From hospitals and hospices, to child welfare agencies, policy nonprofits and animal sanctuaries, Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) field education internships will give you the chance to begin practicing your social work skills right away in a wide variety of settings and specialties. You’ll gain valuable experience working with clients, systems and communities in professional settings, under the supervision and mentorship of master’s-level social workers.
Although fieldwork is an accreditation requirement for social work education, not all field education experiences are the same. At the Graduate School of Social Work, we offer some extras.
You get to choose.
You’ll take an active role in choosing your own internships. With 750 internship options available, you’re sure to find something that fits your interests.
You have support.
Your field supervisor and the members of our field team will actively support you as you choose and complete your internships. Before you start your internship search, you’ll meet individually and discuss your interests with a member of the field education team, who will guide you in the right direction.
You apply what you learn right away.
Because you’ll be completing your internships and classes at the same time, you’ll be able to practice the concepts, theories and skills you’re learning in the classroom.
You will complete two internships. In your foundation curriculum, your internship will build upon your generalist social work values, knowledge and skills as you discover which aspect of the profession interests you most. In your specialization curriculum, your internship will focus on competencies required for advanced social work practice within your academic specialization and certificate program (if applicable).
Foundation year total hours: 400
Foundation year hours per week: 13.5
Concentration year total hours: 500
Concentration year hours per week: 16.5
Denver Campus Advanced-Standing MSW Program Field Placements
You will complete one internship during your program, focused on competencies required for advanced social work practice within your MSW specialization and certificate program (if applicable).
We offer more than 700 internship options in the Denver metro area, across Colorado and abroad. Students intern in traditional settings such as hospitals, government agencies and schools as well as non-traditional community practice settings like Café Cultura or Friends of Enca Farm. Explore some of our field internship options:
New Mexico VA Healthcare System
Provide integrated health care services to veterans.
Denver Food Rescue, a GSSW field placement, saves produce from grocery stores, farmers markets and distributors that would otherwise be thrown away. The food is then redistributed to organizations that work with food-insecure communities. Watch how our MSW interns help sustain this work.
During her field internship, MSW student Kaylee Keuthan developed programming to teach children and families about the connection between animals and the environment at the Zoology Foundation. Learn more about this field placement through the Institute for Human-Animal Connection.
Because you will need to be at your internship during agency business hours and during times when your field supervisor is available, evening and weekend hours are very limited.
Denver Campus Info Sessions
Connect with Our Community: Events for Prospective Students
It’s easy to connect with us — whether you’d like to meet virtually or visit campus in person.
Virtual MSW Information Sessions: Wednesdays—Join us for a one-hour virtual session to explore what sets our Denver Campus MSW program apart.
Virtual 1:1 Zoom Calls—Our GSSW Admission Ambassadors are current MSW students who can provide first-hand experience and help answer your program questions.
On-Campus MSW Information Session & Campus Tour (In-Person Visit): Saturdays — Prefer to explore in person? Experience GSSW during this half-day visit to the University of Denver. You’ll tour GSSW and the DU campus, meet current students and staff, and enjoy a provided lunch.
