Designed specifically for students in Georgetown's Semester in Washington Program, the International Relations Academic Seminar helps students craft a better understanding of complex global issues and the forces that drive policy in the United States and abroad. Meeting once a week in the mornings, students learn from assigned readings, lectures, guest speakers, and discussion groups—all of which build on Georgetown's long-standing and multifaceted expertise in international relations.

The academic seminar leverages the expansive resources on the Georgetown campus and in Washington, D.C., enabling students to connect with a wide array of professionals, including elected officials, White House staffers, global leaders, international policy-makers, and practitioners from the public and private sectors. Guest speakers frequenting the seminar address both theoretical insights and applications in practice, giving Semester in Washington Program students a behind-the-scenes perspective on the trends and challenges in the international relations profession. Through on-site visits, students have the unique opportunity to discuss the roles and interactions of elected officials and key players on the world stage directly with them.

Students also engage in scholarly discourse and learn from their peers, exploring the foundations and theories of contemporary international relations, reflecting on current and future political, global issues, and examining the strategies of political leaders and systems.. Seminar discussions cover a broad range of up-to-the-moment topics, such as homeland security, international terrorism, human rights, migration, nuclear proliferation, and international trade. Rooted in Georgetown's Jesuit tradition, the seminar keeps leadership, ethics, and social justice at the forefront.

As part of the academic seminar, students reflect on their internship experience. The electronic portfolio allows students to critically analyze their internships in a creative and academic manner. Capturing both process and outcome of their respective internships, the e-portfolio presents a lasting depiction of their Semester in Washington experience.

Participation in class discussions, on- and off-campus presentations, the respective class assignments, and the e-internship portfolio, constitute integral parts for students' academic development and success in the Semester in Washington Program academic seminar. While the academic seminar constitutes 60 percent of each student's final grade, the internship constitutes 40 percent for the overall Semester in Washington internship/academic seminar grade.