For over thirty years, the Campaign Management Institute (CMI) has offered a nationally recognized program designed to train individuals for participation in local, state and federal political campaigns.

Developed and taught by strategists from the Republican and Democratic parties, national campaign consultants and political scientists, this intensive two-week program serves as a valuable foundation for political activists and campaign managers.

Directed by Dr. Candice J. Nelson, the institute comprehensively covers campaign techniques, strategy, and tactics with emphasis on recent technological developments.

Participants will have the opportunity to develop their expertise by utilizing the extensive personnel and organizational resources in the Nation's Capital.

Group seminars and campaign simulations are used to develop and refine a participant's ability to coordinate a successful political campaign. Written work for this course consists of several short exercises plus development of a campaign plan. Groups of five to six students work jointly on the development and presentation of a single campaign plan for an actual upcoming race. The final day of the Institute is devoted to the presentation of the group-designed campaign plans before a panel of CMI faculty and campaign professionals.

We are always pleased to have C-Span cover our sessions. Watch video from the Winter, 2009-2010 class. You can also watch a C-SPAN video of a session of the Winter, 2008-2009 class.

The Center offers several financial awards to help offset the costs of participating in the institutes.

AU students should see their academic adviser for information on enrolling in the institutes. There are also a limited number of seats available to non-AU students to participate in the institutes.

Learn More about CMI sessions for the upcoming academic year.
Please contact ccps@american.edu with any questions regarding CMI.
Winter Intersession 2025 CMI dates: January 3-12, 2025