Student Internship Journey

Welcome to the exciting journey of internship education! Every social work student will engage in internship education as a part of their social work degree program. The MSU Denver Office of Social Work Internships is here to support undergraduate and graduate students every step of the way as they complete their internship with an approved community agency.

Please note that the Office of Social Work Internships will communicate regularly from [email protected] as well as from [email protected]. These messages will be sent to your MSU Denver student email address, the official means of communication from both the university and our office.

Make sure that you check your MSU Denver email often, starting in January and continuing throughout the summer, as you prepare for your internship to start in the fall semester. We will send information about deadlines and details to keep you up to date in your internship search process.

Internship Information Session 

All students begin the process of securing an internship by attending an Internship Information Session. Students will receive email communications to their MSU Denver student email address from the Office of Social Work Internships with details about Internship Information Session dates and times. Information Sessions generally start early in the spring semester before you are scheduled to begin your fall-start internship.

Internship Search Process Timelines

INTERNSHIP INFORMATION SESSION – Students attend a mandatory information session to become familiar with and ask questions about the search process. These are held the spring before your fall-start internship.

APPLICATION – (in Sonia database) – Students complete the Internship Application form in the Sonia database where they list both the skills and knowledge they hope to acquire in their internship, as well as populations, settings, and social issues in which they wish to gain more experience. Students have the option of requesting specific agency placements. The Sonia Guide for Students offers guidance to complete this process.

INTERNSHIP SEARCH MEETINGS* – Students will sign up in Sonia for one-on-one meetings with their designated Internship Navigator, a member of our team. Students will meet with their Internship Navigator to discuss internship options and to be referred to up to five agencies to which they will apply. *Optional for MSW Concentration students.

PREPARE & CONTACT – Once students are referred to agencies by their Internship Navigator, agency contact information will be sent to students at their MSU Denver email. Students update their resumé and craft cover letters, then make contact with approved agencies to request internship interviews.

INTERVIEW & EVALUATE – Students interview at assigned agency sites so that both the agency and student can mutually determine if a placement is a good fit.

CONFIRMATION – Once students have been offered and accepted an internship in the Sonia database, students must complete the Internship Confirmation Form in Sonia to finalize their internship agency.

STUDENT INTERNSHIP ORIENTATION – Students will participate in a mandatory student internship orientation course through the Canvas platform. Details are sent to students’ MSU Denver email address shortly before the start of the fall semester.

Students are required to complete a minimum number of hours in their agency setting during the academic year. The accompanying internship seminar course (offered face-to-face, online, and in hybrid formats) meets every other week throughout the course of the two semesters of the Field Experience course. The seminar course is taught by a Faculty Internship Liaison and provides a forum for students to critically reflect on their internship experiences in an environment designed to promote professional development.

Student Hours Requirements

In order to meet learning objectives and fulfill program requirements, students are required to complete the following number of hours over the course of their two-semester internship.

Learning Agreement

Students will complete a Learning Agreement in the Sonia database within the first few weeks of class of each semester. The purpose of the Learning Agreement is to create a roadmap of your learning for the year and to ensure students will be engaging with the CSWE 9 Social Work Competencies.

Instructions for completing the Learning Agreement are found in the Sonia Guide for Students.

Internship Evaluation

Students and their agency supervisors complete an Internship Evaluation in our Sonia database toward the end of each semester to evaluate the student’s demonstrated performance and learning throughout the semester. Evaluations are designed to allow both students and supervisors to give honest and constructive feedback.

Instructions for completing the Internship Evaluation are found in the Sonia Guide for Students.