Overview

The Department of Social Work was established in 2003 as part of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Sargodha. It offers teaching and research for students, scholars and practitioners concerned with social welfare, public policy and the experiences of people facing poverty, discrimination and exclusion. Its degree programmes are BS, MPhil and PhD in Social Work. BS Social Work 5th Intake provides an additional entry route into the fifth semester of the undergraduate programme. The curriculum combines theoretical foundations with practical learning and is periodically reviewed and revised in accordance with Higher Education Commission (HEC) guidelines. Current admission requirements, available intakes, fees and deadlines are published through the University's admissions portal at https://admissions.su.edu.pk/. The faculty includes seven PhD and four MPhil degree holders. Their specialisations cover social welfare and social policy, social gerontology, human rights, child labour, mental health, gender-based violence, the feminization of poverty, and the welfare of persons with disabilities. Students have access to the University's central library and digital library to support their coursework and research. Fieldwork settings in Sargodha include Children Home (Female), Children Home (Male), Shelter Home, Women Transitional Home, Community Development, the Medical Social Services Unit at DHQ Hospital and Sanat Zar, under the Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal Department, Government of the Punjab. Students also undertake fieldwork at SOS Village Sargodha and with the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) and Parole and Probation services. These settings expose students to how organisations respond to individual, family and community needs. The University's memorandum of understanding with NCHD provides a framework for student training, field exposure and academic and research collaboration. The Department serves as the coordinating entity for the University under this agreement. Faculty research includes the completed RASTA Project No. 07-337, supported through the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), titled Precarization as an Instrument of Governing Khawaja Sira Community and the Provision of Social Protection in Pakistan. The study examined the social and institutional conditions shaping insecurity and access to formal and informal support, connecting lived experiences of marginalization with questions about welfare provision and public responsibility. Graduates work in the Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal Department, Parole and Probation services, Local Government and Rural Development, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), government colleges and universities, and national and international non-governmental organisations. Many are pursuing higher education at universities across Europe. These pathways encompass welfare practice, community development, programme administration, research and teaching. The Department office is located in Ibne-Khaldun Block, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. For inquiries, email [email protected] or telephone 048-9230900.