Courses

Students take two classes during their UCDC semester, a 4 unit seminar and a 4 unit elective (along with 6.5 units for their internship). Courses at the UC Washington Center are UC Berkeley approved and taught by faculty with expertise in a range of fields, from international politics, American government, US history, arts management, and social movements. All courses count for UC Berkeley credit, but students need to check with undergraduate major advisors to see if any UCDC courses fulfill upper-division major credit.

Research Seminar

The centerpiece of the curriculum in Washington is a Research Seminar that integrates a rigorous syllabus with insights from student internships. Lectures by expert faculty and student discussion are augmented by presentations from guest speakers. Research seminars focus on comparative methods, bibliographic research and analytical writing.

The Research Seminar is mandatory and is the core of each student’s program of study; it consists of weekly class meetings as well as sectional and individual tutorials. Making extensive use of local resources, students will design a research strategy leading to a substantial term paper that incorporates knowledge gained from their internship.

Elective

In addition, students will take one elective that emphasizes DC specific subject matter such as politics, history, public policy, the media, or arts and culture. The topics vary from semester to semester depending on the faculty in residence, the offerings by the other programs at the Center, and the availability and expertise of visiting faculty.