LSU in Washington 2023 | 

LSU in Washington will immerse you in the political culture of the nation's capital and provide a behind-the-scenes look at how D.C.'s mass communication operates in the context of American history, culture, and democracy.  

The program will feature fieldtrips and guest speakers who are mass communication professionals.  Fieldtrips will include:

• Capital Hill
• the Supreme Court
• the White House
• Holocaust Museum
• Newseum
• Mt. Vernon
• the Smithsonian

Dates & Costs

Program Fee Includes

• Housing 
• Fieldtrips and cultural events

Housing: the apartments consist of a single open room with a combined space for living, sleeping, and dining.  Each apartment has a kitchenette and private bathroom.  You will need to provide your own bedding and any kitchen supplies you will want/need.  The apartments have wifi available.

Meals: you can prepare meals in your apartment or dine at one of the many inexpensive restaurants within walking distance of the housing.

Program Fee Does NOT Include

• LSU Tuition and Fees
• Airfare and transportation
• Spending money

Tuition and Fees: You must pay tuition and fees for all courses you take through LSU.  The tuition you pay is based on whether or not you are a resident of Louisiana.  If you are an out of state student, you will pay out of state tuition and fees for all courses taken through LSU.

Airfare and Transportation: Each student arranges his/her own roundtrip airfare.  Your Program Director will let you know when you should purchase airfare. You should not purchase a ticket until you are told to do so.  Roundtrip flights between Baton Rouge and Washington, D.C. are estimated at $500.  
A taxi from the airport to the housing in Washington will cost approximately $18 - $20.  Students are also encouraged to purchase a 28-day "fast pass" for use on the Washington Metro system.  The cost of the pass is estimated at $240 and is not included in the program fee.

Spending money: You should have enough spending money to cover meals, snacks, souvenirs, and outings with friends.  If you plan to eat out, you should budget $45/day for food.

Courses

MC 4090 (Media Ethics & Social Responsibility) - this course examines selected contemporary ethical issues affecting mass media, provides you with an opportunity to develop critical thinking about these issues through the examination and preparation of a series of case studies, and introduces you to the process of moral reasoning and the various approaches to ethical decision-making.   The class will meet three times weekly for lectures and guest speakers with deep Washington experience.

MC 4971 (Media & Politics in the Nation's Capital) - this course will familiarize you with an essential component of democracy, the intersection of media and politics in Washington, DC.  This is a multidimensional transaction.  You will learn how the news media and politicians interact, how executive department officials build support and protect their agenda by working with media, the role of lobbyists and public affairs officers in government, and how the government projects its message abroad.  

Itinerary

Please note: Itinerary it tentatiave and subject to change

Faculty

Faculty Member	Department	Photo
Dr. John Hamilton Program Director	Mass Communication
Soheil Kafiliveyjuyeh	Mass Communication

Eligibility & Withdrawal

In order to be eligible for the program, you must:

• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 (undergraduate) or 3.0 (graduate students)
• Have completed 60 hours of coursework (required to take a 4000-level course)
• Be at least 18 years old by the first day of the program
• Not be on disciplinary or scholastic probation
• Have the prerequisites for the courses you take

NOTE: This program is open to students from all disciplines. Qualified applications from other insitutions are also welcome.

Although the application deadline is March 10, 2023, you are advised to register early in order to secure a spot in the program. The program will fill on a first come, first served basis from those who meet the eligibility requirements.

Deposit: A $500 deposit will be placed on your LSU billing statement at the time that you apply to the program. Students at other universities must send in a check or money order (made payable to "Louisiana State University") for the $500 deposit along with their applications.

The $500 deposit is nonrefundable after March 10, 2023.

Payment Deadlines: the $500 deposit is put on your billing statement and is due at the time that the charge appears.  The rest of the program fee (minus the $500 deposit) and the tuition/fees for the courses will appear on your summer fee bill.  Those fee bills are available via myLSU in early May and are due in mid-May (exact dates TBD by Registrar).

If you withdraw from the program: After March 10, 2023, you will be responsible for making payments on your study abroad program, even if you do not go on the program. The amount that you will owe is based on the date on which you withdraw. The schedule of payments is: