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Capital
Connection: The UC Washington Center
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| Washington
Center students meet former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel at a UCDC
Director's Forum. |
While many
UC students go abroad, each term about 280 undergraduate students leave
eight UC campuses to work, study and live in the capital at the University
of California Washington Center.
In addition to enrolling in a required research seminar, students may
choose from elective courses taught at night by participating faculty
from a variety of UC campuses who are also pursing research in the Washington
area. Some of the electives offered this fall included International
Law, War Crimes and Human Rights; Chemical and Biological Weapons; Ethnic
Self-Determination and Conflict; and Bureaucracy and Public Management.
During the day, students gain valuable work experience interning at
a wide array of organizations in the capital. The program accepts students
from all UC majors, and internships are chosen on the basis of a student’s
field of interest. Engineering students, for example, have worked for
the Department of Transportation while those in the biological sciences
may work at the National Institutes of Health or in forensics at the
District of Columbia Coroners Office. Communications majors have worked
at the Voice of America, history students at the Smithsonian Institution
and political science students for a variety of government, private,
business and non-profit organizations.
Students and faculty are welcome to participate in lively biweekly discussion
forums with experts from a variety of fields. Fall 2003 forums included
Rep. Cal Dooley, D-Calif., discussing California politics; Ambassador
Nguyen Tam Chien of the Republic of Vietnam reviewing U.S.-Vietnam relations;
Barnard College political science professor Richard Pious discussing
presidential nominations; and a panel led by Professor Bruce Cain, director
of the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley, entitled “The
Impact of California’s Recall Election and the Challenges Facing
Governor Schwarzenegger.”
New Building
The hub of activity is the Center’s new multifunctional
building, which provides a unique environment for the students, faculty
and staff who stay there. The 11-story, 107,000-square-foot, glass-paneled
structure features numerous teaching venues, including an auditorium,
multipurpose rooms, computer and distance learning labs, and seminar
and conference rooms. These rooms all offer an array of multimedia,
network and Internet services as well as video conferencing that supports
two-way communication between students, faculty and guest speakers,
whether they’re in Washington or back on a UC campus. The students
and faculty live in apartments on floors 4–11 above classrooms
and academic and federal governmental relations office space.
Beside academic coursework, students and faculty can take advantage
of the area’s rich cultural heritage on Center-organized trips
to Gettysburg, Monticello, the U.S. Supreme Court, Baltimore Orioles
baseball games and numerous theater productions.
“It’s an all-encompassing experience,” said UCLA senior
Amanda Simpson. “I have gained academic and work experience as
well as enjoying the social aspects D.C. has to offer.”
Students must apply to the UC Washington Center directly through their
UC campus Washington program.
UC Washington Center
1608 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., 3rd Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 974-6200
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