Les Aspin Center - Washington, D.C. Program

Spring 2026 Semester Courses (12 to 18 credits)

Students complete seven credits of required courses and five to nine credits of elective courses for a total of 12 to 18 credits.

Required Courses:

POSC 4986-101: Professional Experience in Washington, D.C. (3 credits)

Practical learning experience through the Les Aspin Program in Washington, D.C. Evaluation requires participation in an internship and a weekly professional development seminar with reflections on the internship experience.  Must be taken concurrently with POSC 4985. Also counts as ESSV2.

POSC 4985-101: Professional Reflection and Discernment Seminar (1 credit)

Reflect upon the internship experience and engage in vocational discernment. Examine social and political issues and consider how they can contribute to creating social systems and public policies that contribute to human flourishing and the common good. Engage with guest speakers working across a variety of fields in Washington, D.C. Must be taken concurrently with POSC 4986.

Elective Courses:

THEO 3340-101: Theology and the Visual Arts (3 credits)

This course uses Washington, DC’s rich resources to explore how religious beliefs and experiences are expressed through visual art. With visits to museums and churches, we’ll study images as both artistic creations and cultural artifacts to learn about those who created them and the people for whom they were created.

POSC 4932-102: Faith in Action (3 credits)

This course examines how faith-based advocacy groups influence national public policy on issues such as immigration, healthcare, education, and the environment. Through site visits and guest speakers, students explore these organizations’ goals, methods, and motivations, and why people of faith may find such work deeply meaningful and rewarding.

POSC 4932-101: Why We Hack: International Cybersecurity (1 credit)

This course explores various aspects of contemporary international cybersecurity, including hacktivism, cyber espionage, cyber commerce and compliance, the dark web, and cyber warfare. The class will cover several case studies from the U.S. and around the world.

POSC 4932-103: Development as Strategy: The United States, China, and the Indo-Pacific's Future (1 credit)

This seminar delves into the strategic intersection of the United States’ and China’s national security objectives and development initiatives in the Indo-Pacific. It examines how both powers employ economic aid, infrastructure projects, and governance programs to shape the regional order. The course further explores how developing nations across Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands navigate, leverage, and resist these strategies while pursuing their own development and security priorities.

POSC 4932-104: Data for Policy Decisions (1 credit)

Evidence-based decision-making is essential for today’s professionals, but how can data most effectively strengthen a policy position? Using public data related to students’ internships or academic interests, this workshop-based course focused on applying data skills through sourcing, cleaning, analysis, visualization, and presentation. Designed for all skill levels, it will help students build data literacy and confidence for real-world policy applications.

POSC 4932-105: International Trade and National Security (1 credit)

How are international trade and national security policy linked? This course examines trade statutes connected to national security and traces the evolution of trade policy as a security tool. Case studies include the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and major trade acts from the 20th and 21st centuries.

POSC 4932-106: The Rise and Fall of USAID (2 credits)

Taught by two former members of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), this course explores the agency’s past, present, and potential future role in U.S. foreign policy. It focuses on foreign assistance in education, gender, and humanitarian aid, as well as programming in conflict and crisis environments.

POSC 4932-107: Professional Ethics in Law (1 credit)

This course explores the key pillars of the Rules of Professional Conduct and other ethical guidelines governing the U.S. legal profession. While lawyers play a pivotal role in advancing the interests of their clients, they also shape the broader landscape of access to justice and compliance with the rule of law. The course is designed for those considering careers in law, policy, or other highly regulated and law-adjacent fields.

POSC 4932-107: E-Carceration, Digital Surveillance, and Youth Justice (1 credit)

This course challenges the idea of surveillance as a modern phenomenon, examining its long history in American law and society. Building on the Center for Urban Research, Teaching, and Outreach’s (CURTO) EM Milwaukee project, it explores the use of GPS ankle monitors on youth engaged with the criminal justice system. The course examines the complex relationship between policy, reform, and evolving surveillance technologies nationally, in Washington, D.C., and in Milwaukee.

Summer 2026 Semester Courses (4 to 8 credits)

Students complete four credits of required courses and one to four credits of elective courses for a total of 4 to 8 credits.

Required Courses:

POSC 4986-101: Professional Experience in Washington, D.C. (3 credits)

Practical learning experience through the Les Aspin Program in Washington, D.C. Evaluation requires participation in an internship and a weekly professional development seminar with reflections on the internship experience.  Must be taken concurrently with POSC 4985. Also counts as ESSV2.

POSC 4985-101: Professional Reflection and Discernment Seminar (1 credit)

Reflect upon the internship experience and engage in vocational discernment. Examine social and political issues and consider how they can contribute to creating social systems and public policies that contribute to human flourishing and the common good. Engage with guest speakers working across a variety of fields in Washington, D.C. Must be taken concurrently with POSC 4986.

Elective Courses:

Full descriptions for elective courses will be available soon.

Fall 2026 Semester Courses (12 to 18 credits)

Students complete seven credits of required courses and five to nine credits of elective courses for a total of 12 to 18 credits.

Required Courses:

POSC 4986-101: Professional Experience in Washington, D.C. (3 credits)

Practical learning experience through the Les Aspin Program in Washington, D.C. Evaluation requires participation in an internship and a weekly professional development seminar with reflections on the internship experience.  Must be taken concurrently with POSC 4985. Also counts as ESSV2.

POSC 4985-101: Professional Reflection and Discernment Seminar (1 credit)

Reflect upon the internship experience and engage in vocational discernment. Examine social and political issues and consider how they can contribute to creating social systems and public policies that contribute to human flourishing and the common good. Engage with guest speakers working across a variety of fields in Washington, D.C. Must be taken concurrently with POSC 4986.

ARSC 3370-101: Washington, D.C. and the American Experience (3 credits)

Washington, D.C., with its rich collection of historical sites, museums, monuments, and communities reflects the diverse experience of the United States and its democratic experiment. This course explores key themes in U.S. history through the lens of the nation’s capital, using the city’s historical resources to examine the events, movements, and ideas that continue to shape the American experience.

Elective Courses:

COMM 3800: Media Law (3 credits)

This course examines the legal rules that impact the work of media professionals. You’ll learn about libel, privacy, and other laws affecting journalism, advertising, broadcasting, and public relations. We’ll examine how the Constitution protects freedom of expression and press freedom, and discuss how these legal principles shape what media professionals can and cannot do in practice.

POSC 4932: Statesmanship and the Challenge of Communication (2 credits)

Statesmanship and communication are inextricably linked. Throughout history, the ability to articulate a vision, persuade diverse audiences, and navigate public discourse has been essential to effective political leadership. This course examines how statesmen and stateswomen have communicated with their supporters and the larger public, beginning with the founding and extending into our current world dominated by social media.

POSC 4932: The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Humanitarian Assistance (1 credit)

This course explores how faith-based organizations contribute to humanitarian relief and global development. Students examine their roles in disaster response, refugee assistance, poverty alleviation, and community building, as well as the ethical and practical challenges of maintaining religious identity while partnering with governments, secular NGOs, and international agencies and working in diverse contexts.

TBD: Crisis Communications in U.S. Foreign Policy (1 credit)

This course examines how U.S. officials communicate during international crises, from diplomatic standoffs to military conflicts and humanitarian emergencies. Through real-world cases, students analyze how policymakers craft messages under pressure and with incomplete information. The course explores the strategic choices behind briefings, statements, and negotiations, and how communication missteps can escalate tensions or undermine policy goals.

TBD: Strategic Communication for Public Leadership (1 credit)

This course examines how leaders use communication to persuade, inspire, and drive action. Students learn what makes leadership communication effective: credibility, compelling storytelling, a clear vision, and audience trust. Mirroring how communication operates in Washington, D.C., the course prepares students for careers in policy, politics, advocacy, journalism, public affairs, and other fields where strategic communication is essential.

POSC 4932: Policy Communications and Public Relations in a Polarized Environment (1 credit)

This course examines how organizations and policymakers communicate effectively when audiences are deeply divided along political, cultural, and ideological lines.

Through case studies and hands-on exercises, you'll develop skills for communicating persuasively in an environment where trust is low, misinformation spreads quickly, and finding common ground requires both strategic thinking and careful execution.

POSC 4932: Program Management and Organizational Change (1 credit)

This course introduces essential tools for managing complex programs, including setting clear objectives, designing workplans, analyzing processes, measuring returns on investment, building cross-functional teams, and communicating with internal and external stakeholders. The course will equip students with practical skills to drive change and excel in any professional or organizational setting.

TBD: Right to Privacy (1 credit)

This course explores the evolution of the constitutional right to privacy in American law, from its philosophical and legal foundations to landmark Supreme Court cases shaping freedom of association and reproductive autonomy. We’ll examine how the First Amendment protects privacy, the legal boundaries of consent in the digital age, and the doctrine surrounding reproductive privacy.

POSC 4932: Data Visualization (1 credit)

How can you turn complex data into clear, compelling visual stories? You’ll learn principles of effective data visualization, including selecting appropriate chart types, revealing patterns, and avoiding misleading designs. We’ll cover practical tools used by journalists, analysts, and researchers to create charts, interactive dashboards, and maps. Through hands-on projects, students build a portfolio that communicates data-driven insights to diverse audiences across policy, journalism, and research contexts.

POSC 4932: Covering Washington Politics (1 credit)

This course offers an insider’s view of how journalists cover politics and power in Washington, D.C. Each week, a media professional discusses finding stories, cultivating sources, and making decisions under pressure while navigating the unique challenges of political journalism. Through conversations with practitioners and assignments, you'll gain practical insights into what it takes to cover Washington and how political journalism shapes democratic accountability.