Frequently Asked Questions
Semester in Washington, D.C. Program
This program takes place only during Fall and Spring semesters.
This program is open to Loyola undergraduate students with at least Junior standing in all of Loyola’s Schools and Colleges. This includes “rising Juniors” who would be Juniors during the semester that they are in Washington, DC.
No. We are looking for the most committed students with either Junior or Senior status.
2. Internship Seminar (mandatory). Every Friday students will attend a required internship seminar from approximately 10:00am - 3:00pm that will be taught by the Program Director(3 credit hours). This class is a combination of experiential learning, professional development, and getting to know Washington, DC. Fridays will generally start in the classroom followed by a break and then a visit to an organization or office in Washington, DC.
3. Two additional elective courses will be taught on either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evenings from 7:00-9:30 p.m.(3 credit hours each, for a total of 6 credit hours). These courses will be cross-listed with Communication and Political Science and include content that covers both fields and captures the Washington, DC experience. Elective classes may include:
- “Political Communication” (how information spreads and influences politics, especially in the aftermath of the creation of the World Wide Web and the explosion of data that accompanied that development) (3 credit hours)
- “Political Advocacy” (how political causes are promoted within the political system, including by interest groups, non-profit organizations, and the mass public) (3 credit hours)
- “Public Policy and Information Technology” (how federal, state, and local policymaking affects information technology, such as whether the government has the right to ask Apple to unlock their phones in a domestic terrorist case) (3 credit hours)
- “Campaigns and Political Communication” (role of information and media in campaigns and elections, especially in light of the congressional and presidential elections) (3 credit hours)
The Program Director is a Loyola faculty member. All courses will be taught by Loyola faculty.
- Tuition (15 credits) that the student would normally pay for their LUC home college/entering year as if they were attending classes full-time in Chicago.
- $1,000 program fee
- $4,540 (approximate) housing fee (students will be housed and take Loyola classes at the Washington Intern Student Housing - see below).
- Additional costs not covered by the above: Food is not included in the housing cost. Students are also responsible for their own round-trip travel to Washington, DC, and within Washington, DC.*
*Note: food and recreation are more costly in Washington than in Chicago.
Students will be housed and take Loyola classes at the Washington Intern Student Housing. All students will be housed together at the same WISH location. Rooms will be either doubles, triples, or quadruples. Rooms include basic amenities, such as WiFi, as well as access to a kitchen. Food is not included.
As this is a Loyola center at which students will be enrolled full-time, their regular financial aid and scholarships that they would receive at the Chicago campus will follow them to the DC Center. However, there are not currently any special (additional) financial aid or scholarship programs for students participating in this program.
There are a wide range of internship opportunities in Washington. Students and the Program Director will work together to identify opportunities directly relevant to the student’s interests and major. Internship sites range from Congress and Federal agencies, to non-profits, think tanks, media organizations, advocacy groups and consulting firms. Past internship placements include the offices of Senators Franken, Kirk and Baldwin, Representatives Kelly, Quigley, Gutierrez and Davis, National Strategies Inc, the World Affairs Council, and the Supreme Court.
Students and the Program Director will work together to secure internship placements. The goal is to place the student in an internship that is directly relevant to his/her major(s).
Yes, placements obtained by the student him/herself are welcomed, as long as they meet the professional and academic guidelines/rigor expected of Loyola’s Washington, DC Program. Such placements will be approved by the Program Director.
Please contact Susan Dimock, sdimock@luc.edu, Director of Loyola’s Washington program.