Picture
​
"Having an opportunity to live, learn, and work in Washington, D.C., through the Graduate Archer Fellowship Program was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not only did the Archer Center provide me with opportunities to learn from top-level policy leaders in Washington, but I also gained an understanding of the complexities associated with implementing "good" policy at the local, state, and federal levels. As a doctoral student interested in the intersection between child and family research and policy, I cannot imagine a more foundational experience than the Graduate Archer Fellowship Program to jump-start my professional development and career possibilities; my time as a Graduate Archer Fellow left me inspired to make change and reassured that I will continue to have to resources to do so."

Jacqueline DeAnda
Summer 2018 Archer Fellow
UT Austin, Human Development and Family Sciences Doctoral (PhD) Student
​Archer Fellowship Internship: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Graduate Archer Fellowship Program was established in 2010 by The University of Texas System to bring graduate and medical students interested in policy and politics to our nation’s capital to learn about the federal government and public service. Graduate Archer Fellows live, learn, and work in the heart of Washington, D.C., during the summer. Selection is based on a competitive process, and we are pleased to be able to offer this experience to highly motivated graduate and medical students of The University of Texas System.
​
​Graduate Archer Fellow Policy Working Groups
In addition to coursework, internships and networking opportunities, Graduate Archer Fellows participate in a specialized working group in one of four topic areas: General Policy, Education Policy, Health and Healthcare Policy, or National Security and Global Affairs Policy. These working groups enable Fellows to connect with policy leaders in their field through policy round tables and tailored academic research projects. In addition, these working groups foster research and policy collaboration between Fellows.

General Domestic Policy
​Education Policy
Health and Healthcare Policy
​​National Security and Global Affairs Policy

Internship
Graduate Fellows intern full-time with an organization of their choosing based on their own professional and academic goals and interests. Previous Fellows have interned with a vast array of organizations such as the U.S. Department of Education, offices within the White House and on Capitol Hill, and various non-profit organizations. Students selected for the Graduate Archer Fellowship Program are responsible for securing their own internship, but receive one-on-one support from an Archer Center staff member throughout the search process. 

Scholarship
Graduate Archer Fellows remain enrolled in their home institution and earn nine (9) hours of in-residence credit for their experience in D.C. In addition to receiving credit for the full-time internship, students take classes focused on the federal policy process and work independently with experienced policy experts to develop their policy recommendations. Fellows also have an opportunity to participate in non-credit learning activities at certain monuments and museums in the nation's capital. Watch Graduate Archer Fellow alumna Jacque DeAnda speak about taking her policy proposal to Capitol Hill. ​
​
Fellowship
Students who participate in the Graduate Archer Fellowship Program can expect a challenging yet rewarding experience that will enable them to grow personally and professionally. Fellows have the option of living together in apartments just blocks from Union Station through a partnership with Washington Intern Housing Network (WIHN). Housing is fully furnished and conveniently located near the city's public transportation. Graduate Fellows can also secure their own housing for the summer.

Fellows make and maintain social and professional contacts that can help lead to continued professional opportunities post-graduation. The Archer Center's extensive support network includes a constantly growing alumni base with core groups in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and New York City.