Washington Capstone

Real-world professional standards. Real-world deadlines. Real-world stories that need to be told. All in our nation’s capital.

The Washington Capstone allows broadcast and digital journalism graduate students to spend a summer working in the nation’s capital. As the culmination of the master’s program, the capstone is an opportunity for students to put their skills to the test.

Most students serve as Washington correspondents covering Capitol Hill and the federal government, customizing political stories for local news audiences in markets in California, Georgia, Massachusetts and others across the country. As credentialed members of the Washington press corps, they develop, research, shoot, report and edit news content that airs on their assigned commercial television stations.

Students interested in news producing have the opportunity to work with a variety of organizations. Some students have worked with Voice of America and NBC4, the network-owned local station in Washington. Students have also applied their skills across media platforms, working with streaming services offered by Nexstar Media Group and others. 

The capstone program is supported by faculty who have decades of experience covering Washington for local and network news operations. Students also benefit from a speakers series, which hosts journalists and Washington insiders who share their observations about the profession and the challenges of working in the nation’s capital.