SUSS Launches School of Social Work and Social Development to Strengthen Singapore’s Social Service Sector

Date: 4 Sep 2025

  • SUSS and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to deepen collaboration by co-developing Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes to upskill MSF frontline officers.

Singapore, 4 September 2025 – The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) today celebrated the official launch of its sixth school – the School of Social Work and Social Development (SWSD) – a bold step forward in strengthening Singapore’s social service sector and uplifting communities through education, research, and partnerships. The launch comes as Singapore faces more complex challenges and a projected demand for 2,000 additional social service professionals over the next five years.

From left: Professor Robbie Goh, Provost, SUSS; Mrs Mildred Tan, Chairman, SUSS Board of Trustees; Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Education and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration; Professor Tan Tai Yong, President, SUSS, and Associate Professor Vincent Ng, Dean, SUSS SWSD at the launch.

SWSD seeks to be the premier Centre of Excellence for social work and social development in Singapore and Asia, serving as a critical nexus between academia, social work professionals and the wider social service sector. It aims to bring together knowledge and practice to uplift lives and strengthen the well-being of society.

At the launch, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between SUSS and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to co-develop Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes to upskill MSF frontline officers, starting with officers involved in social service delivery at the Social Service Offices. These programmes will cover foundational skills such as reflective practice and cultural competencies as well as intermediate skills on family intervention and social welfare policy which will enable officers to apply social work theories and concepts in their work with families. The foundation programme includes credit-bearing CET modules and will commence on 11 September 2025.

These CET programmes will train about 250 officers annually. The credit-bearing CET programmes can be accumulated towards achieving SUSS’ higher learning certifications, such as undergraduate degree and graduate diploma. In addition, masterclasses will be conducted to strengthen officers’ competencies and to manage evolving families’ needs effectively.

The event was officiated by Guest-of-Honour Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Education and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration, who marked the occasion with the sealing of a commemorative book. Mr Lee also delivered the keynote speech and shared the importance of strengthening Singapore’s social service ecosystem.

“Today marks not just the launch of a new school, but a new chapter in this journey towards building a strong social work sector, in order to lead boldly in the face of more complex social challenges and to lay a strong foundation for our future. The School of Social Work and Social Development will contribute to this vision by nurturing both current and future generations of social workers to serve communities across Singapore,” said Mr Lee.

Professor Tan Tai Yong, President of SUSS, said, “The launch of the School of Social Work and Social Development affirms our commitment to being an active partner in Singapore’s social compact and future. As our society faces more complex needs, we must develop professionals who are not only well-trained but also deeply connected to the communities they serve, both locally and beyond. The SWSD will play a critical role in equipping them to lead with empathy, collaborate across disciplines, and make a lasting impact.”

Preparing Future-Ready Social Professionals

Led by Associate Professor Vincent Ng, Dean of SWSD, the school aims to develop more professionals, advance interdisciplinary learning and applied research on social issues, and contribute to national policies and advocate for positive social impact across communities.

Its approach is anchored by four strategic thrusts:

  • Promoting lifelong learning to advance career and talent development of social workers and social service practitioners.


  • Fostering applied and interdisciplinary education, grounded in real-world practice and research, so that social work professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values to meet the needs of different communities.


  • Developing leaders for the social sector to shape the future of the sector, and contribute to pragmatic, effective and innovative solutions to enhance social service delivery systems and advance social sustainability.


  • Building impactful partnerships with government, healthcare, community organisations and the private sector to develop social work knowledge and evidence-based interventions that create a real impact in Singapore and Asia.


    • SWSD will continue to offer four existing social work programmes:

    • Bachelor of Social Work (part-time)

    • Graduate Diploma in Social Work (part-time)

    • Master of Social Work (part-time)

    • Bachelor of Social Work (full-time)

    To develop social work professionals who are attuned to the practice in the sector, the undergraduate social work curriculum has been revamped to allow students to undertake areas of concentration that align with various areas of social work practice. Students can select from seven areas including protection, juvenile justice, healthcare, and disability services. Their curriculum will be enhanced by practicum placements with industry players, so that students will have ample opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom into practice.

    (Please see Annex for more information on curriculum and intake.)

    To help meet sector demands, SUSS plans to increase its intake across all social work programmes to approximately 300 students annually. 

    Deepening Collaboration

    The MoU signed today builds on a longstanding partnership between SUSS and MSF to strengthen Singapore’s social service ecosystem.

    • In 2023, MSF, NCSS, and SUSS inked an MoU to deepen collaboration in research, education, and service across the social service and early childhood sectors.

    • In 2024, SUSS co-organised the Asian Family Conference with MSF, bringing together academics, community agencies, and policymakers to advance research relevant to the Asian and local context.

    • In April 2025, SUSS and MSF launched the inaugural Social Services Heritage Trail, commemorating the evolution of Singapore’s social service sector and spotlighting the contributions of social service professionals.


    These initiatives reflect a shared commitment to building a caring and inclusive society through community-government partnerships.

    For more information on SWSD, visit https://www.suss.edu.sg/academics/schools-college/swsd 

    ANNEX


    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 of 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 align 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:

    (i) protection,

    (ii) family social work,

    (iii) children and youth work,

    (iv) eldercare,

    (v) disability services,

    (vi) juvenile justice and correctional settings, and

    (vii) healthcare and related settings

    SWSD will also offer reskilling opportunities for those seeking to switch into social work from another industry.

    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.