Washington Semester
Through a cooperative arrangement with American University in Washington, D.C., eligible students can spend a semester in D.C. taking a combination of coursework and internship credit hours. Students must complete the Political Science Department's internal application and receive Department approval to apply academic credit to the Political Science or International Studies majors. Washington Semester credit cannot be applied to the Political Science minor, the Math-Political Science major, or the Public Policy & Analysis major.
Students will enroll in 15-16 AU credits:
- 4 credit internship course (3 internship days + professional enrichment)
- Two 4 credit seminars
- 3 credit AU elective or 4 credit research project
Applications should be submitted to the department's Director of Experiential Learning, Professor Alex Bolton.
Washington semester at American University WebsiteWashington Semester Application
Generally, two to three students are approved for study in this program per semester. Students may apply for the program after four semesters of residence at Emory. Contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for internal application deadlines for the Fall and Spring semesters (typically one week prior to the final WSP deadline).
Students will register for sixteen (16) satisfactory/unsatisfactory Emory credit hours under POLS 486: Washington Semester. Eight of these hours may be applied as two four-credit electives and used to fulfill requirements for either the Political Science or International Studies major. A graded transcript will be provided by American University and may be used, along with the Emory transcript, in the future for employment or graduate school applications.
Program Overview
Students intern 21 hours per week, spread out over three days. On seminar days, you will have a combination of classroom instruction and site visits two days per week. Classroom time includes lectures, discussion, and guest speakers. Students are also required to take an additional AU elective or research project.
American University will help you land a professional in-person or virtual internship that gives you the work experience and real-world skills to gain a competitive edge in the job market after graduation. Additional internship experiences include: resume and cover letter writing, mock interviews, networking, and more.
AU assists students in applying to internships in:
- Politics & Government
- International Affairs & Foreign Policy
- Business & Economics
- Non-Profits like Diversity and Social Justice Organizations
- Journalism, Communications, and Digital Media
The internship seminars provide you with insights into professional life and your WSP academic seminars and AU electives bring you face-to-face with local, national, and global experts. Timely seminars, taught by American University faculty, provide provocative and topical coursework in topics as diverse as government, international affairs, public diplomacy, international organizations, communications, business & economics, social justice, criminal justice, and law. Guest speakers are invited to the classroom, where you will have the opportunity to meet and engage with some of Washington’s best and brightest.