Camp LBJ

Summer Transition Program at LBJ

Camp LBJ is part of the summer transition program for all entering Master’s students. We also welcome participation from Ph.D. students. The program has four objectives: acquaint students with the LBJ community, offer a flavor of life as LBJ graduate students, provide perspectives on the policy profession and global issues, and convey a rigorous conceptual framework for analytic thinking.

For 2010, the summer transition program begins with questions and answers for admitted students on an internet space on the website of The University of Texas called Blackboard. Admitted students will receive an email message on logon procedures by April 21st. The website will be hosted by current students and staff on the Orientation Committee. 

Blackboard forums continue for students with confirmed enrollment as CyberCamp begins in mid-May. It includes information forums, get-acquainted space, Camp LBJ advising, summer reading, and quantitative background preparation, CyberCamp remains active from May to mid-July, when the physical version of Camp LBJ begins.

On July 13, noon to 8 pm, an Algebra Pre-Camp is offered to students in need of algebra refresher. Official meetings of Camp LBJ take place from July 14 to August 13. The following week we have Orientation, which includes course advising and registration, to wrap up the summer transition program. Physical Camp LBJ includes academic courses, orientation events, and social activities. A description of Camp events follows:

  • Academic courses are offered on three topics: Introduction to the Policy Profession, Global Policy Issues, and Analytic Foundation for Public Policy. We also offer evening lab and Saturday review sessions calculus and statistics for students who need in-depth review or who need to prepare for the validation exams.
  • Orientation events range from getting acquainted with the School’s information resources to diagnostics on policy writing skills and assistance on resume writing.
  • Social activities have been put together by your Orientation Committee for you to have fun, get acquainted with your peers, learn about Austin, and to meet some of the second-year students as well as alums in the area.
 Academic content at Camp LBJ has been designed to be at a rigorous graduate level. Detailed schedule for 2010 will be available in May. Until then, please refer to the sample schedule, based on Camp LBJ 2010, to get some sense of how Camp meetings are organized. We expect minor changes but the overall framework of the schedule will remain the same for 2010.

There is no fee for attending Camp LBJ. All Camp courses are open to entering students free of tuition. Entering students who do not receive information about access to Blackboard by April 21st should contact steve.alvarez@austin.utexas.edu immediately.