Courses/Credit The Capitol Hill Internship Program is designed to fulfill one semester of course credits; however each participating school retains the right to determine the precise number of credits awarded to each intern. See below for a suggested breakdown of courses and credit.

Part I (12 credit hours)

Students must take both of these courses:

The Washington Experience- Students enrolled in this course complete a 15-week, 32-hour-per-week internship in an organization related to national or international politics in Washington, D.C. After establishing learning goals, students prepare a portfolio that documents their learning and places it in the larger context of the literature on American or international politics. The portfolio will include a detailed analysis of the organization in which the student was working, a section on media coverage of the issues related to their internship, and projects completed by the student at their internship. The portfolio will include an integrative essay that introduces the work and shows how the experience advanced the students' understanding of American or international politics. A secondary goal of the course is to enrich participants' understanding of self, sharpen their career goals, and increase their civic literacy.

The Internship Seminar- Each week interns gather to discuss their internship and to extract its deeper meaning. The goal of the course is to expose students to generalizations about politics and how their internships are either confirming or challenging those generalizations. The readings for the course vary according to the internship placements of the students. Students are exposed to various research methodologies for understanding Washington politics. Guest speakers, where relevant, will be used in this course.  To see the syllabus, click here.

Part II (3-4 credit hours)

Students may take one of the following courses:

Independent Research in Washington (3-4 credits). Based on the work begun in the Internship Seminar, students complete a significant research project based on their internship. For three credits, the paper would be of 20-25 doubled-spaced, typewritten pages in length, and make use of 15-20 secondary sources. For four credits, the paper would be 30-40 double-spaced, typewritten pages in length, and make use of 25-30 secondary sources.

Art and Architecture (3 credits). The United States Capitol, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are renowned worldwide.  The class focuses on the relationship between art, design, and government. Specifically, this seminar will focus on three interlocking topics that are an historic and ongoing part of the cultural and visual life in Washington, D.C.  They are the plan of the Federal city, American art and architecture, and monuments and memorials.  Discussion will be enhanced by readings in books, periodicals, websites, and blogs, and monthly class visits to cultural sites.  As an art history class, visual perception -- looking and examining the actual monuments and art works and images of comparative works -- is as important as reading.  To see the syllabus, click here.

Politics and Communications (3 credits). This course examines the relationship between politics and politicians, on the one hand, and journalist and the media, on the other. To see the syllabus, click here.

Congressional Relations (3 credits).  This course will help you in understanding and becoming effective in dealing with Congress. You will come to understand how legislatures work (and why they sometimes do not work) from two perspectives: the "inside" as a legislator or a legislative staffer, and the "outside" as a lobbyist, reporter, or member of the executive branch.  To see the syllabus, click here.

Globalization and the U.S. (3 credits). The economic, cultural, and political aspects of the ongoing process of globalization and the role of the United States in this process is the focus of this course. Special emphasis on the Middle East. Taught by Dr. Jenab Tutunji, an officer of the press section of the embassy of the United Arab Emirates.