Are you interested in politics, but still looking at another year or two of undergraduate work? Are you unsure if you’re ready for graduate school full-time? Do you want to get a leg up on the competition, earning graduate credit during the spring or summer while working and living in Washington? If so, then the Semester In Washington Politics program at GWU is for you. SIW is a unique program tailored to politically savvy students interested in shaping tomorrow’s politics.
A hands-on program open to graduates and undergraduates, SIW students take courses in applied political management – focusing on campaign communication, strategy and tactics, lobbying and advocacy, legislative processes, fundraising and much more. Students work in small groups with political professionals in Washington, DC developing real campaign plans and producing political spots for television.
A Leg up on Graduate Work
If you are accepted to the GSPM, the courses you completed in SIWP exempt you from two of the introductory course requirements, allowing you two additional elective courses as part of your studies. If you earned graduate credits for your SIWP work, you may transfer the six credits into your graduate program, shortening the course load required for the Master's degree.
Besides the benefits of this dual arrangement, the Semester In Washington Politics program offers you a leg up on forming relationships with working political professionals in Washington, DC. You will have the opportunity to participate in an internship with one of the various non-profit, grassroots, or advocacy groups, federal agencies, media outlets or Congressional offices around the city. Working individually with SIW staff, you will have the opportunity to find the best fit for you.
Unlike other programs, we do not merely place you in an internship!
You will also be matched with a mentor (most likely an alumnus of The Graduate School of Political Management), and each week go behind the scenes to meet with the political players in Washington who are making a difference and shaping the national political debate. These weekly networking trips have included briefings with Supreme Court Justices, White House staff, members of Congress and their staffs, national news outlets, the national political parties, lobbying shops, political advocacy organizations and top-rated consulting firms.
A key ingredient in experiencing Washington, DC is living in Washington, DC. As an SIW student you will have the option of living on-campus in the heart of the city just blocks from the White House, State Department, World Bank and Georgetown. Immersing yourself intellectually and physically in our nation’s capital by participating in the Semester In Washington Politics program is a great springboard for you as you pursue your passion for politics.
What SIW Alumni are Saying
“So inspiring was my time at SIW, after I graduated, I returned to earn an M.A. in political management from GWU and serve as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill. I continue to use the lessons I learned during my summer at SIW. As a lawyer practicing political and election law, I incorporate the pragmatic information I learned at SIW into my legal practice.”
- Brandon Ward, Morehouse College
“SIW exceeded all of my expectations. For anyone interested in government and politics this is a one semester dream.”
- Steven Atkiss, University of Florida
“The GW SIW program was the best career decision I made as an undergraduate."
- Kate Cyril, Bentley College
"The Semester In Washington program is one of the greatest programs for advanced studies in political systems. I consider SIW to have launched my professional career.”
- Ben Pickett, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
For more information on the Semester In Washington Politics program, visit our website, call us at 202.994.8908 or check us out on YouTube.
