Upcoming Short-Term Opportunities in DC

Unable to spend a full semester but don’t want to miss out on hands-on learning in DC? Have you returned from the Aspin Washington Internship Program but already want to go back? Do you want to test out DC before committing to a full semester or summer? Then, these hybrid and short courses throughout the year may be for you!

Upcoming courses are listed below and sorted based on their course registration period.

Fall 2025

ECON 4025: Economics of Regulation and Deregulation (3 credits)

This course is an introduction to regulation and deregulation from an economics
perspective and will review the regulatory process, regulatory agency
administration, trade association roles, independent think-tank assessments
and consumer implications, and economic analysis requirements. Case study
topics may include healthcare, artificial intelligence, transportation,
telecommunications and environmental sectors. A mandatory component of this
course is an experiential learning trip to the Aspin Center in Washington, DC, engaging with experts.

Dates: October 24 to December 13 - Class meets weekly on Fridays (11:00 am – 12:50 pm)
in Cudahy Hall 208. January 3 to January 10 - Students spend a week in Washington, DC.

Contact Professor Laurna Prantil (laurna.prantil@marquette.edu) for more information
and for permission to enroll. Register by Monday, October 20, 2025.

Prerequisites: ECON 1103 and ECON 1104

Costs: Students are responsible for their airfare and meals while in DC. A $300 fee will be
added to the fall 2025 semester tuition bill to cover DC housing at the student apartments.

Spring 2026

COMM 4931: Political Communication (3 credits)

Discover how political messages are made, shaped, and sold - from campaign ads and press briefings to social media and news coverage. At the Aspin Center in D.C., you'll get an insider's look at how storytelling, strategy, and media combine to influence what the public thinks and how power moves. This course offers a unique hybrid learning experience, combining an immersive, in-person week in Washington, followed by three weeks of asynchronous online coursework. 

Contact Professor Patrick Johnson (patrick.johnson@marquette.edu) for more information and to receive a permission number for registration by December 1, 2025. 

Dates: December 14 to December 20 - Students spend one week in DC. December 20 to January 10 - Students have three weeks of asynchronous online coursework.

Costs: This course will be considered part of the Spring 2026 semester, so tuition for these credits will be included in their normal spring semester tuition bill. Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements to and from Washington, DC, and the housing fee to stay at Marquette’s Aspin Center student apartments (about $375-400). 

Notes: Professor Johnson will host a pre-trip meeting the week before finals for anyone who is attending. If taking this course "overloads" a student's credit load for the spring semester, they will be given special permission to do so. 

Summer 2026 (May-mester)

POSC 4932-101: Politics of the American Revolution (3 credits)

The “May-mester” is a two-week intensive course in DC, followed by three weeks of virtual coursework. Students participating in the Summer Aspin Internship Program that enroll in this course will move into their summer apartment at the start of this May-mester.

This class will focus on how political actors throughout American History have used the memory, rhetoric, and events of the American Revolution to further their political goals.  As the recent controversy over the rival depictions of the American Revolution from the 1619 Project and the 1776 Commission show, this event retains the ability to foment passions and further political claims. The class will ask students to reflect on the politics of the Revolution in a number of eras including the Civil War, the Progressive Era, and the New Deal.  Coursework will include short readings, reflective writing on site visits, and a final project on the Revolution's place in contemporary America. Site visits will include trips to Mount Vernon, The White House, Gettysburg, and The Smithsonian African American History Museum.

This 3-credit course counts in the Marquette Core Curriculum as an ESSV2 course.

Students will be in Washington, DC for two weeks between May 11 and May 22. For more information, contact Sam Harshner at sam.harshner@marquette.edu.

Costs: Students will be billed for $2,850 for the three credits ($950/credit) and $750 (for housing and program fees). For the most accurate financial information, please reach out to Marquette Central. Students are responsible for their own transportation to DC, food and personal costs while in DC.

Dates: Monday, May 11 to Saturday, May 23 - Students in DC.