Washington Program in National Issues

Department of Political Science
Kent State University
302 Bowman Hall
Kent, Ohio 44242
Tel: 330-672-8944
Fax: 330-672-3362
E-mail: rrobyn@kent.edu
Website:http://www.kent.edu/wpni

The Washington Program in National Issues was established in 1973 through the initiative of Washington-based alumni who sought to provide Kent State University undergraduates with a unique living and learning experience in the nation’s capital. Open to junior and senior students from all academic disciplines, the full 15-week spring semester program is administered through the Department of Political Science.

The purposes of the program are to accomplish the following:

• Facilitate learning about the U.S. political system through briefings with government officials and other working professionals in Washington, DC
  
• Develop a personal understanding of the demands and rewards of the professional work world through an internship experience
  
• Encourage initiative through individualized research, which may involve resources at the Library of Congress, among other sites

Students participate in internships—in places such as Capitol Hill, in a governmental agency or with an interest group—and attend seminars. The program requires a semester-long residence in the Washington, DC, area. Alumni in the nation's capital continue to support the program by introducing students to the culture and serving as consultants and mentors.