MSW@Denver Field Internship Placement Process & Resources

MSW@Denver Contact Information: 

  • The MSW@Denver placement process is overseen by our 2U partners. Please reach out to your Placement Specialist for support. 
  • If you have questions prior to being assigned a placement specialist or concerns about your placement process, please email fieldplacement@onlinemsw.du.edu AND Field Placement Manager, Erin Clark (erin.e.clark@du.edu)

Please see the information below for more details about the MSW@Denver placement process. 

  • Field Placement Process

    In response to student feedback, we are excited to share that starting for the Fall 2026 field cohort, all MSW@Denver students will receive access to search through the affiliated (current partners) site lists in our database, Experiential Learning Cloud (ELC)!  

    This means you will have more involvement and choice in the placement process. You will search through the affiliated sites listed in ELC, reach out to sites that interest you for interviews, and have more voice and choice in securing an internship that aligns with your learning goals. You also always have the option of introducing us to a new site in your area that is interested in hosting you, and we would take care of the vetting process to affiliate or officially partner with them as a placement site.  

    You will still have an assigned Placement Specialist that will support you during the process. We’re also implementing some new check points that will help in making thoughtful decisions on field readiness and academic planning. 

    See the image below for an overview of the steps in the placement process.

    placement timeline (field 2)
  • Field Placement Search Resources

    MSW@Denver students must watch the Field Orientation Recording (linked here) prior to their Field Advising Appointment. This, along with your other required steps, will be emailed to you prior to scheduling your appointment. 

    Note: This recording is from the orientation for students starting in Fall 26 and beyond; if you are starting in Summer 26 quarter, please refer to the recording sent out to you by your placement specialist.  

    Field Advising Appointments will begin 20-22 weeks prior to your scheduled field start date (~5 months). You will be outreached via email by a placement specialist to sign up for an appointment. It is important to sign up for an appointment promptly. 

    See the placement resource packet for helpful field placement guidance, including:  

    -Placement Timeline 
    -Placement FAQs 
    -Place of Employment and Duplicate Guides 
    -Referral Toolkit 

    Click here to access and download the Field Placement Search Tracker, which you’ll use to track your outreach and progress in your field search. 

  • Field Placement Process Deadlines

    See a visual of the Field Placement Process Deadlines below. 

    image of field placement deadlines

    Review the information below for more details on the specific due dates throughout the placement process:  

    Field Start Date Change 

    • To have your field start date be earlier (i.e. move start date from Fall 26 to Summer 26), you must inform the placement team (fieldplacement@onlinemsw.du.edu) no later than 10 weeks prior to the new field start date you’re requesting 

    • You may push back your placement start date to a later quarter at any point (i.e. from Summer 26 to Fall 26) 

    Referrals 

    • Non-POE referrals due no later than 8 weeks prior to field start date 

    Special Field Arrangements: Place of Employment (POE) + Duplicates 

    • Agency referral for POE site due 16 weeks prior to field start date 

    • POE and duplicate packets due 6 weeks prior to field start date 

    • Agency must complete initial review of Agency Agreement (AA) 8 weeks prior to field start date 

    Final Field Start Decision 

    • If a student has no viable placement leads at least 2 weeks prior to the planned field start date, their field start will be deferred to the following quarter. The purpose of this deadline is to ensure that students have the time and support they need to make informed academic decisions and secure a placement that is a strong fit for their learning goals.  

    • For the purposes of determining field start eligibility, a placement lead is considered viable only when the student has at least one active opportunity that is still progressing toward potential placement. A lead is not considered viable if any of the following apply: 

    1. The student has completed one or more interviews and was not selected, resulting in no remaining opportunities with that site or others. 

    1. There are currently no interviews scheduled and no active prospects. 

    1. The student’s only potential site is delayed due to contracts or agreements being held in legal review, with no confirmed timeline for completion. 

    LOA (leave of absence) return 

    • You must inform the placement team no later than 10 weeks prior to field start date of the quarter in which you wish to return 

    Relocation 

    • A new address must be submitted via the relocation form no later than 10 weeks prior to field start date 

    See specific deadline dates by quarter below: 

    Summer 2026 

    Fall 2026 

    Winter 2027 

    Spring 2027 

    16 weeks: 2/23/26 

    10 weeks: 4/6/26 

    8 weeks: 4/20/26 

    6 weeks: 5/4/26 

    2 weeks: 6/1/26 

    16 weeks: 5/25/26 

    10 weeks: 7/6/26 

    8 weeks: 7/20/26 

    6 weeks: 8/3/26 

    2 weeks: 8/31/26 

    16 weeks: 9/14/26 

    10 weeks: 10/26/26 

    8 weeks: 11/9/26 

    6 weeks: 11/23/26 

    2 weeks: 12/21/26 

    16 weeks: 12/7/27 

    10 weeks: 1/18/27 

    8 weeks: 2/1/27 

    6 weeks: 2/15/27 

    2 weeks: 3/15/27