International Faculty
David W. Engstrom, PhD, MA is an Associate Professor in the School. His research focuses on immigration policy and services to immigrants and refugees. Dr. Engstrom has written extensively on the plight of vulnerable immigrant populations, such as torture survivors and trafficked person and has been a keynote speaker at international conferences speaking on human rights and corruption. Dr. Engstrom founded the MSW Thailand Summer Internship Program in 2002 and has supervised nearly 84 students in internships ranging from child welfare to human trafficking to mental health. With Dr.Loring Jones, he co-created the Thailand Semester Abroad Program in 2008. He has been a visiting professor at the Faculty of Social Administration at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand and has taught it its PhD program for many years. As part of his role as the Coordinator for International Programs at the School of Social Work, Dr. Engstrom has set up collaborations with academic institutions in Mexico and Germany.
Mario Garrett, PhD, has worked with all three longitudinal from-birth databases sponsored by the British government. As the team leader of a United Nations Population Fund, and as the Program Manager/ Director of Programs with the United Nations International Institute on Aging, Dr. Garrett coordinated a five-year project looking at support for the elderly in the People’s Republic of China. Since 1995, Dr. Garrett has been working exclusively with national American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations.
Loring Jones, DSW, is a Professor in the School. He has extensive teaching, research, and practice experience focused in the areas of the social welfare of children and international social services. His research in Thailand has included an investigation of recruitment for human trafficking. For the past seven years he has accompanied SDSU students to Thailand on their annual summer study tour. This experience has given him extensive knowledge of Thai culture, health care, social services, economics, and language.
Yawen Li, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work. Her research focuses on health disparities and inequality in healthcare access among older Chinese American and Chinese adults. Dr. Li has published on sociocultural and environmental determinants of health and health-seeking behaviors among older Chinese adults. She has research collaboration with scholars from several universities in China. Dr. Li served as the manager of the China Program at University of Southern California and worked on education and research collaboration between USC and several universities in China from 2003 to 2008.
Sally Mathiesen, PhD, MSW. Dr. Mathiesen’s research and teaching agenda has a strong focus on international social work education. She has conducted trainings and presentations in several Caribbean countries, participated in student exchanges in Mexico, Eastern and Western Europe, and Thailand, and worked as part of a post-tsunami interuniversity research team in American Samoa. Dr. Mathiesen was the 2010-2011 recipient of a Fulbright Research & Teaching Scholar Award to Barbados where she conducted research on mental health services and taught at the University of the West Indies. She is a co-author of a guidebook for developing international student exchanges that was recently published by the Council on Social Work Education
Undergraduate International Opportunities
- SW 496 – Costa Rica – Summer 2013
- SW 596 – Dublin, Ireland – Summer 2013
- SW 596 – Munich, Germany – Summer 2013 (pdf)
- Shanghai Summer Program – Summer 2013
- HHS 350 – Thailand Course – Summer 2013
- HHS 350 – Additional Courses
Graduate International Opportunities
In addition to the opportunites below, the SDSU School of Social Work is in the process of developing field practicum opportunities at the following agencies in Tijuana, Mexico: Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo, Integral de la Familia (DIF – child welfare placement), Hospital de Salud Mental de Tijuana, A.C. (psychiatric hospital), and Ciudad de los Niños (orphanage).
- MSW Thailand Semester Abroad
- MSW Thailand Summer Internship
- SW 596 – Dublin, Ireland – Summer 2013
- SW 596 – Munich, Germany – Summer 2013 (pdf)
- Study Abroad, Germany – Alice Soloman University (pdf) -program partly developed by SDSU SSW
Forthcoming International Programs
- Mexico, Spring 2013. Educational opportunities in Mexicali, Mexico. The School of Social Work is working with the Mexican Consulate and officials from Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF, Baja California) to develop field practicum sites for social work graduate students in Mexicali. In addition, DIF will host a tour of its community-based programs for interested students, faculty, and community members in the Spring Semester of 2013.
Mexico / Tijuana Collaboration
The SDSU School of Social Work collaborates with the School of Social Work in Tijuana to foster binational educational, program, and research activities.
Faculty and students from the School of Social Work in Tijuana traveled to San Diego to participate in agency visits and a lecture by SDSU social work faculty in April of 2013.
The School of Social Work is pleased to announce that a field placement for graduate students at Cuidad de los Ninos in Tijuana, Mexico, has been approved for the 2013-14 academic year. Two students have already been selected for the placement. The School of Social Work will be identifying other field practicum opportunities in Tijuana for the 2014-2015 academic year.
Financial Aid for International Study
Non-SDSU International Social Work Study Opportunities
- Study Abroad, Germany – Southern Illinois University, School of Social Work
- Jan. 3 – Jan. 11, 2013
- May 27 – June 7, 2013
This course examines human rights within a social work framework from a European perspective. The location of Munich adds essential context to the study of human rights, as contemporary human rights arose from the history in this part of the world. This course is ideal for undergraduate or graduate students with a focus on human rights.
- Spanish & Human Services – Lima, Peru (request catalog | online registration)
- May 26 – July 6, 2013 (six weeks)
Psychology Seminar: Participants will participate in a social work exposure seminar in Lima, followed by volunteer placement in the area of the individual’s choice. This practical experience aids both aspects of your education, as you will be able to practice your Spanish and participate firsthand in the social services available to low-income Peruvians.
Spanish Course: Six weeks of intensive Spanish language course taught at Ecela Lima. This is equivalent to two semester courses and levels from Novice to Advanced are welcomed. Inquire about earning college credit.
Expected program cost – $2300.
Additional Study Abroad Resources and Information
SDSU Study Abroad Resources
- SDSU Student Study Abroad Manual (pdf)
- SDSU Office of International Programs
- SDSU International Student Center
- College of Health and Human Services – Global Reach
- College of Extended Studies – Travel Studies
- SDSU Latin American Studies
Country Conditions and Travel Warnings and Health Recommendations
- U.S. Department of State Country Conditions
- U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings
- Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Travel Advisories
- U.S. Center for Disease Control Traveler’s Health
Country Background and Statistics
Social Work Study Abroad Programs
