University of Central Arkansas

Application process

For scholarship purposes, the deadline for applications to UCA will be posted at least a month before the Washington Center regular deadline.  (Spring and summer will be the same deadline, usually about October 1.  This deadline could change for summer if we do not have sufficient applicants for spring semester, and hence have funds remaining. The fall deadline will be about April 1.)

Current DEADLINE for Spring 2010 if scholarship funds are desired is October 15,2009. If scholarship funds are not desired, Washington Center’s regular deadline is November 13, 2009 for spring 2010 internships.  There are still special opportunities for study abroad internships in Sydney, Aus., and with the IRS for qualified applicants.

Current DEADLINE for Summer 2010 if scholarship funds are desired is AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, or until scholarship funds are gone. The Washington Center's competitive deadline for summer 2010 is February 1, 2010.

Students: See checklist for Students Applying to The Washington Center for Internships

Students should contact UCA's liaison to the Washington Center, before preparing their applications.

Contact:

Dr. Peter Mehl
Irby 120
peterm@uca.edu
450-5282

Students must be at least second-semester sophomores and carry at least a 2.75 gpa. Students should complete their applications on line, print a copy and bring to the liaison Dr. Peter Mehl, in Irby 120 (by the UCA deadline if scholarship funds are desired) before submitting it to the Washington Center. Please bring copies of your letters of recommendation and a preliminary list of courses for which you will receive credit from UCA.  A final list of courses should be sent to the liaison before you leave for your internship, and if courses change you must notify the liaison. The liaison reviews and approves applications and course credit. 

Application materials

• Your essay and your résumé are important components of your application.

• The issues essay is a 500-word statement and it should be devoted to a discussion of a topic that involves the field(s) in which you hope to work. You should include an indication of your personal views. This is not a research paper, but rather an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you have a serious interest and some background knowledge about issues in the field you wish to work.

• In your 100-word internship request statement you should describe the types of activities in which you would like to be involved during your internship, and how these activities relate to your career goals.

• Your résumé should clearly outline your educational, volunteer, leadership, and work experience to date.

• Two letters of recommendation (three letters if your GPA is below 2.75)

• Transcript

• Application fee