Eligibility
You must have achieved a 2.5 grade point average to participate in the Washington, D.C. semester program. Please note that you do not need to a political science major to participate in the program.
Cost
This program cost will be will be finalized in November. The price will include:
- Tuition
- Room and board
- Program-related cultural events
Additional expenses not included in the program cost: travel to and from Washington, D.C., books, independent travel and spending money.
Accommodations
You will stay with other Calvin students in a mansion between the Convention Center and Union Station and close to public transportation.
Courses
The prerequisite for the Washington, D.C. program is a one credit course taken in the fall semester, STDC 241: An Introduction to Washington, D.C. Enroll in this course once you have been accepted into the semester program in the previous spring.
In Washington, D.C., choose between two program tracks:
General Internship Program
| STDC 344: Internship in Washington, DC | |
| An internship experience, normally consisting of a four-day work week in a professional setting in the student's major field of concentration. The internship experience can be tailored to offer a wide variety of learning opportunities. ** Credit toward a major is granted at the discretion of the department concerned. |
8 semester hours |
| STDC 343: Integrating Faith and Public Life | |
| This course will focus on the role of religion in the public life of Washington, DC. Specifically, the course will examine how religious individuals and institutions of many faith traditions seek to affect the climate and content of policy making. The course will stress site visits to organizations that influence, study, and/or implement public policies in a variety of areas such as health, social services, security, economic development, and trade. Students will be challenged to compare and contrast the organization where they complete an internship with the institutions visited in this course, particularly in terms of organizational objectives and the role of religion in the organization’s mission. | 3 semester hours |
| STDC 342: Special Topics in Public Life: Urban America | |
| Special Topics in Public Life: Urban America: An examination of public problems found in urban politics, policies and issues, particularly in the areas of education, health care, and economic opportunity. Students study these problems both theoretically and experientially by interacting with various policy-makers within the District of Columbia. | 3 semester hours |
Social Work Practicum
| SOWK 380: Social Work Practicum in Washington, DC | |
| The social work Department allows a limited number of students to complete their social work practicums through the Washington, DC program. Interested students should contact Prof. P. DeJong, Practicum Coordinator, regarding department selection for this program. | 10 semester hours |
| STDC 343: Integrating Faith and Public Life | |
| This course will focus on the role of religion in the public life of Washington, DC. Specifically, the course will examine how religious individuals and institutions of many faith traditions seek to affect the climate and content of policy making. The course will stress site visits to organizations that influence, study, and/or implement public policies in a variety of areas such as health, social services, security, economic development, and trade. Students will be challenged to compare and contrast the organization where they complete an internship with the institutions visited in this course, particularly in terms of organizational objectives and the role of religion in the organization’s mission. | 3 semester hours |
Apply
Submit a preliminary application to the the Off-Campus Programs office by April 1 of the year before you'd like to participate in the program. Once your eligibility for the program is determined (within 1–2 weeks), you will be given access to an online application for the program. Apply by April 15 to be accepted for the following spring.
Please note: The final application deadline for Spring 2013 has been extended to September 21, 2012
If you're a social work major, you should follow the same procedures and deadlines, but speak to your practicum advisor about participating in the program.
Contact
Program Director Spring 2013
Mikael Pelz
Phone: 616-526-6232
Social work practicum applicants:
Practicum coordinator
Professor Lissa Schwander
Phone: 616-526-6243
Email: lschwand@calvin.edu
Past and Future Program Directors
Spring 2011 - Beryl Hugen
Spring 2012 - Douglas Howard
Spring 2013 - Mickael Pelz
