In the fall of 1969, Hamilton College introduced the Hamilton Program in Washington D.C. In doing so, the College created an extraordinary opportunity for students passionate about politics to study away from campus in the capital of the United States. Since then, for the past 50 years, the Program has flourished and adapted to the changing American political system.
The competitive program is part of the College’s Department of Government and is only open to 16 students each semester. The application is open to students of any concentration and any year except first-years. Program participants take one seminar course that has to do with a specific theme of the term, and the seminar also includes guest speakers and trips to important institutions in and around Washington.
In addition to taking the two courses taught by a Hamilton Government professor and conducting an independent study, students are exposed to real government work by participating in an internship for 300-level Government credit. These internships span a wide variety of interests including all three branches of government, think tanks, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profits, and lobbying and consulting firms. Students spend four days a week as full-time staff members in a Congressional office and then in either an executive or NGO placement. These internships seek to show how fundamental experiential learning is to a liberal arts education.
The experiences of the Program’s alumni exemplify these goals. Nadav Konforty ’20, who participated in the Spring 2019 term, worked as a senate intern for Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. Konforty commented on what his internship experience meant to him, saying, “It was integral in helping me develop myself as a young professional and also to help me narrow what I was interested in regarding a career in government.”
As an intern for the Public Integrity Section in the Department of Justice Criminal Division, Maggie Luddy ’20 was fully immersed in the Judicial branch. Luddy attributes her internship with exposing her to “incredible skills in my field and connecting me to a network that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” adding that the career opportunities and learning experiences were invaluable.
In addition to offering academic and career exposure, the Program’s Washington, D.C. location one of its critical features. Participants stay in Hamilton-owned apartments in Woodley Park, which is 30 minutes from the capitol building and just 15 minutes from Georgetown. City life in D.C. is a major change from Clinton, New York, and participants say they appreciated this experience.
“Living in D.C. was such a privilege and it helped me learn how to live in a city,” said Konforty. Participants are expected to be able to independently manage the logistics of city life like shopping and transportation.
Looking ahead to the start of the next 50 years of the Program, interested students can apply for the D.C. Program for Fall 2020 or Spring 2021 terms. Professor Philip Klinkner is the current D.C. faculty member and is available to answer any questions via email.
