About W&M in Washington

W&M in Washington is an academic program housed in the William & Mary Washington Office.   It is the biggest initiative of the Washington Office, staffed by a Program Director and Program Assistant, and operating during the Fall and Spring Semesters of the academic year.

Program Details

The Program: W&M in Washington offers an academically rigorous curriculum built around a semester-by-semester topic, with internships matched to that topic.  Students in the program gain tremendous insight into their field of study and have an incredible opportunity to learn from experts, executives, politicians, and policy-makers.  From Arts to International Relations, and areas in between, the varying semester topics allow students with all areas of interest to participate during a semester that appeals to them.

Academics & Internships: Each semester, an experienced William & Mary professor teaches two courses that are specifically designed for the W&M in Washington Program.  Participating students receive 12 credits from these two four-credit classes, plus the academic work they complete in association with their internship.  The supportive W&M in Washington staff works with students to research, apply for, and secure these internships, which also relate to the semester topic.  Students then spend 30-35 hours per week at their internships while the Program Director coordinates directly with each intern supervisor to provide a quality internship experience.

Life in DC: Participating students live in luxury apartments in Arlington, just 3 Metro stops from downtown DC.  Through structured events provided by the Program as well as the various social and cultural outlets that a dynamic city like DC has to offer, W&M in Washington students have an array of opportunities before them.  However, W&M in Washington also prides itself on providing the same quality of support to students in DC as campus provides to students in Williamsburg.  As a result, students enjoy the benefits of a large metropolitan city and the attention of a small community.

Program Mission

• To offer a challenging, interactive academic program appropriate for qualified students.

• To encourage practical learning in “real life” settings.

• To provide a well-managed, mutually beneficial internship experience.

• To let students sample the intellectual and cultural diversity of our nation’s capital.

Program History

The W&M in Washington Program has its earliest origins in the one credit “Washington Program” started in the late 1980s and run by the Thomas Jefferson Public Policy Program in the mid 1990s.  Each semester, the competitive program would bring undergraduate and graduate students to Washington for three or four days to learn about a different issue in public policy.  

The establishment of a Washington Office in 2001 led to more serious consideration of a full time semester program, with the office serving as a base for launching the new venture.  In 2001, the Washington Office produced a survey of four existing programs in Washington to inform W&M administrators on the critical elements of successful programs.  Detailed plans for W&M in Washington were approved in Fall 2005, allowing for the establishment of a permanent, full time program for the Fall 2006 semester.