MSW Thailand Summer Internship

Overview

Now in its 16th year and with over 100 alumni, the MSW Internship Program in Thailand places students in internships in Bangkok, Thailand, for six weeks during the summer. The program is a joint venture with the Faculty of Social Administration at Thammasat University, one of the largest and oldest social work programs in Southeast Asia. Students’ intern five days a week at a wide array of government and non-governmental human service organizations and are supervised by English-speaking Thai social workers.

In their internships, students are exposed to different approaches to social work and social welfare than are found in the United States. The program features several study trips to augment student learning. In the past, students have visited Wat Phra Baht Nam Phu (a temple providing hospice care to people living with AIDS), Khoa Lak and other communities devastated by the 2005 tsunami, and social development programs in the Chiang Mai region including a home-stay at a rural village.

Photos

• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.
• Open the image full screen.

Video

Tentative Dates

Tentative Program Dates: 2017 (to be confirmed) May 27th to July 7th.

Structure

• 1st week orientation at Thammasat University including two field trips
• 2nd to 6th week at internships
• Supervised by English-speaking social workers and allied professionals. Generally a 8-10 hour a day internship, 4 to 5 days a week
• SDSU faculty continuous presence with weekly supervision
• Study trips outside of Bangkok. Past visits include Klong Pai (a prison for female drug offenders), , and Wang Keow (a sustainable social development project is a rural village near Chiang Mai.
• Presentation to faculty, internship supervisors, and interested parties at end of program.

Recent Internship Sites

• Sritanya Psychiatric Hospital - mental health
• Foundation for Child Development – child welfare
• Ban Bang Kae - elderly
• Child Adoption Center - child welfare
• Ratachanajul Institute for Developmentally Disabled Children
• Thai Red Cross – health care and AIDS prevention
• Taksin Hospital – domestic violence, STDs

Credit

The internship is a six-credit course, most often used by students to fulfill two of the three graduate electives in the MSW program of study.

Cost

Approximately $6,000, which includes all major expenses such as airfare, tuition, housing, and Thammasat University Program fees.

Apply for the SDSU Associated Students Study Abroad scholarship, and request the total cost (including airfare) for your international experience.

Additional scholarship monies are available through sources specific to the internship program. For more information, see contacts listed below.

Questions?

Check the MSW Thailand Summer Internship FAQ.

For questions regarding the internship program contact Dr. David Engstrom ([email protected], 619-594-5966) or Dr. Loring Jones ([email protected], 619-594-6508).

last updated: 10/11/2016