|Home| |Faculty & Staff| |The Major| |Courses| |Beyond the Classroom| |Prelaw| |Life After Luther|

|Internships| |Washington Semester ||Mock Trial | |January Term| |Speakers| |Residencies|

LUTHERAN COLLEGE WASHINGTON SEMESTER ( http://www.washingtonsemester.org)

Luther College is part of a consortium of eleven Lutheran colleges that operate a Washington Semester program.

The central feature of the program is a four-day-a-week internship (usually worth eight credits). The program director and her assistants locate internships based on the student's desire and needs. Internships are not limited to students studying political science; there are many opportunities for students in communications, the arts, history and museum studies, economics and business, and environmenal studies, among others. Click here for a listing of recent internships by Luther students.

In addition, each student takes two courses. Each class is worth four credits each). Luther students may earn Paideia II credit if they take The Global Agenda and do a number of reflective writings. Students choose a second course from a list provided by Dr. Nancy Joyner, the program director (past courses have included Political Communication, Art and Architecture in the Nation's Capital, Violence and Values).

WEEKLY SCHEDULE: Students work at their internships on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. One of the classes takes place on late Monday afternoon and the other class is on Wednesday morning. Wednesdays also are used for field trips (Supreme Court oral arguments, visits with dignitaries, etc.). Most classes are held in the condominium complex where the students live).

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Students live in furnished condominiums in Arlington, Virginia. The condos are located across the river from the Kennedy Center and three blocks from the Key Bridge, which connects Virginia and Georgetown. The nearest metro is two blocks away and the Safeway grocery store is three blocks away. The neighborhood is extremely safe for an urban area.

VOLUNTEER SERVICE: Each participant is required to do eight hours of volunteer work. Many students choose to work in food kitchens but there obviously are many options from which to choose.

COSTS: Students pay their tuition to Luther College as usual but do not pay Luther for room and board during that semester. Students normally pay LCWC directly for the housing (sometimes this is done through Luther if financial aid is involved). Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from Washington and for their food and incidental expenses while living in Washington. The housing cost is $2,000 and there is a $275 fee that includes textbooks, a play, and some dinner meetings.

LUTHER HOUSING: You should be aware that if you choose to go in the fall semester you will not be allowed to participate in room selection. If you have any questions about where you will be housed when you return in the spring, you probably should begin with Marty Berg in the Residential Life Office.

FINANCIAL AID: Because students remain enrolled at Luther the only financial aid that is lost is work study; all other aid stays with the student. If you are on aid you should be certain to talk with Kathy Kerber in SFP early in the process. Not only does she fully understand all of the monetary implications but she also will help readjust financial aid packages to account for the increased cost of studying in Washington. You or your parents may want to chat with Jan Schnitzler in the Office of Financial Services regarding billing.

HOW TO APPLY: You need to provide the following to Mr. Moeller: (1)an official application, (2)a transcript (3)a resume, (4)a 3-5 page writing sample and (5)a letter of recommendation from one of your teachers. Dr. Joyner will use the writing sample and the letter of recommendation in securing your internship so inform the writer that the point of the letter is not to get you admitted to the program but to talk about what you would bring to an internship.

If you want to speak directly with Dr. Nancy Joyner you can contact her the following ways:

Fax (703) 525-2442
Phone: (703) 525-LCWC or 1-888-456-LCWC
E-Mail: dean@washingtonsemester.org
Post: 1025 Arlington Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209-2225

If you want to check out the web page, it is: http://www.washingtonsemester.org

Recent Internships

Fall 2009
Rachel Barclay (National Postal Museum)
Mark Burris (Rep. Peter Roskam [IL])
Brittany Turner (Meridian International)

Spring 2009
Tyler Powell (Rep. Keith Ellison [MN])
Heather Rothfuss (DC Courts)
Mitchell Schaben (Sen.. Tom Harkin [IA])
Eric St. Clair (Chesapeake Climate Action Network)
Sam Wiles (National Journalism Center)

Fall 2008
Thomas Burman: Save America’s Forests
Mike Crusinberry: Senator Ben Nelson (NE)
Wade Holland: Democratic National Committee
Zach Kulzer: Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA)
Jamie Ottman: Senator Russ Feingold (WI)
Andrew Peterson: Senator Kent Conrad (ND)
Katie Prichard: Smithsonian Archives
Brandon Reed: Congressman Keith Ellison (MN)

Spring 2008
Maggie Hibbs: Emily’s List
Giselle Kaalen: U.S. Attorney's Office
Megan McCormick: National Journalism Center
Julia Schumacher: Genocide Intervention Network
Mihkel Smit: State Department

Fall 2007
Christopher Huus: Dept of Justice
Taryn Kloster: NOW
Jordan Anderson: Sen Tom Harkin (IA)

Sarah Vail and Elizabeth Koenig in front of the Supreme Court