The Quarter in Washington Program, offered by the Center for American Politics and Public Policy, gives students the opportunity to take classes, research a topic that interests them and intern at one of the many organizations in Washington, D.C.
The program, founded at UCLA in 1990 is now UC-wide and allows students, regardless of their major, to study and work in the center of political activity, while still remaining part of the UC system.
“The thing about the program that I think has been the most beneficial to the students and makes it a really special program is that it combines an internship and work experience with rigorous academics,” said Professor Joel Aberbach, director and founder of the Quarter in Washington Program.
The program runs throughout the year and accepts 30 UCLA students each quarter.
It is based at the UC Washington Center, and students live in apartments six blocks from the White House.
Participants live with students from across the UC system, as well as students from several other universities.
After the students apply and are chosen for the program, individuals begin applying for internships.
The program has a database with 400 organizations students can choose from, said James Desveaux, associate director of the Center.
In addition to their internship, students are required to write a 20-30 page research paper about a topic of their own choosing. They attend research seminars that can be used for major credit in several areas of study.
“We strive to create a strong link between the student’s research interest and the internship because the program works best when there is that relationship. Ideally the internship becomes a resource for the research project,” said Carol Wald, administrative director of the Center.
“It’s a program that’s not only meant for political science students. We’ve really made an effort to have students from many different areas,” Aberbach said. “There are so many different things here in Washington that students might find interesting.”
Igor Kleyman, a first-year student at Loyola Law School who participated in the program in spring of 2007, said going to Washington, D.C., helped develop his research and networking abilities.
“The program really helped me in research abilities. I’m currently in law school and I’m seeing how useful it was being able to focus my research.” Kleyman said. “It definitely starts your networking ability because grad school and law school are about talking to people and being able to make connections. D.C., is a good place to start networking.”
Kleyman did research on why deterrents were failing against Iran, and why deterrents failed to deter Hitler right before World War II.
He interned at The Globalist, an online publication about the global economy and international affairs.
“It’s more than just an academic experience, it’s a chance to meet and really bond with a like-minded set of fellow students. They’re not all interested in the same subjects, but they’re all people who are alive intellectually and fun to be around,” Aberbach said.
Tiffany Chow, a fifth-year political science and European studies student and assistant at the Center, who participated in the program last spring, said a lot of people don’t know how young the crowd is in Washington, D.C.
“It’s filled to the brim with interns, the town is so young and happening and there’s stuff going on all the
time. … Every aspect is very socially enabling,” she said.
Chow said she also had the opportunity to take a road trip to visit friends at other schools as well as the Ivy League universities, where she was applying for grad school, something she said she couldn’t have done at UCLA.
“It’s just such a well-rounded program in the sense that you’re not just getting an awesome educational experience and work experience in an amazing place, but you’re also in an awesome city meeting people from all over,” Chow said.
Most of the applicants are at a point where they’re thinking about what comes next, and the program helps show them what options are available, Desveaux said.
A lot of students are thinking about applying to law school, and being in Washington, D.C., gives them a better idea of what a lawyer can do beyond criminal or real estate law, Wald said.
“Students who spend this time in Washington doing an internship and delving into a particular topic of research meet an amazing array of powerful and knowledgeable people, and make some really important connections in terms of jobs and grad school. Especially those who go in spring; they just come back, graduate, throw their stuff in suitcases and come back to D.C.,” Wald said.