Semester at
American University

The Washington Semester Program offers Concordia students the opportunity to work and study in Washington, D.C. for one semester with up to four credits earned towards their degree program. This program, designed and operated through the American University in Washington, involves a combination of seminar, internship, and research experiences. The objective is to give students a "close-up" picture of national and international affairs through direct contact with the work of government in the nation's capital.

The program provides numerous opportunities for contact with national and international political leaders as well as non-government experts in a wide range of policy areas. These contacts will assist students in developing a better understanding of the realities of national political life, and to gain personal insight into the methods of constructive citizenship in public affairs, including possible careers in the public service.

SUBJECT AREA CONCENTRATION

Each student participating in the program chooses a subject area in which to concentrate his/her studies, research, and work experience during the semester. For the fall of 1997 the subject areas from which students may choose include

• American Politics (national government and politics)

• Foreign Policy

• Economic Policy

• Justice (criminal justice system)

• Public Law (civil rights)

• Peace and Conflict Resolution

• Journalism

• International Business and Trade

• International Environment and Development

• Museum Studies and the Arts

A limited number of brochures describing each of the program subject areas are available in the Political Science Department.

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PROGRAM ELEMENTS

Each student participating in the Washington Semester Program, regardless of chosen subject area, participates in three types of activities.

SEMINAR. Students will spend much of their on-campus time in a seminar on their chosen subject area. A typical seminar experience will include four to five meetings per week with representatives of the U.S. government, foreign governments, business, interest groups, think-tanks, who live and work in the Washington, D.C. area. Students will hear lectures from the American University faculty member leading their seminar, participate in discussions, and do some writing (exams, short analytical pieces, etc.). [The seminar component of the Program will count for two credits towards graduation at Concordia.]

RESEARCH PROJECT. Each student is required to conduct an independent, intensive inquiry into an area related to a particular topic of government or public policy of interest to the student. This project is designed to give the student a deeper understanding of that particular subject. Prime sources of information for this project will include personal interviews, observations (e.g., at Congressional hearings), government reports and other documents, most of which are available only in Washington, D.C. The student will begin this project at Concordia as part of the application process for this Program. The project almost certainly will be subject to modification upon arrival in Washington, with assistance from the faculty advisor at American University. [The research component of the Program will count for one credit towards graduation at Concordia.]

INTERNSHIP. Each student will complete an intership in an organization (governmental or non-governmental) of his/her chossing. Internships are available with numerous Executive and Congressional branch offices and committees, private interest groups, research think tanks, the media, etc. Some students make the initial contacts to help find such internship opportunities; the program staff and faculty at American University will also assist in finding opportunities. Students generally work two full days each week of the semester. While some internships carry a small salary or stipend, more often they do not. A list of sample internship placements from past semesters is available in the Political Science Department. [The internship component of the Program will count for one credit towards graduating at Concordia.]

In addition to completing the seminar, research, and internship components of the program, participants are urged to take advantage of the many other opportunities to enjoy cultural events (the Kennedy Center -- cheap?!), recreation (volleyball on the mall outside the Kennedy Center -- cheaper!!!), and other public affairs activities (National Press Club speakers, Congressional hearings, various public commissions forums), etc. Activities such as these are important additions to the student's Washington, D.C. experience.

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ELIGIBILITY

Only a limited number of scholarships are available from the college to defray the costs (beyond normal Concordia tuition) of participating in this program. Therefore, selection is on a competitive basis, and will depend on the following criteria

1. CLASS RANK. Preference is given to seniors and juniors.

2. PREVIOUS STUDIES. Students selected for the politics-related seminars will have completed one or more of the following classes in Political Science PS 111 (People and Politics) or PS 211 (American Politics), and PS 341 (International Politics). Students who are applying for the economics, journalism, or environmental program should list courses which have prepared them for the program.

3. GPA. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required to participate in this program. This information is provided to the selection committee by the Registrar's Office.

4. RESEARCH PROJECT. As explained above, part of a student's application will include a brief statement of his/her proposed research project.

5. POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESSFUL INDEPENDENT STUDY. Self-initiative and self-discipline are essential in order to successfully complete this program. Applicants will be judged for their potential in this respect based on the "self-evaluation" component of their application (see below), as well as on the results of an interview with the Concordia selection committee.

NOTE Students may be asked to provide the committee with letters of recommendation from faculty familiar with their work. Such letters, if needed, will be requested after the preliminary review of applications.

COSTS AND FINANCING

The cost of tuition to students selected to receive a Washington Semester scholarship is equal to that of studying on Concordia's campus; the College pays the difference between Concordia's tuition and that of American University as a scholarship grant to those selected. The exact amount varies from year to year. The number of students selected to participate will depend on the level of interest, qualifications of the applicants, and the available resources of the College to fund the additional tuition costs. Students who do not receive a scholarship grant may still apply for the program, but they will have to pay the full tuition charged by American University.

A more detailed statement of the costs associated with participation in this program is available in the Political Science Department.

SELECTION COMMITTEE

The Concordia selection committee is comprised of Professors Mike Bath and Max Richardson of the Political Science Department, and the Associate Academic Dean.

The selection process has two steps. First, the written material provided by the applicants will be reviewed and the applicants rank-ordered on this basis. Second, the top applicants will be asked to meet with the selection committee to discuss this application.