Students from Political Science and related disciplines are encouraged to consider gaining experience by spending a semester in Washington, D.C. The Department works with students to encourage application to and give credit for participation in the Washington Center Program.

The Washington Center Program (WASH 002): Students can receive 15 hours of credit for participating in the Washington Center Program in Fall or Spring semesters, and 9 hours of credit for participating during the Summer. Students work in a full-time internship, participate in a seminar, and attend a weekly lecture/discussion group. The different parts of the experience receive separate grades, that are in turn subject to review by the Department’s coordinator for the program.

General Requirements: To be eligible for participation, a student is expected to be a junior or senior and have at least a 3.0 GPA. Each application must be approved by the Washington Study Coordinator (who is a member of the Department faculty), the student’s major advisor, and the appropriate Dean. Students must ensure that their participation does not cause them to violate any university requirements, such as on-campus residency requirements.

A meeting is held each Fall and Spring term in the Political Science Department for students who are interested in participating in the program. It is normally attended by a representative of the Washington Center and students who have participated in the program. Freshmen and sophomores are especially encouraged to attend this meeting or to contact the Washington Study Coordinator for complete information about application procedures and to plan their majors and other requirements so as to meet and coordinate with Washington Center application deadlines.

Credits Earned: Credits earned in the Washington Center program can be counted as general electives or applied to a student’s major or minor, with the consent of the particular department(s). The Political Science Department will count a maximum of 9 hours of WASH 002 credit towards the major, and 6 hours towards the minor. They will be counted towards the requirements for 300-level courses.

For more information please contact the Washington Center advisor Professor Joe White.