The Social Welfare Study Program was established on July 1, 1968, starting from the Faculty of Social Welfare which was established as a faculty that was affiliated with Muhammadiyah University Jakarta (UMJ) which was located on Jl. Bandung No. 1 (now Campus 1). The philosophy of establishing this department is to meet the qualifications of service needs in the field of social welfare guidance and assistance in various Muhamamdiyah Charities (AUM), such as in educational institutions, health institutions and Child and Elderly Social Welfare Institutions. Due to its rapid development and demands for better management, and based on an agreement between the managers of Muhammadiyah universities at that time, the Faculty of Social Welfare of Muhammadiyah University of Malang (UMM) separated itself from Muhammadiyah University Jakarta. In 1982, the Faculty of Social Welfare UMM underwent academic changes from a baccalaureate program to a Bachelor of Strata I (S1) Program.
In 1983 under the leadership of Drs. H. A. Malik Fadjar M.Sc. as dean, and Drs. Imam Suprayogo as secretary, there was a change in nomenclature and the Faculty of Social Welfare became the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Welfare. This significant change affected the management of the academic, student, and administrative fields. In 1985, the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Welfare Sciences, obtained the status of 'Equalized' based on Decree No. 0257/0/1985. In the same year, the Faculty of Social Sciences was transformed into the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP).
Beyond the expectations of faculty managers at that time, alumni of the Social Welfare Science department turned out to be able to contribute in various fields outside AUM including in the government environment. The alumni are spread in various fields of work, such as; teaching staff at various universities, and public and private schools, researchers, practitioners, employees at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, NGOs, Journalists, Legislative Members, Regional Heads, Private Employees and various other fields.
Since 2018 the Social Welfare Science Department has changed to the Social Welfare Study Program based on Decree number: 1355/KPT/I/2018 concerning Changes in the Name of the Study Program. In 2023 for the second time, the Social Welfare Study Program achieved Superior Predicate based on the Decree of the Director of the BAN-PT Executive Board No. 3974/SK/BAN-PT/Ak.Ppj/S/X/2023.
