Department of Social Work – Page 6 – 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

January 18, 2022

New policies should be tested on the most vulnerable to be more inclusive: NUS Don

In ‘New policies should be tested on the most vulnerable to be more inclusive: NUS don’, The Straits Times reported that during the January 13th Institute of Policy Studies Singapore Perspectives 2022 forum, Associate Professor Irene Ng (NUS Department of Social Work) argued that for policies to be inclusive, they must first be tested out on …

New policies should be tested on the most vulnerable to be more inclusive: NUS Don Read More »

January 14, 2022

FASS Inspiring Mentor 2021 Award Winners Announced

Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 FASS Inspiring Mentor Awards!

January 6, 2022

Winners of AY2020-21 Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards Unveiled

The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is proud to announce the 37 winners of the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award for their work in AY2020‐21, 16 of which have also been nominated for the Annual Teaching Excellence Award(ATEA) and Annual Digital Education Award (ADEA).

January 3, 2022

FASS Announces New Additions to Leadership Team

The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is pleased to announce the most recent appointments to the Faculty’s leadership team.

December 21, 2021

NUS Bags Major PR Award for College of Humanities and Sciences Campaign

One year since the official inauguration of the NUS College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), the publicity campaign for the new College has gained recognition at the recent Public Relations in the Service of Mankind (PRISM) Awards. The University bagged a Distinction Award in the category “Outstanding Campaign by a Non-Government Organisation or Not-For-Profit Organisation” for …

NUS Bags Major PR Award for College of Humanities and Sciences Campaign Read More »

December 8, 2021

An Interview with Emeritus Prof S. Vasoo and Assoc Prof Winston Goh on The Strange Start of Psychology at the National University of Singapore

The Strange Start of Psychology at the National University of Singapore (NUS Department of Psychology, 2021), showcases the history of the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences’ Department of Psychology, Singapore’s oldest psychology programme. The programme, which kicked off during the 86/87 academic year at the Department of Social Work (renamed the Department of …

An Interview with Emeritus Prof S. Vasoo and Assoc Prof Winston Goh on The Strange Start of Psychology at the National University of Singapore Read More »

October 27, 2021

Becoming Digitally Connected: What Holds People Back?

In a recent The Straits Times article, Associate Professor Irene Ng (NUS Social Work & NUS Social Service Research Centre), Dr Natalie Pang (NUS Communications and New Media) and Professor Lim Sun Sun (Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences, SUTD) discuss the factors that prevent people from using digital services. For lower-income families, sometimes fear gets in the way, on top of cost concerns.

October 15, 2021

Why Digital Poverty Deserves Greater Attention

In a recent The Straits Times article, Associate Professor Irene Ng (NUS Social Work & NUS Social Service Research Centre), Dr Natalie Pang (NUS Communications and New Media) and Professor Lim Sun Sun (Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences, SUTD) discuss the social challenge of unequal digital access in Singapore.