W&M in Washington: An Introduction

Williamsburg is a beautiful place. It’s got charm and class. It’s got tons of history. Most importantly, it’s got both ghosts and colonists – and lots of them. And in all seriousness, how is it possible not to love a place like that?

Of course, Williamsburg doesn’t have it all. It’s perhaps not as sexy as other college towns, like NYC, Chicago, or Washington, D.C. We don’t have any skyscrapers. There are no Fortune 500 companies here. And the nightlife – well, it leaves much to be desired.

The good news, though, is that William & Mary has so many great programs that allow students to take advantage of opportunities beyond Williamsburg. For example, the study abroad programs are quite popular. And because the Reves Center has connections with universities all over the world, most students (assuming they are academically strong and have the requisite language skills) can study just about anywhere, from Beijing, to Oxford, to Seville.

But what if you’re looking for something a little closer to home? Then there’s something for you too! In fact, one of the best-kept secrets at William & Mary has to be the W&M in Washington Program. In a nutshell, it’s an academic semester program with an internship component operated out of the Washington, D.C. office near Dupont Circle. Students receive 6-8 credits for their coursework and an additional 6 credits for the academic work they complete in association with their internship. Each semester is based on a theme, which determines what classes will be offered and what internships are available to all participating students. The theme for next spring is “International Politics in Economic Hard Times.” The courses will relate to this larger topic and relevant internships might include positions at the State Department, USAID, or the IMF, just to name but a few.  I should point out that while this semester’s theme has an obvious government/IR flavor, the themes do change every semester.

In terms of the housing situation, all students live in group apartments located only three metro stops outside the city in Arlington, VA. I’ve actually had the chance to see these apartments in person because of an internship experience I had last summer. And I must say that the entire place is incredible, palatial even. The main lobby is really swanky and plays all sorts of classy jazz music so you feel like a VIP when you walk in. The apartments themselves come fully furnished and are massive. You could even run laps in the bedrooms. But you don’t have to because there’s a nicely equipped fitness center downstairs. Best of all may be the all-in one coffee/frappachino/mochachino machine off of the main lobby. This place is no joke.

If you are intrigued by this program and want to find out more, check out the W&M in Washington website at: http://www.wm.edu/sites/wmindc/.