<p>This iss a long, complicated question, but I hope someone can help. My college (a public Ohio college, Kent State University) has an internship program in Washington DC in the Spring of every year, and my major, International Relations, requires 5 semesters of language. I am Palestinian and speak colloquial Arabic fluently, but my reading and writing skills, especially in formal Arabic, are very poor, which is why I chose to study Arabic. Since Arabic is new at my college, they only offer elementary, intermediate and advanced Arabic 1 in the fall, elementary, intermediate and advanced Arabic 2 in the spring. If i were to do the D.C. internship next Spring, I wouldn't be able to use Arabic to complete my language requirements because of the sequence. My alternative is to take one more French class, which would satisfy my language requirement. I would like to use Arabic since I want to specialize in Middle Eastern politics and I feel that this would impress admissions officers, but I would also like to speak of my experiences as an intern in D.C, which would be difficult if I don't do the internship until Spring 2011, my last semester in college. Many of my friends who have done the program have come out of it with personal recommendation letters and advice from Senators and other important individuals, and I don't want to miss out on the extra boost a recommendation and experience would give me. On the other hand, if I apply for the program for Spring 2010, I don't think I will be able to get an elite internship. My first 1.5 years of college were spent confused about majors and classes, resulting in a 3.0, but last semester when I switched to International Relations I got a 4.0 and I am determined to continue with this GPA until I graduate. So, with so many factors involved, I can't decide if I should apply for Spring 2010 or put it off until Spring 2011, right before I graduate. Any advice?</p>
<p>American University, George Washington University, and Georgetown University all offer Arabic studies of one kind or another. You should investigate the possibility of taking courses at one of these places to fill in for your missing Arabic class.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>One more way to continue in Arabic while in DC is with the evening and weekend classes offered by the USDA Graduate School. Not all of the courses through this program are approved for transfer credit, but you may be able to arrange an independent study credit through your home university. Here is a link for you: [Graduate</a> School - Search -](<a href=“http://grad.usda.gov/search.php?action=search&searchtype=course&as_ccode=ARAB]Graduate”>http://grad.usda.gov/search.php?action=search&searchtype=course&as_ccode=ARAB)</p>