Non-Degree

About the Program

Coursework

PMGT 101 Electoral and Legislative Processes
PMGT 107 Practicum in Political Management

These required core courses are the heart of the program. The Electoral and Legislative Processes course features lectures and discussions with GW faculty and political management experts. In the Practicum in Political Management, students work in small groups under the instruction of political professionals creating real-world campaign and lobbying plans and 30-second television spots. In the past, students have worked on mock statewide Senate races and the passage of prominent legislation. Both courses are available for 3 or 4 credit hours (with approximate workload adjustments).

Electives

Students may elect to take additional courses from any department of The George Washington University. This flexibility allows students to stay on track with academic requirements at their home institutions and explore other subject areas.

GW's Full Schedule of Classes

Within the Semester In Washington Politics Program, students may take the following electives. These courses can be tailored to the needs of individual students.

PMGT 192 Tutorial in American Politics and Elections

This course examines selected topics in applied politics in the context of the students' professional internship experiences and core coursework. Students meet weekly in seminar and online for directed discussion.

PMGT 187 Internship Credit

Students who wish to use the internship for credit enroll in this course.

Networking

Special networking events take students backstage and behind closed doors to meet and learn from Washington insiders. These are not typical tourist attractions. Semester In Washington students meet sitting Supreme Court justices and visit the White House, CBS News, the Federal Election Commission, Capitol Hill staff briefings, and media consulting firms. These are just a handful of the many memorable and valuable experiences within SIW.

Internships

The Semester In Washington staff work directly with each student to identify professional objectives. They also offer extensive resources to assist students in securing rewarding internships. While the program does not require an internship, many students are interested in undertaking that Washington experience, and SIW will help students make it a worthwhile endeavor. Academic credit is available for students who exercise that option.

Interns can choose to work on Capitol Hill, in the White House, at associations or lobbying firms, with public interest organizations, in public opinion research organizations, at media consulting firms or for news organizations. GW has a staff member whose sole job is to secure interesting and exciting internships for students. We have a 100 percent placement rate.

Students may intern for academic credit or just for valuable professional experience. The compensation for any internship is determined by the organization and the student involved. Most of the time, it is extremely limited in scope. Most internships are unpaid.
Once admitted to the Semester In Washington, you will be able to access GW’s online database of more than 450 internships.

Get A Leg Up On Graduate School

If you are interested in graduate work, specifically applied politics at GW, the courses you complete at Semester In Washington Politics exempt you from two of the introductory course requirements in the Graduate School of Political Management, allowing you two additional elective courses as part of your studies. If you earned graduate credits for your SIWP work, you may transfer the six credits into your graduate program, shortening the course load required for a master's degree.