Hertog Weekend Seminars provide undergraduates, graduate students, and young professionals with the rare opportunity to engage in high-level intellectual discussion and debate on the most influential works in political thought and the most pressing policy issues facing the United States with renowned scholars, leading experts, and a community of peers from across the country.

Not a lecture or a conference, each seminar is centered around in-depth, student-driven dialogue on a set of curated readings. Seminars typically begin on a Friday evening and conclude Sunday afternoon. In addition to providing course materials, the Hertog Foundation covers all meals and travel and lodging costs.

Browse the Seminars

Can Partisanship Be Fixed?

Investigate the debate over parties by examining their nature and role in American political life.

The Yom Kippur War: A Case Study in Strategy, Power, & Character

Explore the Yom Kippur War, one of the great understudied hinge points of history.

Nixon in China: Did We Get China Wrong?

Study Nixon’s strategic opening to Beijing in 1972 and how it shaped U.S.-China relations today.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

We welcome applications from current undergraduates, graduate students, and young professionals interested in moral, social, political, or strategic thought.

Admission is extremely competitive, and every year we decline admission to many highly qualified applicants simply due to lack of space. A typical competitive applicant will have:

  • For undergraduates, a GPA > 3.5
  • Strong letter(s) of recommendation from a professor or another individual who is in a position to comment on the applicant’s academic or professional qualifications
  • A statement of purpose that tells us how the applicant’s interests and ambitions relate to the preferred program. The statement of purpose is very important and deserves careful attention.
  • A writing sample that demonstrates the applicant’s powers of analysis and independent thought, and not only their ability to do scholarly research or comment on a text.

Application Requirements

  1. A CV or résumé

  2. Statement of Purpose

    Describe the political questions you find most interesting, your future ambitions, and how these relate to your preferred program(s). (1,000 words or less)

  3. An Academic Transcript

    Unofficial, if current undergraduate or graduate student

  4. Letter of Recommendation

    Minimum of one academic/professional letter of recommendation that specifically speaks to your background and interests as they relate to the program. Current undergraduates should submit an academic recommendation.

  5. A writing sample

    20 pages maximum

Other Courses You Might Be Interested In

American Democratic Capitalism

Explore the intersection of theory and practice in our national politics, and particularly in our key economic debates.

Varieties of American Conservatism

Discover the intellectual roots of modern conservatism.

The American Political Order

Engage key texts that have helped shape the political idea of America.

National Identity & Why It Matters

Explore the idea of national identity & its role in maintaining a successful political order.