The Department of Social Pedagogy was established in 2003 because of opening in the Berdyansk State Pedagogical University the specialty “Social pedagogy”. The next step of the development of the Department was implementation the social pedagogues preparation with an addition specialty “Practical Psychology” (from 2007) and additional specializations: “Preschool Upbringing”, “The Organizer of Cultural and Leisure Time Activity” (from 2003 to 2009), “Social and Legal Security of Juvenile” (from 2011), “Management of Social Institutions” (from 2017).

In 2016 because of changes in Classifier of professions of Ukraine DK 003:2010 and cancellation of “Social Pedagogy” from the professional names of work, the Department of Social Pedagogy was renamed to the Department of Social Work and Inclusive Education.

For 15 year of “Social Work” and “Social Pedagogy” specialties existence in management and teaching staff were changes. In period from 2003 to 2018 the Department was headed by:

	from 2003 to 2004 – Andriy Malikhin Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences (PhD), Associate Professor
	from 2004 to 2015 – Volodymir Kotlyar Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences (PhD), Professor
	from 2015 to 2016 – Olha Hurenko Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor
	from 2016 – Karetyna Petrovska Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences (PhD), Associate Professor

However, the main goal of the Department always is provision of high level of scientific and pedagogical preparation of the teaching staff. During this period 6 candidates of sciences, dissertation researches, which dedicated to actual problems of social pedagogy, social work and professional education were prepared.

Today the teaching staff of the Department of Social Work and Inclusive Education consists of 9 lecturers: Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor O. Hurenko: Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor V. Kotlyar: Candidates of Pedagogical Sciences (PhD), Associate Professors: N. Zaharova, S. Ulyukaev, K. Petrovska, A. Turgeneva, I. Sizonenko; Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences (PhD), Senior Lecturer A. Popova: Assistant N. Mikhaylenko.

Scientific and Researching Themes of the Department

• 2010 – 2013 – “Systemic Approach to Professional and Personal Formation of the Future Social Pedagogue in Conditions of Higher Education Institution”;
• 2014 – 2017 – “Social Sphere Specialists’ Professional TRaining in the Context of the Competence-Oriented Education Paradigm”;
• 2018 – 2021 – “Social and Educational Dominants of Social Sphere and Inclusive Education Specialists’ Professional Training”