The undergraduate academic program is a major component of the U.C. Berkeley Washington Center. The Center also sponsors conferences, symposia, and policy debates, connects D.C.-based alumni with the home campus, and provides U.C. Berkeley with a physical presence in the nation's capital.
Students divide their weekly schedules between classes and a part-time field placement position.
Each will work at his or her internship for approximately 30 hours per week. All participants will be registered as full-time U.C. Berkeley students and will remain eligible for financial aid provided the minimum number of units is met. Making extensive use of local libraries and resources, students will design a research strategy leading to a substantial term paper that incorporates knowledge gained from the Washington field placement. In addition, students will take one or two seminars that emphasize a subject matter such as politics, history, public policy, the media, or arts and culture. The topics vary from semester to semester depending on the Berkeley faculty in residence, the offerings by the other U.C. programs at the Center in Washington DC, and the availability and expertise of guest instructors.