Frequently Asked Questions

Program Logistics

This program is both academically rigorous and customized to provide career insights especially for you. The application assesses your academic strengths and determines the professional experience best suited to your career goals. As part of the application, since you will be completing a professional internship, you will interview with CMCI faculty and Washington Media Institute representatives to assess your skills and aspirations while working to find the right organization to further your development.

Your enthusiasm is more important than having existing work experience or a clearly defined professional path. This program is designed to encourage exploration not just of a new city, but of yourself and your aspirations. Take the next step by starting your application today.

The Washington Media Institute will match you with an employer for an internship that reflects your skills and ambitions. You will interview with WMI leadership to assess your talents and professionalism before being matched with an employer.

You should plan to spend at least 32 hours per week at your internship. Your schedule includes four, eight-hour workdays—typically, Mondays through Thursdays—throughout the semester or summer term. While most of the internships are unpaid, the professional experience and network you’ll develop are a signature feature that traditional study abroad or distance learning programs do not offer.

In the fall and spring, you take three courses and earn a combined 15 credits for internships (6 credits) and classes. You will take the following 3-credit courses in either semester:

CMCI 3000 Special Topics: Media Skills for Professionals—3
CMCI 3201 The Politics of Media—3
CMCI 3202 Entrepreneurial Media—3

In the summer, you will take CMCI 3000 Special Topics: Media Skills for Professionals and earn a combined 9 internship and course credits.

Program costs vary slightly depending on the semester in which you’re enrolled in the program, and your residency. A comparison of tuition costs for taking classes on the CU Boulder campus and in Washington, D.C., is available on the Benefits and Costs page.

Though there may be a rare exception, all financial aid you’re receiving toward your CU degree should be applied to this program. You are strongly encouraged to check with the Office of Financial Aid, however, as some awards may exclude this program.

At the time of enrollment, you must submit a $500 deposit, which is refundable up to 30 days before the program begins.

Living in Washington, D.C.

As a CMCI in D.C. student, you automatically qualify for housing through our partner, the Washington Media Institute. Students live in furnished corporate apartments in the heart of Washington. The building is in one of the safest neighborhoods in the city, and is steps from nightlife, museums, the Metro and Capital One Arena.

Each two-bedroom apartment has two beds to a room, closets for each resident and a private bathroom. Each apartment includes linens, towels, a fully equipped kitchen, Wi-Fi and a large-screen television. The building boasts recently renovated amenities, including an updated gym.

Typically, students report to their internships during the day Mondays through Thursdays. In the fall and spring, you’ll take classes two nights a week and Fridays, while in the summer, you attend classes one night a week and on Fridays. You will also go on guided site and cultural visits with classmates and instructors as part of your classes. On weekends, you’re encouraged to explore the city on your own and with your peers.

Whether it’s arriving at your internship, looking for cherry blossoms or visiting the National Mall, you’ll benefit by quickly mastering Washington’s extensive public transit system. Rail and bus service on the Metro can get you literally anywhere—it’s one of the nation’s best transit systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Program Logistics

Living in Washington, D.C.

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Frequently Asked Questions

You are here

Program Logistics

Living in Washington, D.C.

Apply now!