The UC Davis Washington Center began operations in the 1990-91 academic year. It provides students and faculty new and expanded opportunities in the nation's capital to enrich their education and research. Its principal activities are an undergraduate academic internship program, fellowships and internships for graduate and professional school students, fellowships and research grants for faculty, and satellite interactive "telecourses."
The UC Davis Washington Center undergraduate program is open to students from all majors at UC Davis who have completed 89.9 units towards graduation. Students earn 13 units of academic credit, continue to be registered as full-time students, and fulfill university residency requirements. A GPA of approximately 3.0 is recommended for admission. Applicants also are evaluated based on a written statement, letters of recommendation and personal interviews.
The Undergraduate Program runs fall and spring quarters, on a 12-13 week "extended quarter" basis. It has two principal components:
Courses are taught by UC Davis faculty in residence, faculty from the UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC San Diego, and UC Berkeley Washington programs, or visiting faculty from the Washington area.
Financial aid eligibility is maintained, and the aid package can be adjusted to reflect the additional costs of the Program. Some additional financial awards also are offered directly by the Washington Center, including the University of California President's Washington Scholarship Program, and the Joyce and Norman Weil Scholarships.
Students live in university-arranged housing, convenient to public transportation. Arrangements also are made to cover health services and other aspects of student life. The program also includes many educational, cultural and historical activities in the Washington area.
The UC Davis Washington Center also operates a Summer Program. The Summer Program has a credit or non-credit option. The credit option allows students to earn 5 units of academic credit, in addition to working at an internship. Students pay the summer sessions rate per credit hour plus an application fee. The non-credit internship has a program fee of $200. Both options allow students to participate in many educational, cultural, historical and social activities. Some financial assistance is provided but more limited than for the academic year programs.
The Washington Center also has positions during the academic year for graduate students as Graduate Fellows (combination of a predoctoral research fellowship and a teaching assistantship) and Graduate Summer Internships.
In partnership with faculty on campus, the Washington Center also conducts satellite interactive "telecourses" in which students on the Davis campus participate in interviews and seminars with federal government officials and other experts from the nation's capital.
The Washington Center also houses one of the computer laboratories that, along with the main one on campus in the Political Science Department, comprise the UC Davis Sun Technology and Research Excellence Center (Sun TREC). Made possible through a major gift from Sun Microsystems Computer Company, Sun TREC UC Davis is developing innovative technology-based projects involving faculty, students, the private sector and policy makers at the federal, state, and local levels on key public policy issues.
UC Davis 1999-2000 Online General Catalog. Posted July 30, 1999.
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Molly Theodossy, Keitha Hunter and Barbara Anderson, Editors
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