As part of its established vision to help undergraduate students integrate Christian faith and public life, the Henry Institute operates the Semester in Washington D.C. (Paul B. Henry Semester), which runs concurrently with Calvin College's spring semester. A wide range of internship experiences are available, depending upon the student's interests and future career plans.

 

Credit	Internship Experience	Costs
Housing	Application Procedures	Timetable
	For More Information

2003 semester in Washington pictures

While in Washington, students will also take two 3-hour courses taught by Calvin faculty, STDC 343: Integrating Faith and Public Life in Washington, D.C., and STDC 342: Special Topics in Public Life; during the 2009 semester, this course will be Public Policy Making and the New President.

Contingent on the type of internship and individual arrangements students make with academic departments, academic credit can go toward a variety of majors, minors, and other college requirements. However, all 14 semester hours of credit apply toward total semester hour graduation requirements, and up to 9 semester hours can be applied toward a political science major or minor.

All Calvin students are required to take STDC 241: Study in Washington, D.C. during the previous fall semester.

2006 D.C. Semester Interns

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES
Washington, D.C. is an international city with a wide range of interests that extend well beyond the political world. Internship experiences may be unrelated to the world of politics, focus on domestic politics, or take advantage of the vast resources in the international political arena.

Non-political internships are available in the arts, museums, computer science and technology, criminal justice, environmental studies, social work, urban studies, and even philosophy. For example, intern placements can be obtained in the Smithsonian Institute, the National Archives, the National Gallery of Art, the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, America Online, Election Data Systems, human service agencies, religious agencies, and much more.

If your interest is domestic politics you can intern in Congress or most agencies of the Executive Branch (White House; Departments of Defense, Education, Energy, Justice, State; the FBI, etc.). Internships are also possible in law firms, think tanks, or lobbying firms (e.g., Christian Coalition, Heritage Foundation, Empower America), the national offices of the major political parties, print or broadcast media, and much more.

With regard to international opportunities, one can secure an internship placement in U. S. foreign policy agencies. Other opportunities are available in United Nations offices, international human rights agencies, international relief agencies, foreign embassies, or internationally-oriented organizations such as the Organization for American States, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, or the Atlantic Council.

COSTS
Program costs are equivalent to the cost of tuition and on-campus room and board for one semester. This cost includes the Henry Institute semester tuition, room, program-related cultural events, and a stipend toward meal expenses, but does not include transportation to or from Washington, D.C. For Calvin students all financial aid, scholarships, and grant monies are applied toward the program just as they would be toward a regular Calvin semester.


HOUSING
Students are usually housed in Washington D.C., near Union Station and Capitol Hill. Students share modestly furnished rooms with other Calvin students who are participating in the Washington D.C. Internship program. Housing is located nearby the Metro public transportation system, which provides easy, safe, and inexpensive access to the entire region.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
There are three separate steps in the application procedure. First, Calvin students must apply to Calvin's Office of Off-Campus Programs (322 Hiemenga Hall) for permission to engage in off-campus study. The forms for this process are available in that office. Second, after receiving permission to study off-campus, students receive an e-mail with a link to Washington D.C. (Paul B. Henry Semester) application forms. Third, once a student is accepted for the program, additional information such as a resume and internship essay are required for use in obtaining internship placement. The precise forms and deadlines for these later requirements are available from Dr. Corwin Smidt.

TIMETABLE
Students should pay close attention to this list of deadlines.

1. As early as possible (but not later than the spring of the year before the scheduled off-campus program): Submit to the Office of Off-Campus Programs your Pre-Application for Off-Campus Study (required of all Calvin students for all off-campus study programs) by April 1st; with the Program Application (which is sent to the student by the Off-Campus Programs office after the Pre-Application is approved) submitted by April 15th. An application fee is required at this time. Take this step before any other. Admission decisions are made by about May 15. Please note: if there is additional room in the program, applications will again be accepted in the fall for the spring program, however, internship placements may be limited.

2. Spring Registration for the Fall courses that precede the internship: Students planning to join the Spring semester are required (unless receiving special permission from the Professor leading the semester) to register for a one-hour course, STDC 241: Semester in Washington, D.C., in the fall preceding their off-campus program.

3. Summer: Resumes, internship essays, personal essays and reference letters appropriate for internship placements must be turned in by mid-summer. The exact deadline dates will be determined by the Professor leading the semester. Students are also required to pay a $400 deposit at this time (which will be credited to tuition) to participate in this off-campus program. The process of securing an Internship placement will begin during the summer.

4. Fall Semester: STDC 241 will prepare students for the upcoming Semester in Washington D.C., as well as assisting them in continued work to gain an Internship placement.

5. Fall Registration for upcoming Spring courses: All students register for STDC 344 (eight hours of internship credit) and STDC 342 and STDC 343, the two three-hours courses most students will take. Students may earn a maximum of 9 semester hours in political science for their work during the Semester in Washington D.C.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information contact Dr. Corwin Smidt, the Henry Institute, or the Office of Off Campus Programs.