The College of Social Work was founded in 1955 by a band of valiant women known as Daughters of the Heart of Mary, whose mission was to readily respond to the felt needs of the people according to the signs of the time.

In the years following the Independence of India, the founders – Ms Paiva Couceiro, Ms Collette Galby and Dr Dorothy Baker realized that the nation’s struggle for development would be served not so much by sensitive social concern as by insightful committed action. This led to the conceptualization of a programme of Social Work education to prepare young people to undertake and assist in resolving the existing social problems: widespread poverty, ill health, unemployment, illiteracy and social inequalities. The academic programme was then built on a vision of human dignity and social justice especially with regards to the underprivileged.

The College has forged ahead in the last fifty five years, addressing various concerns of human existence and today (2010) in its fifty-fifth year of existence – has become one of the pioneering institutes of social work education in the country.

The College is affiliated to the University of Mumbai and is the only college offering the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. Degrees in Social Work in the University. It is situated at the southern tip of the sprawling metropolis, about 2 km away from the Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST/VT) and less than a half kilometer away from Churchgate (East) – the two main railway terminus of the city. The College has an Extension Centre in Goregaon (East), towards the northern end of the city, about 30 km away from Churchgate. Both campuses of the College are thus very accessible from anywhere in the city.