
Denver Urban Semester
The Denver Urban Semester (DUS) is a reflective, visionary leadership development program. Offered through Northwestern College, it provides a cross-cultural experience in the heart of the city, giving you the opportunity to develop a mature understanding of God's unique vocational direction for your life.
DUS is designed to provide a three-pronged experience of classroom instruction, living in community, and internships. During your semester in Denver, you'll spend 24 to 40 hours per week at a student teaching, practicum or internship site. You'll also take one to three classes for a total of 12 to 18 credits.
The Denver Urban Semester is offered during the fall and spring semesters.
Fall semester application deadlines:
NWC students: Feb. 10
Non-NWC students: May 1
Spring semester application deadlines:
NWC students: Feb. 10
Non-NWC students: Oct. 1
Founded in 2007, the Denver Urban Semester partners with more than 50 schools, nonprofits, government agencies and faith-based organizations in Denver that focus on at-risk and low-income communities and underserved multicultural populations.
The Denver Urban Semester (DUS) is designed to provide a three-pronged experience of classroom instruction, living in community and internships. Students spend 24 to 40 hours per week at a student teaching/practicum/internship site and take 1 to 3 classes for a total of 12-18 credits. (GEN335)
The DUS program offers courses to satisfy student teaching, social work practicum, and internship requirements. Courses offered are as follows:
- Urban Cross-Cultural Integration Seminar (2 & 3 credit options)
- Urban Integration Senior Seminar* (4 credits)
- Student Teaching (4-14 credits)
- Student Teaching Seminar (1 credit)
- Social Work Practicum (10 credits)
- Social Work Professional Seminar* (3 credits)
- Internship (2-10 credits)
Note:
-DUS is offered every fall and spring term and four of the course credits can be used towards completing the Mission and Justice minor (see under listing of Minors).
-Letter grades are required if requested by the student’s home institution.
*Urban Integration Senior Seminar does not fulfill the Senior Seminar requirement at Northwestern College. Northwestern College social work majors will complete Social Work Professional Seminar, which is their Senior Seminar course.
As part of the Denver Urban Semester, you’ll be placed in an internship with an urban ministry, school or nonprofit that serves Denver’s marginalized populations—in fields such as these:
- Christian leadership/religious studies
- Communications
- Education (student teaching)
- Entrepreneurial leadership
- Human services
- Nonprofit management
- Pre-law and criminal justice
- Psychology and sociology
- Social work
- Spanish interpretation
- Business and economics
As part of the Denver Urban Semester, you’ll live in community, learning alongside other students in the program. Housing is in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, located in the heart of downtown Denver. The program is also able to accommodate married couples. You'll be responsible for purchasing your own food and preparing your own meals.
The Denver Urban Semester covers the cost of transportation to your internship site. You'll receive a monthly RTD bus and light rail card for use during the semester. If you fly to Denver, you can take the A line from the Denver International Airport (DIA) into Denver, and we'll provide a shuttle from the light rail station to your Denver Urban Semester housing. If you choose to drive, be aware there are only five parking spots for both Denver Urban Semester houses. City street parking is also available. Program participants are encouraged to use RTD to travel to one's internship and while engaging with and living in downtown Denver.
For Northwestern students, the program fee for the Denver Urban Semester is the same as Northwestern's tuition and housing costs for a semester (excluding the cost of the college's meal plan). Program costs for students from other schools may differ, depending on the institution's policies. Contact your global education or off-campus studies program office for more information.
Included in what you pay for the Denver Urban Semester is tuition for 12 to 16 credits (course work and internships), housing, and program travel and events. While in Denver, you will be expected to pay for your food (approximately $250 per month) and entertainment.
All applicable Northwestern College financial aid applies for Northwestern College students. Contact the Northwestern's financial aid office for more information. Non-Northwestern College students should contact their own college’s financial aid office to find out if financial aid can apply toward the Denver Urban Semester.
Northwestern's Denver Urban Semester is open to students at any college or university who have completed two semesters of college work and achieved a minimum GPA of 2.5.
The Denver Urban Semester application process consists of the following:
- The Global Education Center study abroad program online application
- Your résumé outlining your objective, education, relevant coursework, experience, honors and awards
- 3 reference letters (one academic, one job-related, and one personal)
- An unofficial transcript (for NWC students, provided automatically to the Global Education Center upon the submission of your application)
Non-NWC students must fill out a guest application to Northwestern and be accepted before applying to the Denver Urban Semester program.
Fall semester application deadlines:
NWC students: Feb. 10
Non-NWC students: May 1
Spring semester application deadlines:
NWC students: Feb. 10
Non-NWC students: Oct. 1
Applications won't be considered complete until ALL sections of the online application are completed and all other required documents and reference/recommendation letters are submitted.
You should review your answers carefully to ensure the accuracy of your application. You can't edit your application once it is submitted.
- Application for NWC students (must be logged into MyNWC)
- Application for non-NWC students
- Denver Urban Semester brochure
- Denver Urban Semester video
- Denver Urban Semester photo gallery
- Denver city website
- Denver tourist information
Global Education Center
global@nwciowa.edu
712-707-7225
Haley Andreades Vermeer
Denver Urban Semester Program Director
handreades@milehighmin.org