Most Bulldogs are aware that they can earn academic credit beyond Butler’s campus through the Center for Global Education (CGE). They have likely seen pictures of their classmates tanning at Sydney beaches, sight-seeing in London or hiking in the Chilean Andes. With so many options to study abroad, students may forget that there are valuable programs within the U.S. as well.
CGE offers two main domestic study away programs: Butler in Washington, D.C., and Butler in Los Angeles. Both connect students with internships in their respective cities and are faculty-led.
Every fall, students can leave Indianapolis to live and intern in the nation’s capital for a semester, opening them up to a new world of job opportunities — Indeed ranked Washington as the second best city for work in 2026.
Lauren Takeda, a senior political science and peace and conflict studies double major, worked for U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Capitol Hill this past spring. Her semester in D.C. was preceded by a fall stint in Zurich, Switzerland, allowing her to compare and contrast the study abroad and study away experiences.
“[D.C. had] more professional networking,” Takeda said. “I definitely networked when I was abroad, but it was more in terms of building friendships and that type of camaraderie. D.C. was 100% more [centered on] building professional networks, especially on the Hill. I met a lot of people through the office.”
While this program is well-tailored to political science majors, Washington also offers internships for students pursuing careers in journalism, economics, computer science, international business, environmental science, the non-profit sector and more.
Dena Mulligan serves as the associate director for faculty-led programs for CGE. She spoke to the wide breadth of internships that students have been matched with through the Washington program, from project management firms to museum curation roles.
“There are things in D.C. that you wouldn’t even think of,” Mulligan said. “That’s why it is open to all majors, because every industry is operating in D.C.”
The search for internships commences about 3 months before departure. Through partnership with The Washington Center, students gain access to career coaching resources and are guaranteed a position as long as they meet deadlines. While in Washington, students earn 10 credit hours for their internship, three credit hours for an academic course and two credit hours for a career readiness course.
The Butler community is also still there to support students when they touch down in Washington. Throughout the first week, Jason Lantzer, who is the assistant director of the Butler University Honors Program, leads students as they attend orientation and network with Butler alumni. When Lantzer leaves, students can still access resources through The Washington Center while fostering the sense of independence that comes from living in a new city.
Takeda had meaningful career experiences through her participation in the Washington program, such as shadowing Duckworth for the day as she attended meetings and even cast votes. The time she spent in Washington feels especially relevant as she prepares for graduation in December.
“My experiences in D.C. definitely helped set me on the career path I want to go,” Takeda said.
Butler’s other study away program takes students to the sunny, sprawling streets of Los Angeles for about six weeks during the summer. While most participants are from the College of Communication — specifically those studying strategic communication, film and media production or music industry studies — all interested majors are encouraged to apply.
CGE partners with Occidental College, which is located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles and equidistant from Burbank, Hollywood and downtown, to set students up with campus housing and meal plans. Students typically complete six credits or more through this program via their internship hours and a course in communication law that meets once a week.
Throughout the years of leading the program, senior lecturer Cutler Armstrong has observed that Los Angeles’ opportunities help students secure jobs in both large and small markets.
“[A former student] got the job she has here in town partly because they knew she’d had that experience out there in a big place,” Armstrong said. “So that kind of put her ahead of other local applicants that don’t have that experience.”
In addition to gaining necessary context for the vast entertainment scene, students also become acquainted with members of Butler’s alumni network that live and work in Los Angeles. The connections students form with current and former Bulldogs during their time in Los Angeles are souvenirs that they can bring back to campus with them.
While study abroad programs offer a distinctly unique cultural experience, both Butler in Washington, D.C., and Butler in Los Angeles allow students to advance professionally and even live in a city that they might return to permanently one day.
The application deadline for summer 2027’s Butler in Los Angeles program is Dec. 14. The application deadline for fall 2027’s Butler in Washington, D.C. program is March 15.