UCDC

Please note that UCDC’s residential program has been suspended for the 2020-2021 academic year. For more information about the UCDC Remote Program, visit their FAQ page.

The UCDC (quarter in Washington, D.C.) Program supervises and supports students who pursue internships and academic study in the nation’s capital. The program is open through a competitive application process to juniors and seniors (occasionally sophomores) in all majors. This is a great opportunity for Community Studies majors in the fall or winter quarter of their junior year or in the spring quarter of their senior year. 

Students enroll for fall, winter, or spring quarter, earning 12-18 course credits, and continue to be registered as a full-time UCSC student. Applicant selection is based on academic record, a written statement, a letter of recommendation, and possibly a personal interview.

Students spend 30 hours each week at their internships. Washington, D.C. offers a wide array of internship possibilities, from working on Capitol Hill or in a government agency to interning for a major media outlet, a nonprofit organization, or a cultural institution. Internship placements are selected by students based on their interests, with the assistance of UCDC program staff as needed.

Students also attend a weekly research seminar. An essential component of the Washington program, the seminar enables students to draw on Washington’s rich variety of research opportunities to complete a research paper on a subject related to their internships.  In addition to the research seminar, students may also opt to take one upper-division elective course from a range of classes offered by faculty at the Washington Center. Elective classes are offered in several disciplines, including the social and natural sciences, arts, and humanities. All courses take advantage of Washington’s unique resources for study and research.

Internship placements are geared toward student interests, including but not limited to:

-science and the environment
-government and public policy
-human rights
-education
-health
-electoral politics
-the arts
-law
-business and finance
-media and communications


This program is managed through the Study Abroad Office. For information, please visit the Study Abroad website. If you're interested in adding UCDC to your academic plan, discuss it with the Community Studies Program Advisor as early in your academic career as possible!