Once upon a time, international business and trade was the stomping ground of only the grandest and most jet-setting companies. Nowadays things look very different. Taking a company multinational is a necessity not a choice, and more than ever, an opportunity that no company can afford to neglect. During your Washington Semester you gain the knowledge and skills you need to become a marketable asset to the business world. D.C. is an international powerhouse. Seventy-five percent of all multinational companies now boast offices in D.C., and 200 foreign-owned companies are based in the greater Washington area. Several Fortune 500 companies-such as Sprint Nextel, Capital One Finance, Lockheed Martin, Gannett, U.S. Airways, and Marriott-are headquartered in this metropolitan area as are hundreds of international organization, trade and professional organizations and foreign embassies. Furthermore, the D.C. area has become an information technology, Internet, and communications epicenter, home to such companies as AOL, XM Satellite Radio, Oracle, and numerous e-businesses and Web start-ups.