Internships and Academic Seminars

An invitation
to affiliate

For Private Colleges

and Universities

2010
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 Dear Colleagues:

Do your institution’s priorities include:

Recruiting and retaining strong students?

Providing students of all majors high-quality internships?

Offering international study options and internships abroad?

Cultivating special opportunities for particular groups, such

as honors students, national fellowship candidates,
and students of diverse backgrounds?

Launching your graduates—and future alumni—on

Michael B. Smith, successful career paths?
President

Providing opportunities for leadership and civic engagement?

Providing opportunities for faculty development?

Council of Presidents
Phillip Austin
President Emeritus For over three decades, The Washington Center for
University of Connecticut
Internships and Academic Seminars has helped colleges and
William G. Durden
President universities accomplish these goals. It delivers more than
Dickinson College
a semester “away” and coveted internships. It provides an
Mark A. Emmert
President
integrated, credit-worthy experience that transforms theory
University of Washington into practice, ambition into purpose and potential into
Nathan O. Hatch achievement­—an experience that transforms.
President
Wake Forest University
That’s why hundreds of private colleges and universities in
William E. Kirwan
Chancellor the U.S. and abroad choose to partner with The Washington
University of Maryland System
Center.
Sally K. Mason
President
University of Iowa We hope you’ ll want to work with us, as well.
Mark S. Wrighton
Chancellor
Washington University Sincerely
in St. Louis

Michael B. Smith
President
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What is The Washington Center?
A nonprofit educational organization in
Washington, D.C., The Washington Center
serves colleges and universities that want to
extend their curricula to the nation’s capital
and, increasingly, key cities in other countries.
Founded 34 years ago, it now has 75 staff, some
40 associated faculty, and more than 40, 000
alumni from more than 1,000 institutions in the
U.S. and abroad.
What exactly do we provide?
In our main internship program, we provide
students of all majors academic semesters and
summer terms centered on tailored internships
in Washington, D.C.—and in a growing set
of international locations (currently London,
England; Oxford, England; and Sydney,
Australia).*
We also provide academic seminars, typically
one to two weeks in length as well as customized
faculty-led programs. Every four years we
organize the only national academic programs
for college students at the major political
conventions.
* The Intern Abroad Programs differ in some respects; for more information, visit www.twc.edu/internabroad
Our Washington, D.C. internship
program has three main components
A tailored internship: We maintain ties
with more than 1,000 internship sites in
governmental, international, business and
nonprofit organizations. With help from our
professional staff, students choose a substantive,
supervised internship tailored to their academic
and professional interests and needs.
An academic course: We offer 35 to 50 a
semester, in a range of disciplines and inter-
disciplinary areas. Students choose one, taken
for three hours, one evening a week. Faculty
are highly qualified academics (a course guide
with biographies is available) and are often also
practitioners in their field. Through a partnership
with Johns Hopkins University, selected students
may take their course in one of two Washington-
based graduate programs there.
The Leadership Forum: We enrich students’
internships and academic study with some
remarkable programming not possible for
programs of a smaller scale. For example, at our
President’s Lecture Series students hear from and
question members of the cabinet, ambassadors,
leading journalists, and CEOs. Our Public Policy
Dialogues on Capitol Hill program enables
students to meet in smaller groups with Members
of Congress or their staffs. All students carry out
a civic engagement project in an area of personal
or professional concern. To document, analyze,
and reflect on the internship experience, students
also complete an internship portfolio.
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 “The Washington Center shares with Dickinson a commitment to provide a
useful education that combines hands-on experience with a rigorous liberal-
arts academic foundation. When I review the internships Dickinson students
have experienced through TWC, I am impressed by the breadth of choices
that are available to them. Our students have used their Washington Center
William G. Durden, Ph.D.
experiences to serve in the White House, Congress, the U.S. Attorney’s Office,
President
the Brookings Institution, etc. These internships are pivotal opportunities for
Dickinson College
our students to engage the world as emerging citizen leaders.”

How can institutions be assured that a student’s work with us is

worthy of academic credit?
Sample Since they award their own academic credit The internship
Internship Sites for students’ work, there’s no more important
Internships are tailored and substantive. They are
U.S. Department question for our affiliated colleges and
arranged and supervised by professional program
of the Treasury universities. With our nationally representative
advisors, typically with master’s or J.D. degrees
U.S. Congressional Offices Liaison Advisory Board, we’ve been developing
and extensive experience in their fields.
Voice of America
the answer for over three decades—and the fact
that hundreds of institutions award credit for Our agreement with our several thousand
U.S. Environmental placement sites—most of which are long-time
Protection Agency
what students do speaks to the success and appeal
of The Washington Center’s approach. partners—is that internships will be substantive
Amnesty International and challenging, and that at least 80% of the
First, some background. The amount of credit and
The White House student’s work will be non-clerical.
the type or types of credit colleges and universities
National Institutes of Health Every student’s Washington Center program
award are, of course, institutional decisions. But
Woodrow Wilson generally students receive 12 to 16 hours for a 15- advisor visits the work site to ensure that the
International Center university’s—as well as the student’s and the
for Scholars
week semester and 6 to 12 for a 10-week quarter
or summer term. Some credit may be in the major, organization’s—expectations are being met; if
CNN not, and we can’t resolve the problem, we will find
some may be elective or general education credit.
Merrill Lynch Some credits may be graded and some awarded the student a more appropriate placement.
INTERPOL pass/fail. We are happy to provide guidance as An institutional member of the National
Law firms and lobbying firms well as examples of “credit packages” from similar Society for Experiential Education (NSEE), The
institutions. Washington Center adheres to the principles of
National Education
Association How, then, can an institution be assured that a good practice specified by this organization, as
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the student’s work with us is credit-worthy? Some of well as the guidelines for internship programs
District of Columbia the key assurances: adopted by the Council for the Advancement
ABC News of Standards in Higher Education (CAS).
Peace Corps Admissions standards Washington Center program advisors also
participate in NSEE’s Academy of Experiential
Among thousands of others We admit only students who are ready for a
Education series of training seminars.
challenging academic and work experience.
All have official approval of a liaison or faculty
sponsor. The average GPA of enrolled students
is over 3.3. Successful applicants join one of the
most diverse and motivated peer groups in the
country.

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The Washington Center gives our students a wonderful academic experience
that they could not obtain anywhere else. It provides them with more of
everything – better internship placements, better housing, and more one-
on-one supervision –and at a price that allows us to make this opportunity
available to the greatest number of students. The Center’s staff has been
Francis Graham Lee, Ph.D.
tireless in seeking out additional funds from state governments, foundations
Professor of Political Science
and the private sector so as to make the experience affordable to all. and Campus Liaison
Saint Joseph’s University

From left to right, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright,

NPR President Kevin Klose, and former Secretary of Transportation
Norman Mineta are among many recent speakers. 5
 “I tell my students two things:  that we have never had a dissatisfied customer
and that this type of hands-on knowledge is invaluable. Our Case students
have had excellent experiences, enlightening internships, fine instruction,
and great opportunities to get close to at least a part of the action in the
political center of the nation. They are fired up when they come back to
Alexander Lamis, Ph.D.
campus, ready to learn more about how politics works in Washington.”
Associate Professor of Political
Science and Campus Liaison
Case Western Reserve
University

Sample Academic courses Grading of student performance

Private Institution
Affiliates
Bradley University
Case Western Reserve
University
Clark University
Colby College
Dickinson College
Elon University
Emerson College
Furman University
Loyola Marymount University
Mount Union College
Quinnipiac University
Saint Joseph’s University
Stonehill College
Suffolk University
Texas Christian University
University of San Diego
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Wagner College
Wake Forest University
Washington College
Washington University
in St. Louis
Xavier University
And hundreds more
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We hire only highly qualified instructors—the
large majority with both terminal degrees in their
fields and successful college teaching experience.
Many also bring a valuable perspective of recent
or current practice into their classrooms.
A detailed course guide is provided in advance
of each term, containing academic policies,
biographical information on faculty and course
summaries. We can provide individual course
syllabi on request. Courses and instruction are
carefully assessed each term.
Tailored programming and portfolio
learning
Under the guidance of their program advisors,
students in our thematically-organized program
areas—Political Leadership, International
Affairs, Business and Management, Media and
Communication, Advocacy, Service and Arts,
Law and Criminal Justice, and the like—meet
together as groups each week for panels, speakers,
site visits, and other programming focused on
their specific areas of interest.
Week by week, students also compile portfolios
in which they document, analyze and reflect
on the experiential components of their work.
Components include a learning objectives
statement, résumé, analyses of lectures, a
report on an informational interview, a civic
engagement assignment, sample work products
and an “internship defense letter” to the student’s
institution explaining why the experience has
been credit-worthy.
Just as colleges and universities provide their own
credit for students’ satisfactory completion of our
internship program, they determine students’
grades. The Washington Center, however,
provides the campus the documentation it needs
to make this determination. This includes, in
addition to a brief mid-term evaluation, final
evaluations from the student’s program advisor,
site supervisor and course instructor, each of
whom also recommends a grade. The student’s
portfolio is also sent back to the institution.
Inspection visits and requests for
references encouraged
We invite faculty and other campus
representatives to visit at any time for a full
orientation to our program—internships,
academic courses and Leadership Forum—
and to tour our facilities, including our new
headquarters building and state-of-the-art
academic center. If you would like to visit us,
we may be able to help with the expense.
We also invite prospective partners to speak with
members of our Liaison Advisory Board, who are
faculty and administrators from some 40 of our
affiliated institutions across the country. Please
contact us if you would like selected names and
contact information.
“When Wake Forest University first explored opportunities for academic
internships in Washington, we conducted a thorough evaluation of The
Washington Center’s (TWC) history, mission, programs, and operations.
We were convinced that our partnership would serve our requirements
for both academic rigor and internships that were discipline-based,
experientially probing, and exceptional in quality. The high caliber, Paul N. Orser, Ph.D.

commitment, and responsiveness of the entire staff have been hallmarks of Associate Dean of the
College and Campus Liaison
our very successful affiliation.”
Wake Forest University

Is housing provided? What are the academic seminars

Yes, it is guaranteed to all accepted students.
Students live in shared, fully-furnished
apartments in well-established neighborhoods
in Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland.
Beginning in fall 2010, many will live in
apartments in our new academic and residential
facility just blocks north of Capitol Hill. All
facilities are easily accessible to Washington’s
Metro subway system. Student life professionals—
including resident assistants assigned to each
building—organize a range of activities and
provide an important “safety net” in case of
emergency.
What is the cost? How is it paid?
The program fee (tuition) for a semester during
the 2010 calendar year is $6,345, and for the
summer term or quarters, is $5,455. Housing
fees are $4,550 and $3,540, respectively.
Students’ actual net costs vary greatly according
to additional aid received from any of several
sources, including their institutions, states,
internship sites and The Washington Center’s
own substantial financial assistance program.
All told, more than 75% of Washington Center
students receive some form of assistance.
The program fee is set between the average
tuitions of public and private institutions
nationally. This enables most private colleges
and universities to collect their usual tuition
(students remain enrolled on the home campus),
pay The Washington Center’s program fee from
the amount collected, and retain the difference
on campus. Again, we can provide examples of
arrangements in place at like institutions.
that are available to students?
Academic seminars are usually offered for one
or two weeks in January and May. Students at
all levels, including recent graduates, are eligible
to participate. The academic seminars offer an
in-depth, intensive focus of study on particular
topics through lectures, site visits, tours, briefings,
and special events. Past topics include Congress
and the Presidency, Politics and the Media,
Leaders on Leadership, the Camp David Peace
Process.
Our Campaign Series centers around the
presidential nomination and election process
and includes signature programs at the national
political conventions and the presidential
inauguration. Starting in 2010, we will be offering
customized programming for faculty who
are bringing students to Washington during
spring break.
The seminars provide incentives for faculty
to serve as faculty leaders and to bring groups
of students as part of a mini-term, summer or
semester add-on course, worthy of one to two
credits per week of study. They are an ideal way to
introduce Washington, D.C. and its vast resources
to students who can only spend a short time in
Washington, D.C., and the faculty development
opportunities are considerable. For upcoming
seminars please visit www.twc.edu/seminars.
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 “I’ve enjoyed developing a close relationship with the staff at
The Washington Center over the last few years, particularly as
we worked together to develop an affiliation agreement that did
not just satisfy the program’s requirements but most importantly
worked to best fit the needs of our individual students. As a small,
all-women’s liberal arts institution, Sweet Briar prides itself on
Kristin Ewing providing individual, personal attention. Representatives from The
Associate Director of Career Services Washington Center have gone above and beyond to provide this
and Campus Liaison
personal attention to our students.”
Sweet Briar College

We hope this summary clarifies why The Washington Center has become the largest
organization of its kind and the partner of choice for colleges and universities. Few
institutions are in a position to offer their own program in Washington. And even those
that are may find that by partnering with us, they achieve their goals at a fraction of the
cost, without the liability and with far more assurance of quality.
We invite you to explore an affiliation between your college or university and The
Washington Center. An affiliation is a simple no-cost, no-obligation agreement that spells
out your institution’s preferences regarding the credit students will receive, the handling
of fees, and the appointment of a campus liaison.
You can download a copy of our brief Institutional Affiliation Guide and the Institutional
For more information please
Affiliation Agreement Form at www.twc.edu/affiliation. We would of course be happy
contact:
to answer any questions you may have and share arrangements set up by other private
institutions.
Joseph S. Johnston, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President
The Washington Center
202-238-7948
joseph.johnston@twc.edu

Eugene J. Alpert, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President
The Washington Center © The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars 2009. All rights reserved.

202-238-7984 The Washington Center actively strives for equal access to its programs for all regardless of race,
eugene.alpert@twc.edu religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical challenge or veteran status.

The information in this brochure is correct at the time of printing. The Washington Center reserves the
right to make changes as circumstances warrant.
The Washington Center
Cover image by Annie Pearlman. Other images by Scott Lerman.
for Internships and Academic Seminars
1333 16th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036-2205
202-238-7900 Main
202-238-7700 Fax
800-486-8921
www.twc.edu
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