Sahmyook University Launches "Self-Directed Support Social Work Master's Program"

New Program for Cultivating Customized Talent

The Graduate School of Sahmyook University announced on the 10th that it held the "Consignment Agreement Ceremony and Entrance Ceremony for the Department of Educational Counseling and Welfare (Contract Department) Industry-Academic Education."

Participants are taking a commemorative photo at the consignment agreement ceremony and entrance ceremony of the Graduate School of Educational Counseling and Welfare at Sahmyook University. Sahmyook University

At the event held on the 4th in the main conference hall of the Centennial Memorial Hall on campus, the Graduate School of Sahmyook University signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with seven organizations and companies, welcoming eleven employees as new students.

This year, the Graduate School of Sahmyook University established the nation's first "Self-Directed Support (SDS) Professional Social Worker Master's Degree (MSW) Program" within the Department of Educational Counseling and Welfare.

SDS is a self-directed support model in which users of care and welfare services design and select services tailored to their own needs. This model is being institutionalized in advanced welfare countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia.

This program is designed as a "retraining-type contract department" for employees in the industry. Through a one-year short-term master's program (eight courses, 24 credits), it provides intensive education on SDS theory and practical skills that can be immediately applied in the field.

Classes are conducted in a hybrid format, combining online and offline methods. Graduates can obtain a social worker qualification upon graduation, and there is also an opportunity to acquire a Person-Centered Thinking (PCT) instructor qualification.

With this agreement, Sahmyook University plans to expand its tailored education and practicum system linked to the field and establish a comprehensive industry-academic cooperation network. In particular, in connection with "SDS Network Korea," which was launched under the leadership of Sahmyook University in April, the university will promote the establishment and institutionalization strategies for region-based practical models.

Yoon Jaeyoung, head of the Department of Educational Counseling and Welfare, stated, "The Sahmyook University SDS program will serve as an important stepping stone for the practical implementation of a Korean-style welfare model."