Applied Politics
Semester In Washington Politics offers an invaluable up-close view of Washington, D.C. You’ll learn how political decisions are made, how power is wielded and how government is run – because you’ll be right in the center of the process. Semester In Washington is a guided, hands-on tour of the workings of the U.S. government. We will immerse you in the processes that define our political system.
You will learn the components of political campaigning, from message development and media production to voter targeting, direct mail and fundraising. You will have the opportunity to see what lobbyists do and how issues like gun control, international relations and campaign finance reform are managed. You will have the chance to plan an election campaign and to develop a lobbying strategy.
When you return to your home campus, you'll know what it takes to win elections, to pass legislation and to influence public opinion. More importantly, you'll know what professional options are available to you as a congressional staffer, campaign manager, press secretary, lobbyist, pollster, media producer, journalist or fundraiser. You'll be better informed about how politics works and more aware of how you fit into that process.
Semester In Washington offers you a chance to learn about politics, Washington and yourself. We hope you'll join us for the experience of a lifetime.
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Hear What Semester In Washington Students Have to Say
SIW offers a behind the scenes opportunity to interact and work with the political players who are changing politics. Classes, hands-on internships and networking events coincide for an unrivaled Washington experience.
Meet the People Who Matter
Spring 2008 student Charlayne Holliday interned in Senator Barack Obama's office and had the opportunity to meet him during the height of his Presidential campaign.
The GW Experience
Students
All in the Family
Greg and Heather Hachenburg talk about their undergraduate experience at GW, one of many sibling pairs to share in the Colonials legacy.
Creating Next Generation Leaders
GW program helps female students connect with leading women across a variety of fields and develop their roles as future women in leadership.
Where the City is a Classroom
Freshman volunteers experience life beyond Foggy Bottom...
Faculty
Fighting Neglected Diseases
GW professor works to eradicate diseases that affect the health, education and economic development of the world's poorest people.
Building the Super Computer
Pioneering lab puts GW at the forefront of high-speed computing and offers GW students unprecedented access to science and skills of the future.
Blast From the Past
Students map an ancient—and dramatic—eruption as part of a geological research program in the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
Alumni
Giving Back to the District of Columbia
D.C. public health director calls GW education the foundation of his career.
GW Opens Doors
A chance encounter with a GW alumna helped give one GW undergraduate, an aspiring broadcast journalist from Texas, his big break.
The Legend Lives On
The $2 million bequest commitment caps a lifetime of philanthropy and service to GW, establishing the Elyse B. and Donald R. Lehman Endowed Professorship in Theoretical Physics.