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Washington Program
Spend a Semester in the World's News CapitalParticipating in the Washington Program may be the smartest and most exciting move as a student you make. Here's an opportunity to spend a semester in the nation's capital working side-by-side with top professionals in the country. You'll learn and hone your craft and receive academic credit. While this program is renowned for placements with newspapers and broadcast and television networks, many students have worked at public relations firms, advertising agencies and think tanks. Who Is EligibleThe Washington Program is for graduate students and top-flight undergraduate seniors. Generally about 20-25 students participate each year. Roughly one-third are international students who come from nearly every continent under a variety of programs: Fulbright scholars, Humphrey fellows, Muskie fellows or their own graduate program. How the Washington Program WorksThe Washington Program is offered either in the Fall (mid-August through mid-December) or Winter/Spring (mid-January through early May). There are no summer sessions. The program itself consists of three parts: the professional project, the seminars and the research paper.
Work with Someone You LikeWe're flexible when it comes to your project design. Our goal for you is to get the experience you need to succeed when you graduate. That's why we encourage you to choose a company that best suits your career goals. We have a stable list of clients, but most of the leg work of making contacts and setting up the project is done by you. Real Assignments; Real WorkWhile no entry-level position is without its level of menial work, we ensure that our students are there to produce real work. In the past, our students have written news and feature stories and speeches, produced on-camera reports, conducted investigative reports, shot photography and created ad campaigns for more than 100 companies. Here is a sample:
How Much?If you choose to participate in the Washington Program, you'll pay regular tuition fees for the semester. You must also pay for your living and transportation costs in D.C. As we have no student housing in D.C., you 'll need to find lodging. However, our program moderators have a list of apartments and such to get you started. And if your company decides to offer pay for your services, that's great, although there is no obligation for the project hosts to provide any financial remuneration since you're receiving course credit. How to Apply: International StudentsInternational students make up approximately one-third of all of the students who participate in the Washington Program. They come from nearly every continent and under a variety of programs, including Fulbright scholars, Humphrey fellows, Muskie fellows or their own school's graduate program. International students interested in the Washington Program should contact the Missouri School of Journalism. How to Apply: Graduate StudentsYou should plan to visit with your advisor early in your program about participating so that a one-hour preliminary course can be taken a semester before the Washington Program semester. This course helps you make specific plans for your Washington experience by selecting a research topic and negotiating a site for your professional project. During the Washington Program semester you will receive 12 credit hours by taking J8185 Area Seminar and J8190 Area Problem. The Washington Program application form for graduate students is available online or from the Graduate Studies office. How to Apply: Undergraduate StudentsAs an undergraduate senior, you can earn 12 credit hours with six of the hours coming from two journalism courses: JOURN 4050 Communications Practice and JOURN 4350 Problems in Journalism. The remaining six hours are taken from a non-journalism field such as civic leadership. The Washington Program application form for undergraduate students is available online or from Journalism Student Services. Application DeadlinesGraduate and undergraduate students should submit their application information by February 15 for the Fall semester and by October 1 for the Winter/Spring semester. How to Submit Your Washington Program ApplicationGraduate students should submit their completed applications to the Graduate Studies office; undergraduate applications to the Undergraduate Dean. Set Up an Information Visit with the Washington Program DirectorWes Pippert, director, makes periodic visits to campus to visit with interested students about participating in the Washington Program. If you would like to be notified when Wes is planning a trip to J-School, please contact the Missouri School of Journalism. Questions?Information about the Washington Program, its alumni and participating professional project hosts is on reserve in the School's Journalism Library, and by contacting Wes Pippert, director, or the Missouri School of Journalism. |
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| Revised: 08 September 2005. Copyright © 2008 The Curators of the University of Missouri | Contact the J-School | |
