The Inside Washington program began in 1998 as a 3 day trip for Mass Communication professor Dr. Howard Kleiman's televison news capstone course. Through conversations with Chad Pergram, a Miami University alum, they decided to use Pergram's contacts and visit the capitol to give the students some experience in Washington.

It was such a hit they decided to do it again the next year as a 4 day program. By this time, there were discussions to lengthen the program and develop into a true stand-alone program to give students an inside look into the interaction of politics, government and the media within the capitol.

Over the next few years the program grew into an 8 credit course. Students now live in the city for nine weeks with a six-week internship and the ability to meet the most influential people in Washington. An administrative structure was put in place when Chad Pergram was hired to become the first director of the Miami University Washington Center. Dr. Kleiman was designated as the Oxford-based coordinator of the Inside Washington program. Since 2003, a doctoral candidate in political science has accompanied the students to Washington along with the professor. This is a great chance to learn from someone who actively studies the field.

The successes of the summer program led to discussions of a full semester-long program in DC. In Fall 2007 this idea came to fruition with a trial run. The semester program will not replace Inside Washington Summer, but will instead provide interested students the opportunity to extend their experience and look even deeper into the people and processes that make Washington tick. With further success Miami has made a commitment to offer Inside Washington each spring semester, as well as continuing the summer program