Announcements

  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UCDC will be remote for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters. The program will offer online classes, virtual internships, and professional development programming such as a mentorship network and speaker series.  You can read more information about the remote program here and FAQs here. 
  • Decisions about whether the Fall 2021 program will be in-person or remote have not been made yet and are contingent on the situation regarding COVID-19.  
  • The UCDC office will suspend in-person meetings and will offer virtual services during the current public health crisis. Please email ucdc@berkeley.edu with questions or sign up for a virtual advising appointment.
  • Fall 2021 Applications Due: Please check back in early December for due date.
  • Information Sessions: 
  • Join the UCDC Mailing List
 

The Washington Program

University of California, Berkeley

Each Fall and Spring, UC juniors and seniors from all majors travel to Washington, D.C. to intern, do research, and take classes for a semester. Students live and take classes at the UC Washington Center, an eleven-story building about six blocks from the White House. Washington, D.C. offers a wide variety of academic, professional and rich cultural opportunities for undergraduates.

Students are selected based on academic excellence, professional maturity and demonstrated interest in a particular area. Because it is both an academic and an internship program, students research in class what they experience professionally in their internships. Theory meets practice for a powerful learning experience. In addition, students clarify their future career direction, get on-the-ground work experience, and build professional networks.

Read More
The UCDC prgoram transformed me from a student to an aspiring professional. As a result of UCDC, I can now effectively navigate the professional world, I have made lasting contacts in the industry which I wish to pursue, and I have cultivated a history of exceptional work experience. No other program on Berkeley’s campus gives students such an advantage and no student should miss out.
Holly Cramer (History major)Interned at the Middle East institute
I'm now working in Washington, DC in a civil and human rights organization called The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. I owe much of where I am now to the wonderful professional and life experience provided by the UCDC program.
Tara Yarlagada (Political Science and South Asian Studies major)interned at the Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Center
UCDC took my education to the next level and helped me realize my dreams of working for a member of Congress.
Blair Rotert (Political Science major)
Blair Rotert (Political Science major)Interned at Innovative Federal Strategies (lobbying firm)
Thank you D.C. for the most difficult and most rewarding semester of my college career. Its been great!
Brittney Griffin (English and Media Studies double major)interned at the U.S. State Dept. (Bureau of Public Affairs, Office of Public Liaison)
My semester in Washington D.C. was an unforgettable experience that taught me much about health care policy and its implementation in the nation's capital. I was able to observe recommendations affecting public policy from a first-hand perspective and develop my writing, networking, and communication skills.
Andrew Wong, MCB majorinterned at the Institute of Medicine
My experience at the UCDC was the single most important program in my college career. The time spent in D.C. helped me gain perspective in what I want to do with my career and allowed me to meet people who help me reach those goals.
Jeremy Wertz, Political Science majorinterned at the Department of Justice (Disability Rights Division)
Of all my activities at Berkeley, UCDC was by far my favorite. I had planned on attending since I was accepted into the university and it did not disappoint.
Josh Cohen (Political Science and Media Studies double major)Interned at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
My participation in the UCDC program ... allowed me to gain valuable skills and experience for future employment. It also has shown me the importance of working in a career that I am passionate about.
Michelle Nelson (Political Science and Media Studies double major)Interned at the Department of Education in the Office of Safe and Healthy Students.
It was truly inspiring to study in the heart of the nation's capital, with access to some of the greatest libraries and most prominent scholars. Additionally, my UCDC professors brought a wealth of experience from the field and the professional world that provided an enhanced perspective to our academic studies.
Ava Mehta (Political Science major, English minor) Interned at the law firm Cuneo, Gilbert & LaDuca (CGL)
UCDC will forever be the definition of my undergraduate experience. I made my closest friends, grew the most professionally and intellectually, and had a great time doing it!
Adam Mealey (Political Economics major) Interned at the World Affairs Council DC
My experience at UCDC far exceeded my already high expectations for a fulfilling and exciting semester away from UC Berkeley. Because class sizes in the UCDC program are small, I was able to have close interaction with my professor and careful assistance on my project.
Victoria Pardini (History and Political Science double major)Interned as a research assistant at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Victoria co-authored a report with one of the scholars there.
The UCDC Program directors, staff members and professors are simply outstanding. They give the UCDC participants their undivided attention and they work hard to ensure your success during and after the program… UCDC is an amazing opportunity of a lifetime and I highly recommend it to everyone at UC Berkeley!
Carla Bernal, Rhetoric majorinterned with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia
The UCDC program has changed my life immensely…Working and learning alongside national leaders made me realize that we can transform our country. I am committed to creating a nation focused on social justice, unity and equity.
Uriel Lopez, Chicano Studies majorinterned with the House Committee on Education & the Workplace
UCDC jump-started my professional network and provided all the infrastructure needed to move to and transition to life on the East Coast. It's not easy to pick up your life and move coasts to find a job - and it's hard to find a job in a new city until you live there. UCDC made both possible!
Lauren Sloat, (Mass Communications major)Interned with Night Line. Lauren has lived in D.C. for 8 years, where she is currently Director of Content Strategy at a marketing and advertising agency
Every person that I have met while participating in UCDC has put something into perspective for me, which has been extremely helpful as I make the transition from a student into the working world.
Brittni Hamilton (Rhetoric major, Education minor) Interned with the National Education Association (N.E.A.)

Get in Contact

Program Advisor

Mary Crabb

2422 Dwinelle Hall
MC #2940 Berkeley, CA  
510.664.4410
ucdc@berkeley.edu

2422 is on Level B of Dwinelle Hall, same as the Ishi Court level.

Access from the East door across from Durant Hall:  Go down the stairs facing the door one floor, until you’re at the Ishi Court level.  Take a right. 

Access from the main entrance of the classroom wing (entrance facing Dwinelle Plaza):  Go right, and follow the hallway until you’re in the office wing.  As soon as you’re in the office wing, look for the stairs with orange doors on your left. Go down two floors until you’re at the Ishi Court level

Access from the North (door facing VLSB and Moffitt) and for disabled access:  Take a left and follow the hall around until you get to 2422. 

UC Washington Center

1608 Rhode Island Ave., N.W. Third Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036
202-974-6200

The building is located at Scott Circle, about six blocks north of the White House. Scott Circle is at the intersections of Massachusetts and Rhode Island Avenues and 16th Street. Limited parking with some restrictions is available on neighboring streets. 

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