By Dorothy Carroll '18
The Washington Semester Program (WSP) is a semester-long “study abroad” at American University in Washington D.C. WSP students have the opportunity to take internship and concentration-specific seminar courses two days a week and intern three days a week. There are several concentration options: American Politics, Global Economics, Sustainable Development, Foreign Policy, Justice and Law, and Journalism/News Media. I am in the Justice and Law Concentration, and am interning at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Justice Management Division (JMD).
WSP takes advantage of the D.C setting and is a very experiential learning program. “Class” days consist of visiting different places like The National Museum of American History, The Drug Enforcement Administration Museum, The Newseum, House and Senate Hearings, The Capitol, The United States Supreme Court, Quantico, and many more. We also hear from guest speakers, attend internship fairs, and are given the opportunity to join additional LinkedIn and other career development sessions.
Each WSP student has a different internship experience, but mine has been great so far. I have been able to network with people from components outside of JMD, attend professional development workshops, learn about the accomplishments of DOJ employees, and even meet the Attorney General.
Outside of WSP courses, and interning, D.C. has so much to offer to students. For example, I have been able to go to festivals on the weekends and hear a variation of music, see different groups with tents advocating for their cause, taste new food, look at local artwork, and interact with other people at the festivals. I have also been “monumenting” several times, toured the Supreme Court, visited the Library of Congress, explored Arlington Cemetery, walked around Georgetown, etc.
This program has already offered invaluable experience to my undergraduate study of political science and I have only been here for a few weeks.
See additional photographs here.
