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Social Work

Stella Maris College was the first institution to offer a two-year training in Social Work at the post-graduate Level. Started in 1953 as a one year Diploma in Social Service recognised by the University of Madras, the course was upgraded to a Master's Degree in Social Work, by the University of Madras in 1962. Since then, the Department has been offering professional training in Social Work, with specialisation in three fields of Social Work, namely, Medical and Psychiatric Social work, Family and Child Welfare, and Community Development. Today the department has a reputation of offering one of the best professional programmes in Social Work in the country.

Objectives

The objective of the department is to prepare young women for a career in Social Work through professional training programme aimed at developing in them:

• Scientific knowledge about the dynamics of problems and issues that are of concern in our society.
• Critical thinking regarding policies, plans, programmes and approaches pertaining to different fields of Social Welfare.
• Necessary competence and skills for social work practice in different fields for achieving desirable change and development.
• Attitudes and values necessary for working with individuals, groups, communities and agencies for achieving the objective of the Social Work profession.

The department collaborates with several governmental and non-governmental agencies for research and action projects.

Lab sessions, orientation visits and the rural camp form the introductory component, preparing students for their field in social work. Students are placed in various agencies for concurrent field work during the course. The department offers workshops in street theatre and life-skills which is mandatory for students. On completion of the course the students are placed with social work agencies for a period of 6 weeks so as to fulfil the criteria of Block placement. A Students Forum called 'Unnathi', a students forum enables students to organize seminars conferences and workshops on current issues.

Postgraduate Course

Major Core

• Social Work Profession
• Indian Society
• Understanding Human Behaviour
• Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families - Part I & II
• Social Work Practice with Groups - Part I & II
• Social Work Practice with Communities - Part I & II
• Social Work Research and Applied Social Statistics
• Health Information and Health Education
• Management of Organisations
• Counselling - Theory and Practice
• Women and Development
• Social Policy and Planning
• Electronic Presentation and Data Processing -SPSS
• Dissertation
• Field Work Practicum

Electives

• Social Work Intervention in Disaster Situations
• Social Work Intervention in Prevention, Control & Care of People Living with HIV / AIDS
• Citizenship Participation and Governance
• Social Work intervention in Substance Abuse

Specialisation

Inter-disciplinary Electives common to all PG students

*Every student is expected to take a minimum of one Interdisciplinary Elective.

• Human Resources Management
• Marketing
• Technical Writing
• Writing Feature Stories
• Popular Writing
• Creative Design
• Batik & Tie-dye
• Operations Research
• Marriage and Family Life
• Human Rights and Advocacy
• Media and Development
• Personality Development
• Current Affairs

Value Education

Catholic Doctrine/Ethics/Scripture. All PG students are expected to earn 2 credits over two years.

Workshops

The Department offers compulsory workshops in

• Street theatre
• Life Skills
• Communication and Health Education

Participation in workshops is compulsory.

Field Work

Field Work forms an integral part of the training in Social Work and is intended to develop in the student the skills, attitudes, values and personality characteristics necessary for a professional social worker.

The student will be placed in welfare agencies, hospitals, slums etc. for field work where she will work with people according to their needs.

The field work in the first year will consist of units as given below:

Rural Camp: The first unit will begin with a week long compulsory rural camp. Two members of the faculty will accompany the students for the camp.

Concurrent Field Work: Throughout the two years, the student will be engaged in field work for two days in a week. Each student will be guided and supervised in her field work by a faculty member who will also assess the progress of the student through weekly individual Field instruction sessions. Field Work seminars will also be conducted on a regular basis.In the second year, the students will be placed according to their field of specialisation.

Block Field Work: The second year field work will culminate in Block Field Work for a continuous period of six weeks during the months of May-June. The Block Field Work is compulsory and is intended to give the student an opportunity to work as a full time trainee in a selected organisation in her field of specialisation so as to learn the day-to-day role and tasks of a full time social worker.

Field Work Viva Voce

At the end of each semester, the student will be required to submit a Consolidated Report on Field Work based on her field work experiences whichl form the basis on which the student will have a Viva Voce examination .

Detailed Structure of Field Work

First year

Total Quantum of work required: 600 Hours

Field Work Unit I: Rural Camp, Observation Visits, Skill Laboratory, Field Exposure, Field Seminars, Field Projects.

Field Work Unit II: Concurrent Field Practice.

Field Work Unit III: Viva Voce.

Second Year

Total Qunatum of Work Required: 700 Hours.

Field Work Unit IV: Conurrent field practice in the field of specialisation.

Field Work Unit V: Concurrent field practice in the field of specialisation, in a different setting.

Field Work Unit VI: Viva Voce.

Field Work Unit VII: Block Field Work (Quantum of work expected: 300 Hours).

Dress Regulations

Students are required to wear a saree on all days of field work.

Important

A candidate failing in field work, for any reason, will be required to repeat the field work under supervision during the next academic year and secure at least a minimum of 50% marks.

A student failing in field work in the second year, for any reason, will be required to repeat the field work in the following academic year under supervision and secure at least a minimum of 50% marks.

The student will be permitted to do her Block Field Work only after successful completion of her second year concurrent field work.

A candidate will be eligible for her degree only on completing the Block Field Work successfully.

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