Located in Garfield County, Colorado, the Western Colorado MSW Degree Program offers the opportunity to earn an MSW in the local community.

The program objectives include:

• provide professional education to support local workforce development

• address community concerns and the special needs of rural communities

• strengthen the professional social work infrastructure of communities in Western Colorado.

The courses offered during the academic year are taught using a variety of technologies: summer intensive courses taught on-site in the Western Colorado region, classes simulcast and broadcast from Denver using Interactive Video and online and hybrid courses using web-based technology. Both GSSW faculty and local adjunct faculty teach the on-site classes. Students and instructors have online access to the University of Denver Library.

A full-time Western Colorado-based faculty member will serve as site director and offer a local presence, coordinating all aspects of the program. Coordination with a Denver-based Assistant Dean for Community Academic Programs ensures that all aspects of the program are integrated between the University of Denver campus and the on-site Western Colorado program. Field education is a key component of the MSW program. Students complete internships throughout the Western Colorado area, and a team of field liaisons assist these students in the selection and completion of their field placements. The

Western Colorado program offers a weekend schedule of Friday afternoon and Saturday classes that allow students to be in their communities during the week and also work at their internship sites.