Programs and Academic Credit

The Washington Community Scholars' Center is committed to providing strong academic programs grounded in practical experiences in Washington D.C.'s diverse neighborhoods.

We have increased our flexibility in meeting student credit and internship needs by offering programs during the Fall (September-December), Spring (January-April), and Summer (May-July).

Seminar Class Requirements

Participation in WCSC seminar classes is required. Students receive six credits per semester from two of the following four classes.

WCSC credits/semester hours for fall and spring semester:
Internship: 6 credits
WCSC Seminar: 6 credits
Local university classes: up to 6 credits
*Up to 18 credits

WCSC credits/semester hours for the summer term:
Internship: 4 credits
WCSC Seminar: 6 credits
*Up to 10 credits

Seminar Classes Offered

Humanities 385: Experiencing Modern Art
Students attend and review museum exhibits, plays, and concerts. Guest lecturers provide guided tours of public art in DC. Reading and writing assignments focus on the relationship between art and contemporary social issues.
(Serves as a community learning course).

Church Studies 385: Faith and Works in Urban Society
How do different faith communities including diverse Christian, Jewish, Islamic and other groups practice their faith in an urban context? Students choose topics of current conflicts or issues in society, and visit and experience local faith communities to learn more about their response to these issues. Various interpretations of the Bible and other texts regarding the connection between faith and works will be discussed. Students will be asked to compare and analyze these responses in writing and discussion. (Serves as a community learning course).

Sociology 385: Urban Anthropology/Sociology
Students use the tools of participant observation to understand how different populations of urban regions form a social whole and how the lives and living conditions of all people are interconnected. This course focuses not only on the rather segregated "black" and "white" communities of DC, but also on the culture and social contributions of the communities of recent immigrants from Latin America. The course examines the causes and effects of the social construction of race and ethnicity in our society. Discussion will cover the ways in which our understanding of categories such as "white", "black", and "latino" have the effect of both masking and defining and the class stratification which occurs as part of our economic system. (Serves as a Writing Intensive and Community Learning Course. Also satisfies various Sociology, Social Work, and JPCS courses).

History 385: A Multi-cultural History of Washington, DC, 1930-2000
The Washington DC setting offers students an opportunity to examine the history of race and ethnicity in a specific urban context. The history of African-Americans and their on-going influence on DC neighborhoods and political movements will be explored in this class, as will the more modern influences of a number of immigrant communities including Latinos, East Africans and Asians. (Serves as a Writing Intensive and Community Learning Course).