Our “study away” program in D.C. allows students to travel to larger metropolitan areas for unparalleled opportunities in a variety of fields, including business, finance, public policy, education, the arts and more.

Centre-in-Washington

Partnering with Butler University, Centre sends students in the fall and spring to the nation’s capital, where they will complete internships and take courses that focus on the art and architecture of Washington and the “City as Text.” Students work a regular workday (often 9 to 5) Mondays through Thursdays. For this, students receive six hours of internship credit, the maximum currently allowed at Centre. Occasionally, an internship will be paid—though you should not count on that.

Internship opportunities are available in a wide array of fields: students who have participated in the program have interned with the Speaker and Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, and CNN; the Holocaust and Air & Space Museums; Amnesty International and the Organization of American States; more than 20 Senators from both parties; the United Nations Foundation; the Pentagon, State Department, and Agency for International Development; the National Rehabilitation Center; and many law firms, think tanks and advocacy groups.

 

Students pay a $375 non-refundable deposit/surcharge. Housing costs in Washington are double what they are on campus, but food costs (students buy and prepare their own meals) are less. So that students end up paying about the same amount for this program that they’d pay in Danville, students are billed 95% of their term bill and use the 5% they are not billed (about $1,250) for their food costs.
 

Students live in The Congressional on Capitol Hill in apartments that are fully furnished and include all utilities, wifi, kitchenware and cookware, central air, laundry facilities, and 24/7 security. No alcohol and no overnight guests are allowed. This ideal location is just across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court and a short subway ride away from all major residential, governmental, and commercial areas in and around Washington.
 

• Students typically work 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, in a diverse range of offices and organizations, including senators and congressmen, major media outlets, national museums, think-tanks, and non-profits. For this, students receive six hours of P/F internship credit, the maximum currently allowed at Centre.
 
• Students take two three-hour courses: City as Text: A D.C. Exploration and Art & Architecture in Washington. These meet in the evenings, with field trips and other meetings on some weekends.
 
• Students also take three “Washington Weekend Seminars.” These are one-hour, pass/fail courses on specific topics in and around Washington. They are taught by faculty members from Centre and Butler University. They have been very popular with students in the past, covering Political Polling, International Sports Marketing, the Federal War on Drugs, the Declaration of Independence, History of the Holocaust Museum, the World after 9/11, Washington Theatre, Science and Public Policy, and American Islam.
 

• All rising juniors and seniors are eligible. Participating in this program does not exclude you from a long-term study abroad trip or CentreTerm abroad trips.
• The dates for 2018-2019 have not yet been finalized, but the fall semester will likely run from the end of August through early December. The spring 2019 semester will likely begin the Friday of the MLK holiday weekend and end in early May. Spring D.C. students do not take a CentreTerm course on campus before beginning the D.C. program.
• Students will apply online at https://aegis.centre.edu/fmi/webd/#StudyAbroadApp. Submit in your completed application no later than noon on February 6.
• Students who are selected must pay the non-refundable $375 deposit/surcharge to the Cashier’s Office in Horky House by March 9 to hold their spot in the program.