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The Washington Semester Program
- Program Summary
- Internship
- Research
- Seminar
- Commonly Asked Questions
- Examples of Recent Internship Placements
- The Washington Semester Provides...
- Student and Agency Comments
- Program Application and Other Forms (requires Adobe Acrobat)
The Washington Semester Program has been in existence since 1971. Through this Program a third year or first semester fourth year student can spend a semester working, studying and carrying out research in Washington, D.C. for a full semester's academic credit. This is a multi-disciplinary program which includes students from the arts, humanities and sciences. In addition to being the political center of the Nation Washington is also home to many prominent business, media, service, medical and art organizations.
The Program is designed to provide a student, regardless of major, an opportuntiy to:
- Bring together past and current academic study with practical experience
- Come to a better understanding of the political process and the formulation of public policy
- Develop critical and analytical skills
- Pursue independent research under the guidance of a faculty sponsor
Admission to the Program is highly competitive.
This Program not only provides students with direct hands-on experience related to their major field but the opportunity to work with national leaders, engage in independent research and live in a very stimulating environment has consistently produced in students an intellectual and social tempering that has greatly enhanced their overall educational experience at Holy Cross. The overarching goals of the Program are to provide students with intellectual, personal and professional growth and development.
While this is a multi-disciplinary program the three major components of the Program are directly related to each other and, in most cases, clearly integrated. The weekly seminar provides a forum for critical analysis of public policy issues drawing on students' internship experience and research. The independent research serves to greatly enhance the internship experience by encouraging students to analyze, in depth, issues directly related to their work.
Each student is required to spend four days per week working in a Washington based agency or office. Over the past twenty five years the College has established an extensive and varied list of internship placements for our students throughout Washington. Through consistent oversight and evaluation of all of our internship sites we have been able to insure that students are offered a substantive learning experience at their chosen placements. As a result of the College's direct involvement with internship sites, the rigorous academic demands of the Program and the excellent track record of former Holy Cross interns our students are usually in great demand. Since our program is multi-disciplinary in nature our placement opportunities cover a wide range of publc, private and independent sector organizations concerned with politics, health issues, government, social service, law, communications, education, business, etc. These positions require of the student a great deal of initiative and responsibility.
In conjunction with the internship each student is required to undertake a major independent research project culminating in a 40-0 page thesis. The thesis topic is selected by the student, in consultation with a Holy Cross faculty member who directs the research, early in the term followed by a series of deadlines leading to completion of the project. The subject of the research is, if practicable, both closely related to the student's internship and their major discipline. At the end of the term each student is required to return to the College for a discussion of their research in an oral examination. Students are expected to make good use of the resources of their agency and Washington in general to produce a paper which reflects, in some way, the Washington experience.
The seminar, which has no prerequisites, meets one evening a week and deals with issues related to the formulation of public policy. Students read and discuss a number of texts related to public policy issues and current events incorporating perspectives from their internships and research. The issues are approached at three levels:
- A close examination of the issues per se
- As examples of agenda building and policy making
- As evidence of the dynamics of social change in society
The seminar serves as a forum for critical analysis of the Washington experience. This is a Holy Cross course taught by a member of our faculty.
Who Can Participate?
Admission to the Program is competitive but is open to all 3rd year and 4th year students.
How Do I Apply?
Two informational meetings are held each year and applications are submitted in February for the following year.
Where Will I Live?
You are allowed to make your own housing arrangements but most of our students stay at the Warwick House Apartments in Arlington, Virginia
How Do I Find An Internship?
The CISS resource room at the College houses information on all of the internship possibilities in DC plus evaluations by former HC students. Students meet individually with the Director of the Program to discuss different internship possibilities.
What Is The Cost?
Students pay tuition to Holy Cross and take care of their own room and board in DC. The experience of most students is that the cost of the is slightly higher due to increased costs for entertainment and travel.
How Are My Credits Applied?
Students receive three separate grades: internship, research and seminar. Grades count toward HC gpa and credits can fulfill Department and Concentration requirements with prior consent.
How Is The College Involved While I'm In DC?
CISS maintains contact with the students and their agencies during the semester. Prof. De Angelis visits the students and their agencies twice during the semester. The seminar instructor serves as an on-sight faculty advisor. Each student has a faculty sponsor at Holy Cross.
Examples of Recent Internship Placements
American Enterprise Institute
American Engineers Consulting Council
Brookings Institute
Business Roundtable
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Comptroller of the Currency
Congressional Offices: House and Senate
Corporation Counsel
Dept. of Health and Human Services
Holocaust Memorial Research Center
House Foreign Relations Committee
International Sculpture Center
Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty
National Catholic Reporter
National Endowment for the Arts
National Institute for Justice-Justice Dept.
Pentagon
Presidents Commission on Mental Health
Office of the Vice President
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Senate Judiciary Committee
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Women's Research and Education Institute
The Washington Semester Provides...
- an opportunity to work and learn in a stimulating
- professional environment assessing one's strengths and weaknesses.
- professional experience in your chosen field.
- the development of significant research skills.
- the chance to make valuable and important contacts.
- a unique opportunity to integrate the experiential and analytical.
- an increasing awareness of the World and National Affairs.
- improved written and oral communication skills and analytical skills.
- the development of leadership skills and professional competencies, e.g. time management & organizational skills.
- an increase in self-reliance, esteem and confidence.
- cultural and recreational advantages of a uniquely international city.
- the chance to explore career options.
- the chance to explore service to society and to develop notions of citizenship.
- the chance to apply what you have learned at HC.
- the opportunity to meet with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (HC '71), depending on his schedule.
"I had an amazing experience in Washington and will never forget the things I learned there. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am extremely grateful to Holy Cross and the Washington Program." Eleis Brennan '08 (Ofc. of Sen. Hillary Clinton)
"I cannot express enough what an amazing semester it was in D.C. It was an experience I will never forget. The semester certainly was not easy but it was definitely worth all of the hard work." Erin Breen '06 (House Foreign Affairs Cmt.)
"Whenever someone asks me how I enjoyed my time in Washington, I always begin my response with 'it changed my life'." Nicole Given '10 (Securities and Exchange Commission)
"It was the best decision I have made thus far at Holy Cross and will certainly influence my career ambitions in the future." Leslie Herrmann '11 (Ofc. Of Sen. John Kerry)
"The Washington Program changed my life and that is not an exaggeration .... The HC Washington Semester was my first exposure to the City and the chance to work in the White Howe shaped my professional career. The Program remains one of my fondest memories from college and is something I frequently site as one of HC's greatest assets." Mike Melia '02 (White House Press Ofc.)
"The Holy Cross Washington Program is, by far, the best program I have had experience
with ..... because of the program's guidelines and rigorous academic schedule I feel that Stephanie's experiences in Washingtoln were greatly enhanced. In addition, Prof DeAngelis' visits
provided a rare cohesion between Stephanie's academic and office work .... Holy Cross should be
congratulated for creating a wonderful program for its students." Senator Frank Lautenberg
"In all the years we have had interns in this division my meeting with Prof DeAngelis was the first of its kind. I found it valuable to learn more about the Holy Cross program and respect his initiative to meet with me. I can only conclude that this kind of attention is a direct reflection of the quality of this program and its long term benefits to Holy Cross and, most importantly, its students." Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin, American Enterprise Institute
"As the Intern Director at the Dept. of Justice I am exposed to a vast number of intern programs at many of the top notch schools and I must say I have never seen a program run as well as the HC Washington Program ... We were so impressed with the HC Program and Mike that we offered him a summer job." Lauren Varian, U.S. Department of Justice
"In all of my years of supervising interns here. I've not seen a program that puts as much time and thought into the overall internship experience and learning process as the one at Holy Cross." Dr. Marc Ostfield, Senior Advisor Bioterrorism, Biodefense, & Health Security, U.S. Dept. of State