Skip to Main Content

Inside Washington

Live, learn, and intern in Washington, DC.

Inside Washington has been one of Miami's premier study away experiences for over twenty years, providing transformative professional growth, experience, and networking for Miami students. Earn college credit while completing an internship, networking, and learning from DC-based Miami alumni and other policy professionals.

Our Program

This unusual study away program provides students with a full-service internship experience. The program offers students hands-on professional advising during the internship search, a safe and convenient place to live in central DC, extraordinary experiential learning experiences though small-group interaction with DC professionals, and guidance on how to leverage this experience for future success. Inside Washington is an ideal program for students of all majors because of the diverse on-the-ground academic experience and the internship opportunities in DC.

Have questions? Email Inside Washington Directors, Dr. Matt Arbuckle (arbuckmb@MiamiOH.edu) and Dr. Bryan Marshall (marshabw@MiamiOH.edu).

Applications for Summer 2025 Now Open

Work in D.C.

Over the program’s 20+ years, Inside Washington participants have interned throughout professional Washington, including congressional offices, administrative agencies like the EPA and SEC, the Pentagon, news media organizations, political consulting, lobbying, and government affairs firms, think tanks, and more. There truly are opportunities for all interests. Our alumni and program partners are well-placed to help explore a wide variety of opportunities.

Learn in D.C.

Coursework focuses on engaging with alumni to learn about professional policymaking and public affairs, and what it takes to succeed in a competitive professional environment. In recent years, students have visited the White House, the Capitol, the Pentagon, think tanks like Brookings and the Hudson Institute, lobbying firms, and other significant sites around DC. Alumni speakers also come to the classroom to lead discussions on their fields of expertise and their paths from Miami to successful DC careers.

Live in D.C.

You’ll live in secure, all-intern apartments—with kitchens and laundry facilities—in D.C. with easy access to the metro.

Students use the Metro for transportation and—after classes end early in each program—work at their internships about 40 hours per week.

Internships

Many Inside Washington Program alumni consider the internship to be the best part of their D.C. experience.

Professors and staff help you land internships in your interest area - whether that’s a congressional office, consulting firm, news media, special interest policy group, think tank or government agency.

The Miami alumni network is a key supporter here, with alums often eager to interview you for their workplace. But other offices have been mainstays in the Inside Washington Program, offering high-quality internships year after year. And, of course, if you have your own "Big Idea" for an internship, Inside Washington staff will help you every step of the way.

Students meeting with a law maker in DC.

Recent Internship Partners

  • American Petroleum Institute
  • Devine Mulvey Longabaugh media consulting
  • Capital Area Food Bank
  • Center for Arms Control and Proliferation
  • CBS News
  • DLE Agency (sports management)
  • Dotgop (tech)
  • Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence
  • Hart Research Associates (polling, political research)
  • House Republican Conference
  • Human Capital Initiatives (HR consulting)
  • Latin American Working Group
  • Majority Group
  • National Head Start Association
  • NBC News’ “Meet the Press”
  • Netchoice (trade association)
  • Normandy Group (polling, political research)
  • Only Through Us (special interest group)
  • Partnership for Responsible Growth (promotes carbon fees to mitigate climate risk)
  • Republic National Committee
  • U.S. Capitol Historical Society
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Federal Courts
  • U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency
  • U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • U.S. House Judiciary Committee
  • U.S. House Small Business Committee
  • U.S. Reps. Troy Balderson, Steve Chabot, Warren Davidson, Tim Ryan, Steve Stivers, Mike Turner, Brad Wenstrup (Ohio)
  • U.S. Reps. Yvette Clarke and Carolyn Maloney (New York)
  • U.S. Reps. Alcee Hastings and Ted Yoho (Florida)
  • U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Mike Quigley (Illinois)
  • U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (New Jersey)
  • U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman (Ohio)
  • U.S. Supreme Court public information office
  • U.S. Trade and Development Agency
  • Voice of America (news media)
  • WAMU-FM radio, National Public Radio affiliate