Washington Experience
The School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech offers a variety of undergraduate experiential learning opportunities in the Washington, D.C. area. These practice-based experiences expose students to policy-making through a mix of courses, field visits, and guest lectures.
Washington Experience 2026: Power and Accountability in Washington, DC
Open to undergraduate and graduate students, this three-week long seminar combines a one-week online pre-seminar and two-weeks in-person in the Washington, DC-area. This seminar explores the changing landscape of power and accountability in the US through the perspectives of public officials, news reporters, think tank researchers, reform advocates, lobbyists, and other knowledgeable observers.
What Students Say
2026 Power and Accountability in Washington, DC
Go behind the headlines.
The Winter Term Washington Experience 2026 Power and Accountability in Washington, DC (Undergraduate PSCI/UAP 4644; Graduate SPIA 5984) explores the changing landscape of oversight and accountability in the United States through the perspectives of people navigating it every day. Open to undergraduate and grduate students, this three-week long seminar combines a one-week online pre-seminar and two-weeks in-person in the Washington, DC area.