CIW Summer Term - Cornell in Washington

Spend your summer living, learning & interning in DC

In the Cornell in Washington (CIW) Summer Term, you'll immerse yourself in an intensive, multifaceted learning experience in which you'll experience life in DC, gain essential career skills through your internship, and take part in exciting community engagement activities.

You'll spend most of each day in an internship or similar activity doing meaningful work and developing your professional skills. DC offers a wealth of opportunities, from processing collections for the Smithsonian National Museum to serving as an associate producer for a documentary production, learning how a trade organization works at the National Milk Producers Federation, working for the State Department on human trafficking, and supporting projects for the non-profit Health Security Partners.

During your evening class, you'll learn about the complex, interconnected, and enduring issues that challenge our political and policy governance institutions.

Classes and program activities are held at the Cornell Wolpe Center in DC, in the heart of Dupont Circle.

Summer course

Summer highlights

Explore your passions and jumpstart your career with an internship in DC.
Experience city life in the heart of Dupont Circle, one of the most popular and vibrant neighborhoods in DC.
Network with Cornell in Washington alumni, agency representatives from various governmental departments, leaders in your specific field, Cornell Club of Washington members, and more.

Faculty

During Cornell’s summer term, you’ll enjoy the same great education that’s offered during our fall and spring semesters. Our special sessions, unlike those at many other universities, feature regular, full-time faculty members and provide an unparalleled opportunity to get to know these outstanding professors, many of whom are leaders in their fields.

See faculty

David Silbey

Associate director, Cornell in Washington

Student experiences

"CIW in the summer is very different than CIW during the academic year as there is far more free time to take a real break and explore some part of ourselves outside our 'normal academic patterns.' I left DC with this other-worldly knowledge of career options and a greater understanding and appreciation for my own personal and academic/career development outside of the common pre-med track."

"During my CIW summer I worked at Resolution Economics, a litigation consulting firm focused on providing economic and statistical analysis in expert witness testimony. I helped analyze employment data in discrimination cases using a programming language called SAS."

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