Washington Center

UCDC Courses

A list of courses can be accessed using the drop-down menu below. Select Fall Quarter & Semester 2023.

For *preliminary* information about each course, click on the course title.

Please note: In the event of low enrollment, a class may be cancelled. Students will be informed as soon as possible and enrolled in a different class.

Fall Quarter 2019 & Fall Semester 2019

Core Seminar

  • Congress and Politics in Washington

    This thematic research seminar explores the history of Congress—the first branch under the Constitution—and its role in making public policy, as well as other issues in contemporary politics and government. The subject matter will cover the...

  • General Research

    Gathering knowledge and learning the truth about the world around us is a fundamental part of human development and progress. While most of us take knowledge and truth for granted, the process by which we understand our political, social, cultural,...

  • International Development

    This is an introductory course to the international development field. The focus...

  • International Policy

    "This seminar is designed to help you to engage critically and think systematically about crucial questions that are global in scope and to guide you through the process of developing a significant research paper. This is not a field seminar in...

  • Judicial Process and Politics

    The theme of this course is that the judiciary is a political institution in the American scheme of government. This topic couldn’t be more relevant than it is now in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election as we witness courts across the...

  • The American Presidency and Executive Power

    Most Americans can name several presidents and even have opinions on “good” versus “bad” presidents. But how do we evaluate and measure what presidents do and our expectations for their leadership? This course will put the modern presidency in...

  • The U.S. Supreme Court

    "Gay marriage. The death penalty. Abortion. Health care. Cell phone privacy. The U.S. Supreme Court has heard cases on all of these topics in recent years, and its decisions ultimately touch the lives of all Americans. In this class we will study the...

  • Washington Focus

    Much is said about Washington. Much of it is wrong. This course will immerse students in the history, politics, culture, character and diversity of the nation’s capital. You will learn about Washington’s transformation from a remote federal city into...

  • Washington Media

    "What is the difference between “fake news’ and journalism? Does objectivity exist? Why does President Trump call the news media the “enemy of the people.? This seminar explores the rapidly evolving relationship between the news media, governing and...

Fall Semester 2019

Semester Elective

  • A Theater of Politics & The Politics of Theater

    Since 2006, this course has canvassed the Washington DC theater scene and discovered a wealth of offerings, many of them—not surprisingly—political in focus.  Which prompts the question: What should the role of an arts community be in an essentially...

  • Activism, Protest and the Politics of Change

    How does social and political change happen in Washington? What strategies and techniques do underdogs use to take on entrenched and established powers in the nation’s capital? Making real change is difficult. Yet, there are several examples of...

  • American Political Journalism

    This class will explore the relationships among politics, news media and government. It will do so by focusing on particular news events in which the role of the media became an integral part of the story. Some of the sessions may change based on guest...

  • Campaigns and Elections

    Even though we experienced an election last year where the rules supposedly did not apply, anyone who hopes to pursue a career in politics – or just be a good citizen -- should be familiar with some basics about the electorate and the mechanics of...

  • Economics of Public Policy

    Economic thinking provides an important set of tools for almost every aspect of public policy making. This course aims to offer students a basic understanding of economics and its importance in public policy making. The will begin by providing a broad-...

  • Nations and Nationalism *Update

    *Update: This class has been moved from Tuesday evenings to Thursday evenings.  The class will begin on Thursday, August 29.

    History is the database from which we learn what human beings have done in the past and are able and...

  • Race and Ethnic Politics from Obama to Trump

    This course will examine the fundamental theories of race and representation as it applies to the lived experiences and quest for freedom, justice, and equality on part of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans and other groups....