SOCIAL-WORK

PROFILE

The Department of Social Work, Andhra University was established in 1957 to provide professional training in the discipline of Social Work. Social Work is a professional service rendered by the trained persons to the needy and maladjusted, so as to enable them to lead a personally satisfying and socially acceptable life. Social Work has been recognized all over the world as a professional service which is based on the democratic principles and philosophy. It believes in the human values and respect for the individual worth and dignity. It has a body of knowledge, methods, strategies, approaches and techniques to work with individuals, groups and communities to promote their functional efficiency and welfare. In this process, it deals with different segments of the populations namely children, youth, aged, physically handicapped, women, weaker sections and under privileged sections. The major goal of social work is to improve human well-being and help to meet the basic needs of all people. Social workers help to empower individuals, especially those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. Social workers are committed to social justice and enhancing the quality of life for individuals, families, groups, communities and systems.

Vision of the Department: Contribute to building a new social order based on human dignity and social justice and to provide inclusive and quality education in social work.

Mission of the Department: Develop leaders in social work practice and research whose work advances professional values, knowledge, and skills through programmes and policies that enhance well-being and promote human rights and social justice at the local, national, and global level

The Department offers a regular two years M.A. Social Work programme with four specializations: (i) Medical & Psychiatric Social Work, (ii) Community Development (iii) Family and Child Welfare (iv) Industrial Relations and Personnel Management. The Department also offersDoctoral Programme in Social Work (Ph.D). The teaching methodology comprises classroom instructions, fieldwork, seminars, group discussions and skill development workshops. Along with the classroom teachings, the students gain practical knowledge through observational visits, concurrent field work, consecutive field work and block field work. The students gain the research skills through the project work which is made compulsory in 4th semester of their course.

The Department of Social Work, Andhra University produced many starworts in the field of Social Work education namely like Prof. K.V. Ramana, Former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University (1988-1991), Prof. B.R.K.Raju, Former Advisor to Government of India on Youth Affairs and National Services, Yedla C. Simhadri, Former Vice-Chancellor to four Universities such as Acharya Nagarjuna University, Andhra University, Banaras Hindu University and Patna University. Prof. B. Devi Prasad, Former Director, Centre for Social Studies, Surat and Prof. S.V. Sudhakar, Founder Vice-Chancellor of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar University, Srikakulam. The faculty of this department have actively engaged in academic, research and extension work for which it collaborates closely with the Government, Corporate and Voluntary Sector through various ways like training personnel to enhance service delivery through technical assistance, helping in policy/program formulation, undertaking need assessment, impact evaluation studies, programme implementation and outreach services in the area of IR, HR, CSR and agenda related to Sustainable development goals.