Request Information
Ready to find out what MSU Denver can do for you? We’ve got you covered.
Have Questions? We have answers.
Contact Us
Internship Experience
What is Internship Experience?
Internship experience is a graduation requirement for all human service majors and lies at the heart of our curriculum. It provides the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you’ve gained in the classroom, build your professional network, and gain experience to include on your resume.
When should students start thinking about internship?
We recommend students to start thinking about internship sites at least one year before their graduation date.
To ensure you are on track with your academic plan, please reach out to your academic advisor Arick Pineda, [email protected].
Students who anticipate taking an internship in Spring 2027 or Summer 2027 should attend our information sessions. Below are the dates.
Approved Internship Sites
Here is a list of currently approved internship sites by the Department of Human Services & Counseling.
If you are a site placement and are interested in having interns from the Department of Human Services & Counseling, please call our department at 303-615-0700 or email [email protected]
When should I start searching for internships?
We recommend students to start thinking about internship sites at least one year before their graduation date. To get a better idea of what internship sites best align with your interest, we recommend meeting with your Internship Coordinator Yaz Rivera. To schedule a meeting with Yaz, please email her, [email protected].
How many semesters does it take to complete an internship?
Students complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of internship experience coursework.
- 12 Credits: HSP 4840 can be completed in two 6-credit semesters (200 hours each semester) or in a single 12-credit semester HSP 4840 (400 hours).
Students who are in catalog years prior to 2024, please schedule an appointment with your academic advisor.
Internship Checklist
In order to register for an internship class, you must first meet with Internship Coordinator Yaz Rivera, to discuss your possible placement site, to get department advising and to create a plan to graduate. The class sections and appointments with the Internship Coordinator are a first-come, first-serve basis. While we do our best to accommodate student needs, we cannot guarantee that you will get a seat in the semester you desire.
We encourage you to sign up for Internship Info Sessions 1-2 semesters prior to registering for internship. Internship Info Sessions are offered during the fall and spring semester. Please monitor your email for info session dates.
You can reach Yaz at [email protected].
The following policies and procedures were adopted by MSU Department of Human Services and Counseling to support student success in the Internship placement experience:
- If you are in recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction, the MSU Denver Department of Human Services and Counseling requires that you have been clean and sober for a minimum of one and a half years prior to registering for internship placement.
- If you are on probation or parole, you are required to complete that probation/parole prior to internship placement.
- You may not seek placement at an agency where you have been a client in the last five years.
- You must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in order to qualify for internship.
Additionally, you may be placed on a temporary or permanent hold from internship courses if your history includes one or more of the following:
- One or more F’s in any MSU Denver course
- A current incomplete or an incomplete in the previous four semesters
- Prior removal from a placement (either by the agency or the HSP department)
- An improvement plan from the HSP Professional Review Team
- A conviction (felony or misdemeanor) in the past two years
- A violation of the MSU Denver Student Code of Conduct
If any of these issues impact you, you must disclose this information to the Internship Coordinator during your advising appointment. The Internship Coordinator will work with you to determine a strategy to complete your MSU Denver degree.
Requesting Exception
To request an exception to these policies, explain the situation to the Internship Coordinator in writing, providing a rationale for why you believe you are ready to do an Internship. You may include supporting documentation from a probation/parole officer, counselor, or other appropriate professional. The Internship Coordinator, in conjunction with faculty, will determine your readiness to participate in Internship. You may be asked to meet with the Internship Coordinator and faculty member before a decision is made.
Your internship supervisor must have a master’s degree in Human Services, Social Work, Counseling, Behavioral or Social Sciences or a related field. An exception to this requirement may be made if the supervisor has the appropriate professional experience and expertise to create a positive learning environment for the student. Students must ask the Internship Coordinator for an exception to the master’s degree requirement and may need you to forward them your current resume.
In addition, the supervisor must have the time and make the commitment to complete all the necessary paperwork and provide training, weekly supervision, support for developing a learning contract, and evaluation for the student.
Students who are seeking hours towards the Certified Addictions Specialist (CAS/CAT) must be supervised by an individual with a Licensed Addictions Counselor (LAC) in order for those hours to count towards certification.
Students who are seeking state approval to work with domestic violence offenders must be supervised by a state approved Domestic Violence Clinical Supervisor.
Your site supervisor must also:
•Fill out all paperwork required by department in a timely fashion.
•Facilitate student participation in appropriate learning activities.
•Answer questions and provide guidance to support student success.
•Participate in one or two site visits with the student and seminar instructor.
•Contact the seminar instructor with any questions or concerns during the placement.
•Report any problems or concerns to the Internship Coordinator and seminar instructor immediately.
If you are not paid by the agency where you are doing your internship, you are covered by MSU Denver for on-the-job injuries. You must inform the Internship Coordinator, your seminar instructor, and MSU Denver’s Office of Human Resources within 24 hours of the injury and you must use an approved medical provider for any services or you will not be covered.
Your seminar instructor will have you sign a form acknowledging receipt of information about this policy. For more information about the policy and for a list of approved providers, go to the HR website.
Each of you has a unique story, which draws you to the internship of Human Services, and there are situations where that history may include arrests, convictions or jail/prison time. We strongly encourage you to consider running a Criminal History Check on yourself prior to the internship courses. It is very important, as you formulate your place in this internship, that you are aware that many felonies or combinations of misdemeanors may make you unable to find employment.
Students with at least two years of full-time human services experience in an area related to their concentration in the major may develop a portfolio showing evidence of prior learning in place of up to 200 hours. All students must take Internship (you cannot use a portfolio in place of internship). You must schedule a meeting with the Internship Coordinator for eligibility. The department policies for portfolio include the following:
HSP Portfolio Policies:
- B- or higher in ENG 1010 and ENG 1020
- Must complete the portfolio within 12 months of the Internship Coordinator and Department Chair signing off on your portfolio form.
- Once the form has been signed by the Department Chair and Internship Coordinator you will receive further steps on how to register for the course.
To find out more about the portfolio process please reach out to Yaz Rivera.
If an agency agrees to serve as a internship site, the site supervisor needs to be aware of the responsibilities involved in offering an effective learning environment for the student. The following is a list of responsibilities that the site supervisor, in conjunction with agency staff, must be willing to provide for the student:
•An orientation to the agency.
•Appropriate training and access to information about policies and procedures.
•Access to other written materials to support student learning and effectiveness.
•A collaborative process with the student to develop the learning contract.
•One hour of weekly supervision either in a one-on-one or group setting.
•Ongoing feedback and a final evaluation.
•Adequate work space and supplies.
Students must be aware of liability risks and safety procedures. There are a variety of appropriate learning activities that students can participate in while at an agency.
Students ARE ENCOURAGED TO:
- Shadow professionals in one-on-one sessions with clients and in groups and in other professional settings
- Co-facilitate groups with a qualified professional staff member
- Facilitate educational groups with supervision from a professional staff member
- Participate in staff meetings and training opportunities
- Conduct intakes after proper training
- Write chart notes and complete other agency documentation after proper training
- Enter client documentation and other data into computer systems
- Assist with grant writing, fundraising, volunteer coordination, and event planning
Is there anything I CANNOT do while I’m working at my placement?
The following activities may NOT be performed by a student (an exception can be made for students who are paid employees of an agency and are performing the activity as part of the normal work expectation for that position and who have received training that supports safety for the student, staff, and clients):
- Drive clients
- Provide individual psychotherapy for a client
- Lead psychotherapy groups without a qualified therapist present
- Open or close an agency by him/herself
- Restrain clients without proper training and supervision
- Be left in charge of the agency without a qualified supervisor present
- Have a case load of clients without appropriate supervision
Internship Manuals
Reviewing the HSP Internship Manual is the most important preparation you can do for the internship experience.
If you are a student and site supervisor, please review the HSP Internship Manual.
CORE COMPETENCIES (Departmental Learning Objectives)
The student is enthusiastic about the Human Services profession and is able and willing to cooperate with their internship supervisors, co-workers, other interns, and the public.
The student is able to understand the context of the agency, i.e. the infrastructure, organization, and the contributions to community life.
The student demonstrates an understanding of ethical issues and a knowledge of all ethics codes that may apply in the setting.
The student does not engage in activities that are contrary to the ethical standards and is able to use ethical decision-making when situations are not clear-cut.
The student is aware of: the impact of cultural diversity (in the broadest sense of the term); their own personal culture; the various ways in which an individual’s multiple aspects of identity interact.
The student is able to interact with individuals in meaningful ways that demonstrates an understanding of the impact of culture on personal style, values, perspectives and experiences.
The student produces clear professional writing as appropriate to the placement such as grants, reports, case notes, evaluations and assessments, marketing materials, etc.