International Courses and Experiences

GSSW offers the opportunity to participate in internationally focused courses and experiences that include academic work followed by an in-country experience. All international courses are 3 credits and fulfill the Values for Practice course requirement for your degree. They can also be used as an elective.

See below for details and faculty contact information to learn more about each course. Availability of courses is dependent on international security risks as well as DU’s current public health protocols and are subject to change based on university risk assessments and/or public health protocol changes.

International Course Planning

Students must be enrolled in and attend all course sessions prior to the international travel opportunity. If you will finish your degree requirements prior to your term of travel, your degree will not be finalized until after the trip is complete. In addition to the course tuition, there is a separate fee for each course. Information about course fees and other anticipated out-of-pocket expenses will be provided by the lead faculty for the course.

MSW@Denver, Western Colorado and Four Corners students: Because the courses are based in the Denver Campus program, you must apply as a Visiting Student at least 6 weeks prior to the term in which the course is held in order to request to take the course. Approval is based on seat availability in the course. Courses will have a virtual attendance option available to visiting students.

MSW@Denver students:

  • If you are planning to take the travel course as your Values for Practice requirement, you will need to complete a Substitution Form to do so. Not sure which courses are Values for Practice courses? Check out your Course Planning Tool.
  • If you will be in a field internship when the travel opportunity is offered, you must have time away from your internship pre-approved by your agency. Connect with your GSSW Field Liaison first.

International Opportunities

people dancing in a group

South Africa

Social Work and Social Justice in South Africa

This 3-credit course is offered in partnership with Educo Africa and takes place within the Black and Coloured townships of Cape Town, South Africa. There will also be a wilderness component with South African social workers to lay a foundation for understanding local and global issues.

Travel Dates: November and December 2025- Specific Dates : November 24-December 7.

South Africa Faculty Coordinator

 
group of students in Bosnia

Bosnia

PLEASE NOTE: The Bosnia in Transition course is on hold at this time and will not be offered. 

Bosnia in Transition — The Social Work Response

Learn firsthand about the social work response in post-war, post-genocide Bosnia through a social justice lens. The social, cultural, historical, political, economic, religious, legal and ethnic characteristics of the former Yugoslavia are explored as context for studying the genocide that occurred in the 1990s against Bosnian Muslims.

In addition to the learning that will occur in the classroom at GSSW, students travel to Bosnia for two weeks in June/July. You'll be exposed to the local, national and international efforts toward rebuilding and healing through lectures provided by faculty at the University of Sarajevo School of Social Work, interaction with Bosnian social work students, visits to NGOs focused on post-war efforts, visits to sites important during the war, visits to war tribunal sites and exposure to current legal, economic and human service processes. A key element of the program is the time spent with survivors of the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica genocide.

Open to all GSSW students, this course fulfills the Values for Practice or Elective course requirement. It also fulfills a requirement for the Global Social Work Certificate.

Travel Dates: June/July

A Spring Quarter class followed by travel to Bosnia for 2 weeks in June/July.

Social justice, human rights & resilience from a post-war, post-genocide perspective.

Learn More

Contact Ann Petrila if you have any questions

 

Bosnia Faculty Coordinator

 
students carrying sticks

Kenya

Social Work in Kenya: Context, Empowerment and Sustainability

Offered in collaboration with the Africa Network for Animal Welfare, this course introduces students to the concept of One Health and the social, political, economic, cultural, geographic and conservation issues of Kenya and East Africa. This course is field based with strong emphasis on experiential learning and direct experiences.

Through the development of an integrated social science and ecocentric understanding of one’s place in the natural environment and a paradigm that acknowledges the interdependence and interconnection between humans and the more-than-human world, social workers practicing locally and globally can contribute to effective, strengths-based solutions to address the crises and issues facing our world. Local issues and community-based efforts that strive for socioenvironmental justice are highlighted to promote critical thinking around One Health, biodiversity protection, environmental awareness, land use, water use and the delicate balance of humane treatment and care of human and non-human animal communities.

PLEASE NOTE: This course is on hold until further notice.

 

Kenya Faculty Coordinator