Undergraduate Washington, D.C. Semester in International Affairs

I. PROGRAM PURPOSE

The Washington D.C. Semester in International Affairs (organized by the Division of International Studies) is intended to provide an opportunity for eligible students to intern in an agency, corporation, non-profit or embassy with an international affairs focus and to receive university course credit. This program combines an internship (20 hours per week) with a regular seminar with speakers who are experts and prominent UW-Madison alumni working in professional, academic and diplomatic fields related to international affairs. Readings will be required for these sessions. Students will also attend lectures offered at think tanks and universities as well as business and professional associations.

In addition, they will visit major institutions such as Congress, the State Department, and the World Bank, private industry and non-governmental organizations, where students will speak with senior staff to learn about the operation and goals of these organizations. It thus provides a valuable educational experience for students. The majority of internships are unpaid.

Regular contact with the instructor and with other students, as well as traditional coursework, such as writing papers, is intended to ensure that students will have ample opportunity to put theory into practice. The internship experience permits students to examine contemporary international concerns in a practical manner, while making a positive contribution to the operation of a particular institution.

A faculty director will supervise the internship in collaboration with a resident director in Washington, D.C.

SPECIFIC GOALS for this program include the following:

1. To inform students about the ways in which international non-profits, think tanks, professional associations, and multilateral institutions operate.
2. To introduce students to practical problems of policy-making in the international arena.
3. To acquaint students with relevant research and encourage them to link theory and practice through discussion and projects.
4. For some, to put their language skills to use in a real world context.

II. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility for participation in the Washington D.C. Semester in International Affairs includes the following basic criteria:

1. A minimum 3.0 GPA
2. Evidence of coursework in international studies.
3. At least Junior standing. Students with senior status will have priority.

Other criteria which will be used to identify students with the strongest overall preparation include: writing skills, demonstrated ability to do independent work; language skills; research experience; international experience; and strong and demonstrable interest in international affairs.

Finalists in the selection process will be required to come in for a short interview. The interview will provide additional information about placement and about the course.

III. APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications for Fall 2010 are now available. Please check this page for announcements.

Fall 2010 Application [pdf]

In addition to the application, students will be asked to submit:

* Current transcript
* Resume
* Writing sample (no more than 2-3 pages)
* Letter of recommendation from a faculty member.

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with a writing instructor at the UW-Madison Writing Center for assistance with resume development.

IV. INTERN ACTIVITIES

The Division of International Studies will place students with interested organizations. While every effort is made to place students in internships that match his or her interests, the Division of International Studies is unable to guarantee specific internship placements. All internship placements are tentative. Students will need to contact the organization to which they have been assigned to schedule a phone interview to receive final confirmation for the placement. If accepted they will receive from the organizations a contract/letter detailing their duties and terms of the internship. The majority of internships are unpaid.

All students enrolled in the Washington D.C. Semester in International Affairs will be bound by regular UW-Madison deadlines (see the timetable for details http://registrar.wisc.edu/keydeadlines.php).

Students must be prepared to work with the organization a minimum of 20 hours per week, and most students work closer to full-time. If students are either unable or unwilling to make this time commitment, then they should not enroll for this course. Failure to work at the internship is grounds for automatic failure in the course. Organizations that find that the performance of their intern is unsatisfactory are urged to discuss this with the program coordinator as soon as a problem becomes evident.

In general, the exact details of the intern's work will be agreed upon in discussion with the organization, although a general position description is prepared in advance. The intern will usually find it helpful during the course of the semester to be able to discuss his/her various activities with the contact at the organization, a supervisor as well as with the internship coordinator. Regular feedback will enhance his/her performance and assist in making the necessary adjustments to the work environment.

State Department Internships:

The U.S. Department of State has an extensive and independent internship application process. Students interested in interning with the State Department while also participating in the UW-Madison Washington DC Semester in International Affairs will need to apply directly to the State Department as well as submit an application to the UW-Madison program*. Students should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the State Department’s application process and guidelines on their website: http://www.careers.state.gov/student/

*Please note in your UW application that you have applied for a State Department internship.

V. SEMINAR

Students will be expected to attend a regular bi-weekly seminar during the semester. Topics covered in class will range from international health, security, women’s rights, human rights, international development, globalization, international trade, to global governance. Speakers will include experts and UW-Madison alumni working in professional, academic and diplomatic fields related to international affairs.

VI. EVALUATION

Student's grades will be based on their written assignments and their contributions to seminar discussions.

At the end of the semester, students will be requested to fill out a confidential evaluation form. This form will give them the opportunity to comment on the internship coordinator, the organization they worked for, the course format and assignments, and their overall experience with the internship. A final evaluation will be requested from each participating organization. Likewise, organization representative will be asked to comment on their experience with the internship program and to suggest any improvements they would find desirable.

VII. CREDIT

Students will obtain the following credit from registering with the following 2 courses during the semester in Washington DC:

IS620, Washington, D.C. Seminar: International Organizations

IS320, Washington, D.C. Internships: International Organizations

These two courses combined provide a total of 6 credits. At the minimum the courses require:

* Working a minimum of 20 hours as an intern with an agency, corporation, non-profit or embassy that has international concerns.
* Signing a learning contract with the intern supervisor. This will include outlining the responsibilities of each party, the student’s learning objectives, how these objectives will be achieved, and what training, support, and feed-back the organization will provide.
* Attending a regular seminar in DC with speakers who are experts and prominent UW-Madison alumni working in professional, academic and diplomatic fields related to international affairs. Internship seminars will include a variety of topics in international affairs ranging from international health, security, women’s rights, human rights, international development, globalization, international trade, to global governance.
* Doing the readings required for the seminars as listed in the topics course syllabus.
* Writing a major research paper on a topic related to the areas of work of the student’s internship organization. The course instructor may require additional shorter writing assignments, e.g., reflection papers, journal or blog entries, book reviews.
* Attending lectures offered at think tanks, universities and business and professional associations.
* Visiting major institutions such as Congress, the State Department, the World Bank, and private industry and non-governmental organizations, where students will speak with senior staff to learn about the operation and goals of these institutions

Additional credit may be obtained through a:

A directed study with a faculty member (3 credits)
Online course (3 credits) on topic of choice. See www.ls.wisc.edu/oros/Outreach/external/OnlineFall.htm

All students enrolled in the Washington D.C. Semester in International Affairs will be bound by regular UW-Madison deadlines (see the timetable for details registrar.wisc.edu/keydeadlines.php).

NOTE TO POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJORS: Only 6 credits related to the internship may be obtained from the Department of Political Science.

For more information about the internship program contact Dr. Cynthia Williams, Division of International Studies, (608) 262-3929, cwilliam@facstaff.wisc.edu

2010* PROGRAM FEE

Wisconsin resident $4500
Minnesota resident $6000
Non-resident $8500

 

Other Estimated Expenses:

 

Housing $4700
Books $100
Meals ($350/month x 3.5) $1225
Personal / misc. expenses ($50/week x 15 weeks) $750
In-town transportation ($30/week x 15 weeks) $450

Estimated Total: $7225

You should be aware that the cost of living in the D.C. area is higher than in Madison. The amount of money that you budget for personal expenses will depend on your personal lifestyle.

*Fees for Fall 2010 subject to change.