Washington Center

Purpose
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars provides students with a comprehensive, participatory learning experience in Washington, D.C.  The program promotes future leadership for the public, private and nonprofit sectors of society by combining experiential learning components with academics.

Description
The Washington Center promotes student development through the following components:

Format
Students must first be accepted by the CEL.  The CEL applications for the Washington Center are due in the December prior to the following academic year.  Then, application deadlines are set annually by the Washington Center and listed in the application materials.  The internship placement process begins as soon as the student is accepted into the program.  All interns submit a portfolio for evaluation which complements in a substantive way the learning that takes place at the internship site.  The Washington Center provides housing facilities which are located in Arlington, Virginia, within walking distance to the METRO stop. 

Credits
Students earn 12 credits through Loras College for their Washington Center experience. Generally, six credits are available for the student's internship through the CEL. The other six credits must be arranged through the student's academic department. Depending on the department, the credits could fall under the category of internship, cooperative education or field experience.

Program Expenses
The Washington Center is an affiliate program of the Loras College Center for Experiential Learning. As such, accepted students will be eligible for only 50% of their institutional aid during their semester at the Washington Center. Additionally, due to living in a metropolitan area, students should expect increased costs for housing, food and social activities.

Eligible Students
To participate in programs offered by the Center, a student must have completed at least 40 credits hours and possess a cumulative grade point average of 2.5.

Available Opportunities
Internships are available in a variety of career fields and industries, but are particularly focused on government and related organizations. As such, Loras students have interned with organizations such as the White House, Interpol, and the Federal Trade Commission.