The institute was established in 1981 with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and in 1985, a decree was issued to officially create it. At that time, the institute trained social workers for two years to be directly appointed to various regional centers and delegations of National Cooperation.

At the same time, and until 1990, the institute trained social assistants for the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and supervised continuous training for National Cooperation employees.

The missions of the National Institute of Social Work were extended by a 1997 decree related to the creation of the institute’s second cycle, but this latter cycle did not start until the academic year 2005–2006. The duration of the training is up to 4 years.

This phase coincided with the huge need for social workers, especially with the launch of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), which gave a significant boost to the institute’s missions and future.

The institute trains social managers for 4 years and social advisors for 2 years for the first cycle, and these students can continue their studies in the second cycle based on merit.

As a result, the intake capacity doubled to reach 160 students annually for all levels.