In the Schieffer College’s Washington, D.C. internship program, junior and senior students may spend a semester in the nation’s capital working at an internship and taking elective classes related to degrees in journalism and strategic communication.
The central experience is a full-time internship at a news organization, nonprofit organization, advertising/public relations firm, lobbying group, think tank, or political organization in Washington, D.C. Students have interned at such organizations as CBS News, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the press offices of their U.S. senators, Politico, The Dallas Morning News, the McClatchy Washington bureau and PolitiFact. Students typically work at their internships four days a week while taking elective courses in the evenings or on Fridays.
The internship is assessed for a grade and is co-supervised by the employer and a Schieffer College professor in the student’s major department. Students who haven’t earned other internship credit at TCU typically may earn six hours of credit for the internship.
Students also take elective courses at The Washington Center, which help them earn additional hours toward their TCU degrees. Those classes are selected in consultation with the students’ department. Students in the program typically earn 15 hours of college credit during their time in the Washington Program.
There is no difference in tuition for this program and the tuition a student typically incurs on campus. However, housing expenses and the cost of living are higher in Washington, D.C., so students needs to plan for the extra expense. Students live in the residential facilities at The Washington Center which are similar to a typical university residence hall. Small scholarships to Schieffer College students on the Washington program may be available to support the semester expenses. Students interested in applying for scholarships or financial aid should consult their sponsoring faculty member in their department.