St. Mary's University is a member of a consortium of colleges and universities in the United States participating in American University's Washington Semester Program. The Washington Semester Program allows students to study for one semester at the American University in Washington, D.C. Students enroll at St. Mary's to take four-semester hour seminars, a semester hour internship, and a three or four hour research project or up to five hours of electives. The areas of study are American Politics, the Arts, Economic Policy, Foreign Policy, International Business and Trade, Journalism, Justice and Peace and Conflict Resolution, Transforming Communities, Women and Public Policy.

Students interested in participating in this program must be at least second semester sophomores, must have taken a course at the college level in U.S. government, and must have at least a 2.5 GPA. Students interested in the program and having these qualifications should complete the Admission Nomination and Project Proposal form and contact Dr. Milo Colton, Institutional Representative, for nomination assistance.

Washington Semester Program applications are accepted on a rolling basis. However, applications for upcoming semesters should be submitted as soon as possible as spaces are limited, and many internships, such as those with the White House and news networks, require considerable lead time for security screening and processing. Deadlines are mid- to late November for spring semester admission and mid-April for fall semester admission. Mail or fax the completed application to:

Washington Semester Program
Attn: Dean David C. Brown
4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20016-8083
Fax: (202) 895-4960

Upon finalizing Washington Semester Program plans, students are asked to submit the completed Approval form to the Office of the Registrar. An entry of your attendance will be posted on your St. Mary's University transcript for that semester. After the Washington Semester Program, students should request an official transcript from American University be sent to St. Mary's University. Credit will be posted to your St. Mary's University transcript.

Costs for this program will include travel to and from Washington, D.C. Tuition, fees, room and board will be those rates established by American University. Students receiving financial aid at St. Mary’s University may apply that assistance to this program with the exception of College Work Study. Contact Financial Assistance at (210) 436-3141 for further information. Financial assistance may also be available from the Washington Semester Program.

To receive a packet of detailed information on the Washington Semester Program including brochures, cost sheets, and Intern Insider Newsletter, visit the American University.