accredited Social Work degree qualifications.

Social workers work in a variety of settings, including but not limited to:

CLICK HERE for information on general guidelines on the pay scale for a social worker.

Disclaimer: Any information displayed is correct at time of publication. Some information has been adapted from the Singapore Association of Social Workers (SASW).

Students: Get hands-on learning in your research interests/projects!

Research in the Social Work Department is integrated with our practice and teaching of social work. Many of our research projects analyse trends on issues of societal concern, and evaluate policies, programmes and services for populations in need.

Research also provides hands-on learning to students who are engaged in the projects. Our staff are involved in a variety of research projects. Students interested in a specific area or research interest can contact the respective Professors for more information.

CLICK HERE to hear what each of our Professors has to share!

Latest Updates for Undergraduates

News

July 14, 2022

Former Gang Member Graduates from NUS with Honours

Gary Lau overcame his challenging childhood, having less than stellar PSLE and N-level results, being part of a street gang in his early teens, to graduate with a B.Soc.Sci. (Hons) in Social Work with the highest distinction on 7 July 2022.

July 7, 2022

Commencement 2022: Kickstarting a Season of Celebration and Achievement

NUS celebrates the milestone accomplishments of 13,975 graduates through 28 in-person ceremonies.

June 20, 2022

New FCAB Training Curriculum for Frontline Officers and Volunteers Supporting Low-income in Singapore

Developed by the Next Age Institute (NAI) with Citi Foundation’s funding, the new Financial Capability and Asset Building (FACB) training curriculum follows success of training programme for social workers rolled out in 2020.

May 6, 2022

NUS CHS Open House 2022: Discover #Interdisciplinary Education!

Marking a cautiously calibrated return of the University to the normalcy of hosting large on-site events, this year’s CHS Open House is a two-day hybrid programme: 11 May on Zoom (and viewable on CHS’ Facebook page) and 14 May on several locations across the NUS Kent Ridge campus, specifically the areas around the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS), and the Faculty of Science (FoS).

April 6, 2022

Low-income Singaporean Mothers’ Mental Health didn’t Worsen During COVID-19

A team of NUS researchers from NUS Social Work led by Head of Department Associate Professor Esther Goh has conducted a novel study to examine COVID-19’s impact on the levels of depression and anxiety of low-income Singaporean mothers and their coping strategies, and found that the mental health of financially-poor mothers was found to be relatively stable despite having to deal with the uncertainties brought on by the pandemic.

March 28, 2022

“I have HIV but I’m not the HIV” – the experiences of heterosexual Chinese men living with HIV in Singapore

Ms Lai Peng Priscilla Ho (Principal Medical Social Worker, Tan Tock Seng Hospital) and Associate Professor Esther Goh (NUS Department of Social Work) explore the everyday lives of twelve heterosexual Chinese men living with the disease and how it impacts their self-identity in ‘I have HIV but I’m not the HIV – the experiences of …

“I have HIV but I’m not the HIV” – the experiences of heterosexual Chinese men living with HIV in Singapore Read More »