University of California Washington Center

The University of California Washington Center (UCDC) is an academic program that enables University of California students to pursue coursework, internships, and research opportunities while residing in Washington, D.C. It offers a range of undergraduate and graduate-level classes across disciplines such as political science, international relations, public policy, economics, and communications, often taught by UC faculty and practitioners. The center coordinates internships with federal agencies, congressional offices, non‑profit organizations, and private firms, allowing students to apply academic knowledge in professional settings. It serves students from all UC campuses, providing a residential and academic experience that integrates classroom learning with exposure to the nation’s policy‑making environment.

As a unit of the University of California system, UCDC operates under the auspices of the UC Office of the President and draws on the system’s broad faculty network and resources. Its location in the nation’s capital distinguishes it from other UC satellite programs by providing direct access to governmental institutions, think tanks, and advocacy groups. The center emphasizes experiential learning, combining rigorous academics with supervised internships that are credit‑bearing and tailored to students’ career interests. In June 2014, UCDC notified alumni of a data breach affecting its cloud‑based course pre‑enrollment system provider, GoSignMeUp.com, which exposed usernames, passwords, email and postal addresses, gender, dates of birth, and course enrollment details. The center advised affected individuals to change passwords and worked with the vendor to improve security. No further details about the attack vector or the total number of impacted individuals were disclosed publicly.