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CAFÉ CON UN PROFESOR
Image: Authentic Pastry-Making Experience At Home Takes Valpo French Students Abroad
Authentic Pastry-Making Experience At Home Takes Valpo French Students Abroad
Image: A Beacon’s Reflection | Savannah Gostlin ’25
A Beacon’s Reflection | Savannah Gostlin ’25
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Three Valparaiso University Students Win Microsoft Office State Championships
Image: Valparaiso University Launches Religious Studies Major
Valparaiso University Launches Religious Studies Major
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Valpo Social Work Students LEAD The Way Toward A Brighter Tomorrow
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Valparaiso University Engineers Put Their Skills to the Test with Race Car Design and Construction
Image: Valparaiso University Student Combines Economics and Fire Safety in Effectiveness and Response Study
Valparaiso University Student Combines Economics and Fire Safety in Effectiveness and Response Study
Image: Simeon Ehm’s ’24 Path from Environmental Passion to Purposeful Impact
Simeon Ehm’s ’24 Path from Environmental Passion to Purposeful Impact

Internships

Internships That Build Real-World Readiness

Valpo’s Social Work internships offer students immersive, hands-on experiences that strengthen professional skills, apply classroom learning, and make a lasting community impact. Guided by field instructors, students complete two 250+ hour placements and graduate with confidence and purpose.

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Education & Social Work Experiential Learning

Types of Internships

Practicums, internships, or field placements

Practicums, internships, or field placements are educationally directed, required components in Valparaiso University Social Work Department’s competency-based curriculum. Social Work internships develop students as emerging social work professionals. In the junior and senior years, students engage in two educationally directed internships under the apprenticeship of agency field instructors, for a total of 550 hours of real-world knowledge building and skill application. All of our internships are systematically designed, supervised, coordinated, and evaluated by the Director of BSW Field Education, who matches student interests with regional agency needs. This provides students with ample opportunities for practical experience and also a smooth transition to their first position after college or preparation for advanced standing in graduate school.

Field internships

Field internships are designed to help students apply course content in real work with people and systems. In addition to focusing on professionalism, ethical practice, and critical thinking skills, the student arranges opportunities to practice social work skills directly with diverse people and populations at risk, (engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation) at the micro, mezzo, and macro level of practice, and non-clinical skills (data collection, research, program planning, advocacy, policy change, case presentations, professional networking, etc.) as they serve the greater good of the agency. The senior internship culminates in a Legacy Project that is designed to have a positive impact on the community-based agency and the client systems it serves.

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