The College

Brown in Washington

Brown in Washington is a hub for current Brown students applying theory to practice and engaging in hands-on internships in Washington, D.C.

Each year, Brown in Washington hosts two programs. During academic semesters, students participating in the Brown in Washington Semester Internship Program enroll in a full course load of credits while interning part-time and taking advantage of regular co-curricular programming. In the summer, Brown in Washington staff welcome students who have received a Brown in Washington SPRINT Signature Program award and engage this cohort in co-curricular activities to enhance their learning experience.

Brown in Washington Semester Internship Program

Brown in Washington Summer SPRINT Signature Program

Brown in Washington Semester Internship Program

For Employers: Hosting an Intern

Students enrolled in the Brown in Washington semester internship program spend either the fall or spring semester living in Washington, D.C.

They engage in an internship in the field of their choice while completing a full course load. Through networking opportunities, they develop connections for future pathways.

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Eligibility

Brown students who are sophomores, juniors or seniors at the start of the program are eligible to apply. Washington, D.C. is home to businesses, nonprofit organizations and government entities that create impact in virtually every sector of work. Students in all Brown concentrations are invited to participate. Applicants are strongly encouraged to start applying to internships in Washington, D.C. as soon as they become interested in the program.

Academic Requirements

Students typically enroll in two or three Brown University courses for a full semester of credits: 

UNIV 1801: Brown in Washington Practicum (2 credits)

The Brown in Washington internship is a central feature of UNIV 1801, the practicum course. Together, the course and the internship provide students with a hands-on learning experience to complement their academic study at Brown.

International and Public Affairs Courses

Brown in Washington partners with the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs to offer in-person courses taught by Brian Atwood, head of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) during the administration of President William Clinton.

In the fall, students enroll in IAPA 1701N: “Diplomacy: An Art that is not Lost.” During the spring, students enroll in IAPA 1702A: “Diplomacy and Development: Related by Different Missions.” Both courses examine the practice and profession of diplomacy and its relationship to the policy process, exposing students to policy analysis, memo writing for decision making, negotiations, and verbal communications.

NEW THIS YEAR – Collaborations with the School of Public Health

In the fall of 2024, Brown in Washington will partner with the School of Public Health and the Pandemic Center to offer “Pandemic Game Changers: Preparing the Next Generation of Decision-Makers for Emerging Biological Threats.” This interactive and energizing course is intended to provide students with policy skills at the nexus of national security and health policy. In this course, students will benefit from the mentorship and expertise of Dr. Beth Cameron and Dr. Wilmot James. Dr. James is a former parliamentarian and former Shadow Minister of Health from South Africa who focuses on biosecurity, biosurveillance, and global health. Dr. Cameron twice served as the global health security lead on the White House National Security Council staff and specializes in health security, pandemic preparedness, and biotechnology risks and rewards. “Pandemic Game Changers” sits at the critical intersection of national security, health, and democratic resilience and provides opportunities for students to examine the public health and public policy issues vital to mitigating pandemic risks. It will afford students opportunities to analyze scenarios, identify and hone policy solutions, and learn how to convince decision-makers to take the steps needed to address the public health crises caused by emerging biological threats.

For the spring of 2025, Brown in Washington program staff are collaborating with faculty in the School of Public Health to make a DC-based section of a PHP course available to program participants. This offering is not yet finalized and students interested in enrolling in PHP courses while in DC should get in touch with Associate Director Jocelyn Frelier to discuss their options.

Additional Courses

As an option, students may enroll in up to one Brown remote-accessible course of their choosing (or an independent study) in any department. Students who would like to enroll in a remote-accessible course should contact Brown in Washington staff and the department offering the course.

The Brown in Washington Semester program satisfies the practicum requirement for students participating in the Engaged Scholarship Certificate.

The Brown in Washington Semester Internship Program can satisfy the Education Department’s Experiential Requirement for Education concentrators if the internship relates in substantive ways to education policy and/or practice. After completion of the internship, concentrators would be expected to complete a paper reflecting on their internship experience and relating to their Education coursework. Education concentrators should discuss their internship plans with their faculty advisor in advance of their Brown in Washington semester.

Internship Placements

During the semester, students complete internships averaging between 20-25 hours per week in any field or sector. Potential internship sites include:

  • Government or public sector agencies (e.g., federal agencies, Congressional offices, state or municipal executive or legislative offices)
  • Nonprofit organizations 
  • Organizations dedicated to research (in any field, including the sciences, public health, social sciences, humanities and arts) 
  • Museums and cultural institutions
  • Law firms, lobbying firms and advocacy organizations
  • Political campaigns
  • Any other organization with the ability to support meaningful internship placements for college students.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply for and secure an internship of their own choosing that meets the program’s criteria. Staff provide guidance and support, link students with host institutions through alumni and Center for Career Exploration networks, and collaborate with students and hosts to finalize the necessary application, paperwork, and internship agreement. 

Once a student's internship placement is finalized, staff will work with each student's supervisor to ensure that the practicum goals are clearly articulated and a direct line of communication is established between the placement and the Brown in Washington program.

Applications and Timeline

To apply for the Brown in Washington Semester program, please follow the link to Via-TRM application portal. Initiating your application will also add you to the email list for important Brown in Washington updates.

  • The application deadline for fall semester is March 1.
  • The application deadline for spring semester is October 1.

Students are typically notified of their application status within 2-3 weeks of the application deadline. Program housing, internship schedules and courses closely align with the Brown University academic calendar as published on the registrar’s website. More detailed information can be found in Via-TRM.

Cost of Attendance

Tuition and fees for the Semester Internship Program are the same as full-time enrollment at Brown in Providence. Food, meals, travel, books, and other personal expenses are estimated at $5,000 for the semester, though expenses may vary according to individual spending habits and other factors. 

Brown students eligible for financial aid (with few exceptions) may use their aid for the Brown in Washington Semester Internship Program and are strongly encouraged to discuss their eligibility with a counselor at Financial_Aid@Brown.edu.

Brown in Washington Summer SPRINT Signature Program

The Brown in Washington Summer SPRINT Signature Program is a paid opportunity with a stipend (and a Summer Earnings Waiver, for qualifying students) for undergraduate students to spend a summer as an intern with a Washington D.C.-based public agency or think tank focused on policy. Students intern at their site for 10 weeks and take part in co-curricular programming that provides them with rich learning experiences, valuable peer-to-peer support, and deep professional connections. 

The Brown in Washington Summer SPRINT Signature Program satisfies the practicum requirement for students participating in the Engaged Scholarship Certificate. 

The Brown in Washington Summer SPRINT Signature Program can satisfy the Education Department’s Experiential Requirement for Education concentrators if the internship relates in substantive ways to education policy and/or practice. After completion of the internship, concentrators would be expected to complete a paper reflecting on their internship experience and relating to their Education coursework. Education concentrators should discuss their internship plans with their faculty advisor in advance of their Brown in Washington internship.

 

Eligible Internships

Students may apply to an internship opportunity from a list of pre-selected partner organizations, or work with Center for Career Exploration staff to identify and apply for policy-related internships that meet program criteria. 

Students are strongly encouraged to apply to internship opportunities on their own in late fall, before submitting the SPRINT application, as many think tanks and other organizations have summer internship application deadlines that are earlier than the SPRINT deadline.

The organization and internship opportunity must meet the criteria of our program: a substantial internship in a policy-oriented organization that is over the course of 10 weeks and is a student's primary summer experience. This guide from the Center for Career Exploration is intended to help students independently secure internships in Washington, D.C.

Internship placements must be focused on one or more of the following types of public policy opportunities:

  • Policy research and development;
  • Policy making (legislative, judicial, and executive); or
  • Policy analysis and evaluation.

Summer placements are not permitted to involve advocacy work. For this reason, placements are primarily:

  • Government: Federal Agencies, Senate and House Committees, Legislative Offices, D.C. City Agencies and Government Offices
  • Think-tanks, policy institutes, or research centers

In particular cases, placement may be made in another type of organization, so long as the work is policy-oriented and not advocacy-related.

Students should review the internship eligibility criteria as outlined on the SPRINT FAQs page and in UFunds carefully.

 

Application

Applications for summer opportunities, including Brown in Washington, have been consolidated under the SPRINT (Summer/Semester Projects for Research, Internship, Teaching) Signature Programs umbrella. Applications can be found in UFunds. To learn more about SPRINT awards, review the FAQs.

For Employers: Hosting an Intern

Students will be in Washington, D.C. in the fall and spring semesters and are available for 20-25 hours per week. Over the summer, Brown students are eligible for full-time internships. If you are interested in hosting an intern, please complete this intake form. Please contact Brown-In-Washington-DC@brown.edu with questions.

 

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