In 1947, American University, in conjunction wtih five other institutions, established the Washington Semester Program to bring undergraduate students to the nation's capital to study government through first-hand experience and contact with political, business, and community leaders.
Throughout its 50-year history, the program has blended the traditional academic environment with experiential learning. It offers students from throughout the United States and the world a rare opportunity to live, work, and learn in Washington, D.C.
From an initial membership of five colleges and universities, the program has expanded to serve students from some 200 member institutions. The first class consisted of 12 students, and now nearly 400 students enroll each semester. Since 1947, more than 20,000 students have completed the program.
American University's Tenley Campus was opened in 1987, thus providing students with easy access to mass transportation for commuting to internships and off-campus seminars. In recent years, affiliations with international institutions have increased, providing students from around the world the opportunity to share perspectives on policies made in Washington.
|
 
 
For three days of each week, you’ll participate
in intellectual discussion with professionals
who are knee-deep in the field you are studying.
You’ll go “behind the scenes”; into the
offices of most of the speakers to get a
first-hand insider’s view of the week’s
topics of discussion. Some of the speakers
are big names and some are not, but one
thing's certain, they are all major players
at the local, national, and international
levels who are passionate about their stance,
present valid viewpoints and are invited
to challenge your point of view. You’ll
definitely leave class with a real world
perspective.
We provide you with an instant network of
organizations to look through. Six to eight
weeks before the semester begins, you'll
gain access to all of the internships in
our database that are relevant to the program
you’ve been accepted in to. We'll give you
all the information you need about each
organization, including descriptions of
internship positions and address and phone
numbers for our contacts. You can start
your search right away, or wait until you
arrive in D.C. Either way, you'll have nearly
two weeks at the beginning of the semester
to attend interviews and make your selection.
We suggest you have at least three interviews.
Before you arrive, we will also provide
you with resources to help you write an
effective résumé and cover letter.
You
have the option of choosing to conduct an
in-depth research project using Washington,
D.C. as a laboratory of information or to
take an elective class from AU's hundreds
of offerings to fulfill an academic requirement
from your home school.
Member
school students should check with their
member school representative to see if their
school requires students to conduct a research
project while on the program.
|
|
|
