THE SEMESTER OF A LIFETIME

Video

http://youtu.be/zgK_JV8Yn8w

THE SEMESTER OF A LIFETIME

• Established in 1947

• Over 700 students from

around the world each year

• 123 colleges and 22 countries

represented

• More than 40,000 domestic

and international alumni

The Washington Semester® Program

BECOME CAREER-READY

The Internship – 2 days each week (20hrs/wk)

Build your professional network, and gain a

competitive advantage in the job market.

The internship offers a unique synergy between

theory and practice. You can apply what you learn

in class to your professional work.

We assist you in your search with:

• Online internship database

• Resume and cover letter support

• Internship Fair

INTERACTIVE SEMINARS

The Seminar – 3 days each week

• Engaging, immersive sessions led by local,

national, and global experts

• Witness first-hand how nonprofit

organizations, government agencies, and

businesses turn theory into practice

• Hone your professional skills through

innovative assignments

BEYOND THE SEMINAR

Take a research project class or AU elective

You can complete a research project

(4 credits) or a WSP elective class (3

credits).

Doing so, allows you to:

• Conduct in-depth research

• Use Washington, DC as a laboratory

• Fulfill a home school requirement

EXPLORE YOUR FIELD IN THE CITY THAT DEFINES IT

Concentrations• American Politics

• Foreign Policy

• Global Economics and Business

• International Law and Organizations

• Journalism and New Media

• Justice and Law

• Sustainable Development

AMERICAN POLITICSLearn about the real world of politics through the people who make decisions. Gain first-

hand insight into political issues such as modern campaign strategies, campaign finance

reform, health care reform, Social Security reform, energy and the environment, homeland

security, the courts and constitutional rights.

Recent Speakers and Internship Sites

• Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito

• Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI)

• Lissa Muscatine, former Senior Advisor, Secretary

of State under Hilary R. Clinton

• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

• Republican National Committee

• EMILY’s List

• Members of Congress

• Major political consultants

• Department of Housing and Urban Development

• Leadership Conference on Civil Rights

“It was a fun and eye-opening experience to work in a Senate

office. I have also made important contacts with almost all

of the members of staff.”

– Courtney Herz, Tufts University

FOREIGN POLICY

Explore important topics such as the crises in Ukraine and Syria-Iraq; the

maritime disputes in the South/East China seas; the changing role of NATO;

Nigeria’s problems and potential, and energy security and transnational issues in

Western Hemispheric relations.

Recent Speakers and Internship Sites

• The Honorable John Campbell

• Dr. Alyssa Ayres, Council on Foreign Relations

• Lt. Gen. (ret.) David Barno

• Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu

• Senate Foreign Relations Committee

• Embassy of the People’s Republic of China

• US Department of State

• The Atlantic Council of the United States

“The seminar takes you to the root of foreign policy issues. There’s

nothing quite like hearing about U.S. foreign policy and debating it

with the people who actually write it.”

– Jody Buckneberg, St. Olaf College

GLOBAL ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

Interact with professionals and agencies directly involved in the debate and

formulation of economic, investment, and trade policies.

Recent Speakers and Internship Sites

• Barry Bosworth, Sr. Economist,

Brookings Institution

• Joseph Caracuel, VP International Banking,

Bank of America

• John Murphy, VP for International Affairs,

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

• American Petroleum Institute

• Citigroup

• KPMG

• U.S. Export-Import Bank

• U.S. Senate

“My Washington Semester professor has been directly involved

with trade negotiations, so he has an inside view on the material

that we study in class.”

– Emily Conine, Southwestern University

INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ORGANIZATIONS

Meet with international law practitioners and policy-making organizations that

can only be found in the nation’s capital!

Recent Seminar Topics and Internship Sites

• GATT/WTO and International Economic Law

• The World Bank and the IMF

• The Role of NGOs – Amnesty International and

the World Wildlife Fund

• NATO’s Changing Role

• Amnesty International

• Human Rights Watch

• International Trade Administration“At my home school we primarily study theory.

Washington Semester is a way to apply the theory.”

– Chad Cleaver, Wabash College

JOURNALISM AND NEW MEDIANetwork with newspaper and wire-service reporters, magazine editors, television

and radio personalities, public relations executives, and political press secretaries.

Recent Speakers and Internship Sites

• David Gregory, NBC Meet the Press Anchor

• Bob Schieffer, CBS Face the Nation Anchor

• Dee Dee Myers, Former White House

Spokeswoman

• The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton,

Washington, DC Delegate to the U.S. Congress

• ABC News

• CNN Newsmaker

• Dateline NBC

• Peace Corps, Press Office

• White House

“While interning at C-SPAN, I learned to produce,

direct, and edit television shows.”

– Tegan Firth, University of Oregon

JUSTICE AND LAW

Recent Speakers and Internship Sites

• Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

• Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

• National Rifle Association’s Institute for

Legislative

Affairs, Grassroots Division

• Judge Barbara Rothstein, Federal Judge and

Director of the Federal Judicial Center

• American Bar Association

• DC Public Defender

• Office of the Attorney General

• Senate Committee on Judiciary

"The Justice & Law Program allowed me to study one of

my passions with peers from across the globe. It gave me

exceptional access to key places and renowned experts in

the fields of law enforcement, the judiciary, and the

correctional system."

Alexander - San Francisco, CA

Examine issues such as liberty vs. security, free speech on the internet, gun control,

the death penalty, and affirmative action first-hand through the court system.

Seminar I: Criminal Justice / Seminar II: Public Law

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTLearn about key actors in the global community, study specific issues such as

education, inequality, the Sustainable Development Goals, social entrepreneurship

and public/private partnerships, conservation and climate change.

Recent Speakers and Internship Sites

• Dr. Juergen Voegele, Director, World Bank

• Heather Paul, US Director, SOS Villages International

• Vicki Cornish, Ocean Conservancy Vice President

• Chad Bissonnette, Founder, Roots of Development

• Environmental Defense Fund

• US Department of Commerce

• World Wildlife Fund

• International Rescue Committee“I know now for sure that I want to pursue

environmental policy as a career. I have gained

incredible contacts and have a heightened interest

in working in government.”

– Linda Echegaray, Louisiana State University

LIVE IN THE HEART OF D.C.American University Affiliated Housing Options

The Berkshires

• Five minute walk from AU’s Main Campus

• Free Shuttle to Tenleytown Metro

• Bus stops right outside the building

• Full kitchen in every apartment

• Fitness center

• Laundry services

• On-site convenience store

• Cable and internet included

Leonard Hall

• On AU’s Main Campus

• Meal plan required

• Free Shuttle to Tenleytown Metro

• Shuttle stops in front of Hughes

• Full kitchen on every floor

• Fitness Center in Cassel

• Laundry services

• Cable and internet included

LIFE AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

Full Access• State-of-the-art fitness center

• Olympic-size swimming pool

• Four-story library

• Writing Center

• Dining services

• Intramural sports

• Student clubs and organizations

ENJOY A WORLD-CLASS CITY

• #1 city for internships

• 30% of area’s population is composed of 20-34 year olds

• International diversity

• Thriving arts scene

• Forbes ranked Washington, D.C. #1 in their 2014 list of America’s coolest cities

D.C. LIVING – UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES

• Center of US political life

• Fast-paced atmosphere

• Networking opportunities

• Program-related advantages

PROMINENT ALUMNI

Jim Nussle

America Fererra Donna ShalalaPaul RyanSpeaker of the U.S. House of

Representatives

Ed HenrySara James

The Honorable

Max Cleland

Former Director, Office of

Management and Budget and

US House Representative

Emmy and Golden Globe Award

winning actress

Former Secretary of Health and

Human Services in the Clinton

Administration and President of

the University of Miami

Former US Senator,

Secretary of State (GA),

Director of the Veterans

Administration, and

Member of the board of

directors of the US Export-

Import Bank

Dateline NBC Correspondent

and 1999 Emmy winner for

“Killing at Columbine” story

Fox News White House

Correspondent

STUDENT TESTIMONIAL“The Washington Semester Program

was the best time of my life. It gave

me a unique opportunity to learn

from professionals who are experts in

their field, to gain valuable practical

experience and to build a professional

network in the U.S. capital. The WSP

not only helped me to enhance my

skills and pursue my career objectives

but also to learn a lot about myself.”

- Thomas Jell, WSP Fall 2014

University of Kiel

Kiel, Germany

IMMIGRATION PROCESS

• J-1 Visa (DS-2019)

• 30 day grace period

• Financial Proof

• CFIS Form

• Passport copy

• WSP is not an internship, but an academic

program with an internship

american.edu/washsem

washsem@american.edu

202-895-4900

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