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Ohio Wesleyan University, a national university with a major international presence, offers students from all fields of liberal arts a semester-long program of internship and study in Washington, D.C. The Arneson Institute of Practical Politics and Public Affairs at Ohio Wesleyan is deeply grounded in the University’s long tradition of “theory into practice” learning, and a high-quality professional experience in Washington, D.C., is a hallmark of the University’s role as one of America’s leading liberal arts institutions.
The Wesleyan in Washington Program is an intensive, full-time internship experience. The program builds on your classroom study by providing you with unique opportunities to apply what you’ve learned in class to practical, real-world settings. The Wesleyan in Washington Program matches you with internship placements that precisely reflect your interests and professional goals. We want you to have not only an important internship, but also a broad and meaningful Washington experience.
Wesleyan in Washington is designed to open doors to the Washington, D.C., policy community in ways that are unique and will contribute to your immediate educational growth and long-term professional success, whether in the public or private sector. We help arrange for your participation in a multitude of Washington, D.C., activities that allow you to take full advantage of being in the city.
Students accepted into the program receive a total of four Ohio Wesleyan University units of credit (normal semester load) for their Washington experience, two of which may be internship credit. The additional credits typically are a combination of Directed Readings and Independent Studies. These courses may be in any academic department or program on campus. It is important that early in the application process, you meet with faculty you would like to work with to develop a plan for accomplishing your academic work while also working full-time at your internship.
Students wishing to work more directly with Arneson Institute staff register through the Department of Politics and Government. The Arneson Institute also coordinates faculty oversight of appropriate internship credit and is adaptive to the particular interests of the student. Because Ohio Wesleyan University runs this program directly, your credit is direct University credit, not transfer credit. Grades received during the semester are counted in your cumulative grade point average.
You continue to pay tuition to Ohio Wesleyan. Generally, your particular financial aid arrangement regarding scholarships and other financial aid applied to tuition charges remains in place during your internships. It is always wise to for you to review your financial aid package with your financial aid officer, as the conditions can vary, if slightly, year to year.
The primary costs for the semester are room and board. You do not pay the Ohio Wesleyan room and board fees during the semester you are in Washington, D.C. Instead, you pay rent directly to the facility in which you plan to reside during your off-campus internship. The Arneson Institute endeavors to help you find housing with expenses as close to Ohio Wesleyan University room costs as possible. Food costs are your responsibility. Washington, D.C., has an excellent public transportation system, which we will review in detail with you before you depart, along with other daily living advice. We also partner with Ohio Wesleyan University’s Office of International and Off-Campus Programs to review safety and other liability responsibilities. Ohio Wesleyan University student codes must be maintained while you are in Washington.
If you are participating in the fall and spring semester program, you are required to live in housing arranged by the program unless you have immediate family residing in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. You will be living in a dorm/apartment setting. If you prefer to take advantage of the program during the summer session, Arneson Institute staff assists in locating housing at your request.