Next fall, Schieffer School of Journalism students could have the option to spend the semester in the nation’s capital.
The director of the Schieffer School, John Lumpkin, said the department planned to launch The Schieffer School in Washington program in fall 2010.
“The Schieffer School in Washington will be a program for juniors and seniors that will provide virtually a full-time internship and also a way to continue to make progress toward their degrees,” Lumpkin said.
Through coordination with nonprofit The Washington Center, Lumpkin said the internships would relate to the student’s course of study, either journalism or strategic communication.
“The Washington Center is a well-established coordinator of away learning for colleges and universities around the country,” Lumpkin said.
The political science department already partnered with The Washington Center, and that some Schieffer School students interned in Washington through the political science program, Lumpkin said.
The Schieffer School in Washington program would be tailored to the interests of the journalism and strategic communication students, Lumpkin said.
“We are going to take more responsibility for our students now and provide some special learning opportunities they wouldn’t have been able to get through the political science department,” Lumpkin said.
Larry Lauer, vice chancellor for government affairs, said the Schieffer administration decided to start the program because of the opportunities available in Washington.
“The opportunities are varied and incredible for students in whatever major they’re in in the Schieffer school to get real, hands-on experience in the nation’s capital in an internship,” Lauer said.
Other opportunities for journalism included internships with network news operations and Washington bureaus of other major media, Lumpkin said. For strategic communication students, internship opportunities could include working with lobbyists, Congress, congressional offices and think tanks such as the Center for Strategic and International studies.
“For the news students I think it’s important to realize that every important news organization in the world is represented (in Washington),” Lauer said.
The long-term job opportunities, relevant to a specialty of political reporting, also caused the Schieffer administration to start the program, Lumpkin said.
Lumpkin also mentioned that the school’s namesake was reason for starting the program as some consider alumnus and CBS journalist Bob Schieffer one of the greatest political reporters to practice in Washington.
Students would take courses toward their degree in addition to their internship and earn 12 to 15 credit hours, Lumpkin said.
“It will be a very, very busy time for them, there’s no question about it,” Lumpkin said. “It will involve going to school at night, it will involve a lot of work on weekends, but for the right student with the motivation and the right ambition, I think it will be great.”
Lauer said students would also have access to the Newseum, a high-tech museum about the news. He also said the students would meet periodically with Schieffer.
Lumpkin said requirements for the program included junior or senior standing because the program would fit best into the degree plan during the fall of the junior or senior year. He also said prerequisite courses included the classes necessary needed to take upper division courses on campus.
He said students interested in the program should expect to pay somewhat more than a regular semester at TCU due to the higher cost of food, housing and transportation in Washington. For an estimated cost, students should refer to the university’s political science Web site because the cost would be about the same as the political science semester in Washington, Lumpkin said.
According to The Washington Center Web site, the cost estimate for the 2010 fall internship program and housing is $8,995.
Lumpkin said complete details about the Schieffer School in Washington program would be available by the end of the fall semester.
