Foundation Year Students

You are here: MSU Denver Home > Master of Social Work > Field Work > Foundation Year Students

Master of Social Work

Professional Field Experience

Foundation Year Students

One of the most critical components of a student’s education experience is their field placement. Students will complete an internship (aka field placement) in one community agency during each year of the MSW program. In the Foundation Year, students will complete 16 hours each week (240 hours each semster) during both semesters of the 30-week academic year (480 hours total).

What will I be doing in my Foundation Year internship?

In the Foundation Year field placement, students are exposed to generalist social work practice. The goal of the practitioner is to enhance human and social well being and develop a base of core social work knowledge, values, and skills. Student will work at a variety of system levels- individuals, families, groups, organization, and communities. The generalist social worker should take on a variety of social work roles- advocate, broker, networker, counselor, educator, case manager, facilitator, planner, researcher, mediator, and administrator.

Sample micro learning activities:
- Psycho-social assessments
- Interviewing and problem-solving
- Supportive counseling with individuals and families
- Resource identification and referral
- Case management
- Advocacy and crisis intervention
Sample mezzo learning activities:
- Co-facilitation of psycho-educational groups
- Multidisciplinary team meetings to discuss client progress
- Educational workshops (ex.- teen dating violence)
Sample macro learning activities:
- Volunteer recruitment
- Developing and presenting training workshops/materials
- Agency Board Meetings
- Evaluations (determination of outcomes, data collection, etc.

You are invited to attend one of the field information sessions to learn more about the Field Program and to ask questions:

Friday, April 19th from 9-10am
Monday, April 29th from 11am-12pm
Tuesday, April 30th from 4-5pm

All field information sessions will be help on-campus in Central Classroom 215.

Placement Process for NEWLY admitted students:

Students complete Application for Field Placement (due anytime before May 1, 2013)
Students will receive three options for potential field placement agencies from the Field Office (within 7-10 business days of submitting field application)
Students carefully review Next Steps document (May 2013)
Students interview at assigned agency sites so that both the agency and student can mutually determine if a placement is a good fit (May 2013)
Students submit Field Confirmation form to the Field Director. (June 1st 2013- students may have longer if needed)

Your field placement should provide a new educational experience for you and allow you to meet the prescribed learning objectives for each year. We carefully screen agencies to ensure they are able to do this, and we use the information on your Application for Field Placement to help determine appropriate placement sites. We encourage you to be active partners in your educational career, which is why you are given three agency options so you can determine which agency will be the best fit. Remember, the goal of the field placement is to learn and practice social work knowledge, values, and skills in order to become a more effective social work practitioner. While we will work hard to ensure that your placement is in line with your future career interests, the emphasis remains on the educational value of a placement site.

In order to maintain the integrity of the placement process that is used for hundreds of students, and to preserve ongoing relationships with field agencies, students are not to contact any agencies to propose placements or inquire about availability. If a student would like to suggest an agency be added to the database of affiliated field placements, simply contact the Field Director. Students may indicate on their Application for Field Placement if they have a request for a specific field placement.