Announcing the launch of the School of Social Work & Social Development

Date: 25 Mar 2025

Overview Of School Of Social Work & Social Development

SUSS plays an important role in the national agenda of developing professionally competent social workers1. There is scope and prospect for SUSS to play a prominent role through the School of Social Work & Social Development, as the nexus between social work academia and the social service sector, with four strategic thrusts:

  1. Shape social work education that has an applied and interdisciplinary focus that prepares students to be ready for the social work profession.
  2. Advance career and talent development of social workers and social service practitioners through life-long learning.
  3. Develop social work leaders to contribute to social policies as well as pragmatic, effective and innovative solutions to enhance social service delivery systems.
  4. Collaborate with partners to promote and conduct applied and practice research in social work, with the end goal of building a body of social work knowledge and evidence-based interventions relevant to Singapore and the Asian context

The School of Social Work & Social Development is envisaged to be a flagship school in SUSS, fully aligned with our mission to achieve social good through purposeful continuous learning, applied research and impactful partnerships.

The School serves as a prime nexus between academia, social work professionals and the larger social service sector in advancing societal well-being with the support of strategic partners in the sector such as Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), National Council of Social Service (NCSS), Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board (SWAAB) as well as various social service agencies.

The new school will be launched in Q3 of 2025 and will be located in SUSS’ current campus


Purpose And Objectives Of The School Of Social Work & Social Development

The establishment of the school is to:

  • Develop more qualified social work professionals, especially with an ageing population and growing complexity of contemporary social issues
  • Inform national social development policies
  • Advocate for positive social impact across communities
  • Advance interdisciplinary learning and applied research on social issues,

At present, there are only two universities in Singapore that provide undergraduate and graduate social work degree programmes – the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and National University of Singapore (NUS). In line with SUSS’ role as the applied university for social good, the new School of Social Work & Social Development will seek to enhance social work education and provide thought leadership and industry-engaged training, ensuring that the social service sector will continue to be at the forefront of fulfilling Singapore’s vision of a caring and inclusive society.

This year, MSF is spotlighting and celebrating our Social Service Professionals who are the heart of the social service sector. The launch of the new School is timely as

  • MSF has designated 2025 as the Year of Celebrating Social Service Professionals to recognise and celebrate the contributions of professionals in the social service sector.
  • Over the years, Social Service Professionals have tirelessly contributed to uplifting those in need and ensuring no one is left behind. Many of them serve with passion, and dedicate their lives to helping others.

How The School Will Prepare Students For Professional Practice

The new School will be an active partner in Singapore’s social compact and future, collaborating with stakeholders to find the best ways to uplift the vulnerable, and support Singaporeans to meet their life aspirations.

At the undergraduate level, this means a closer integration of the programme with the different areas of social work (e.g. protection, disability, healthcare), through areas of concentration in the social work curriculum. It also means an enhanced practicum experience in close collaboration with industry partners in the students’ chosen area.

The undergraduate curriculum will also be streamlined with graduate offerings that curate the mature social worker’s development in the various social work areas, while at the same time also providing development opportunities for those who may want to switch to other social work areas, or even develop adjacent competencies (e.g. counselling, clinical psychology, management, digital competencies) that will allow them to refresh their careers in the sector.

At the postgraduate level, a pivotal area in which the new School will make a significant contribution is the development of social work thought and practice leaders through two specialised tracks, ‘Policy and Management’ and ‘Professional Clinical Practice’.
The role of strong leadership in social work is essential for the advancement of the sector, facilitating the transformation of future practice and the creation of innovative service delivery models that incorporate emerging technologies, all while focusing on social sustainability.

It will also offer reskilling opportunities to those seeking to switch into social work from another industry. Graduate offerings will continue to be stackable, in keeping with SUSS’ educational model that facilitates adult learning.

The interdisciplinary curriculum of our four social work programmes to develop social work students for an internationally recognised profession and academic discipline is based on the National Social Work Competency Framework2 (NSWCF). Our programmes are recognised by the primary social work professional bodies – SASW and SWAAB.


Dean And Faculty Members

Dr Vincent Ng Chee Keong will be appointed as the Dean of the School of Social Work & Social Development.

Previously, Dr Ng served as the CEO of Allkin Singapore, leading its growth into a multi-service agency supporting vulnerable populations. A recipient of the Outstanding Social Worker Award (OSWA) 2017, he has contributed to developing award-winning social workers. Vincent also serves on several national boards and committees, providing insights from a social work perspective.

All 10 existing full-time faculty staff from the social work team in NSHD will be transferred to the School, with progressive recruitment of more full-time faculty staff to keep pace with the increase in graduate and CET enrolment.

They will bring a wealth of expertise in specialised areas of social work, supported by both extensive practical experience (local and international) and a strong academic background.


Programmes, Curriculum And Intake Details

The School of Social Work & Social Development will continue to offer the existing social work programmes (three part-time programmes and one full-time programme):

  • the Bachelor of Social Work (part-time)
  • the Graduate Diploma in Social Work (part-time)
  • the Master in Social Work (part-time)
  • and the Bachelor of Social Work (full-time)

The part-time programmes have two admission intakes a year, in January and July, while the Bachelor of Social Work (full-time) only has one intake in August.

To develop social work professionals who are attuned to the practice in the sector, the new undergraduate social work curriculum will allow students to undertake areas of concentration that aligns with various areas of social work practice. Students’ practicum will also be aligned with these areas of concentration so that students have ample opportunities to translate what they learn in the classroom into practice, and vice versa. These areas of concentration are:

  1. protection,
  2. family social work,
  3. children and youth work,
  4. eldercare,
  5. disability services,
  6. juvenile justice and correctional settings, and
  7. healthcare and related settings

Graduate offerings will continue to be stackable, in keeping with SUSS’ educational model that facilitates adult learning.


Partnerships With Organisations In The Social Work Space And Beyond

With the formation of the new School, greater effort will be directed towards developing and promoting practice research in the social service sector by partnering with a diverse range of organisations, including social service agencies, governmental bodies, and hospitals.

A dedicated school focused on social work and social development will also attract high-calibre partnerships with leading organisations and experts in the field, fostering collaboration in key areas such as applied research, field education through practicum placements, symposiums and conferences, and training and continuous education programmes. For instance, in partnership with SASW, SUSS already offers training to enhance social work practitioners’ skills as practice educators. These initiatives will strengthen the sector’s ability to address complex social challenges and contribute to the advancement of social work practice.

The new School will be collaborating with MSF to enhance the practicums in MSF Protective Services for SUSS' social work undergraduates who opt for a concentration in protection. This will provide them with the essential skills and experience needed to engage in protection work.

1 Please refer to the speech by the Minister for Social and Family Development in 2023 on the role of SUSS in developing social service professionals. https://www.msf.gov.sg/media-room/article/speech-by-minister-masagos-zulkifli-at-social-service-awards-and-graduation-ceremony-4-nov-2023.

2 Please refer to the following documents for more details. https://www.msf.gov.sg/docs/default-source/resources-document/social-service-skillsfuture-tripartite-taskforce-report-2022.pdf. https://www.skillsfuture.gov.sg/docs/default-source/skills-framework/skills-framework-for-social-service_booklet_fa_20181228_ssg_v01final.pdf?sfvrsn=571df84e_3

 

For media queries, please contact:

Ms Melissa Ho
Public Relations Executive
Singapore University of Social Sciences
E: [email protected]
T: +65 6248 9138