Westmont in San Francisco What to Expect
Life in the city!
Experience a semester unlike any other as you live and learn in the heart of San Francisco. Take full advantage of cuisines from around the world, remarkable outdoor exploring, or your favorite music group passing through. Nestled in vibrant Pacific Heights, our Jackson St. House becomes your home base for cultural exploration, professional development, and personal growth.
Gain valuable professional experience through tailored internships
Our program connects academic theory with real-world experiences through internships, seminars, and guest lectures. Explore relevant topics like urban challenges, global studies, and social justice issues, gaining a deeper understanding of San Francisco's complex and diverse landscape. Connect with local organizations, businesses, and nonprofits, contributing your skills and gaining insights into your chosen field. Live with a supportive cohort of students in our comfortable and well-equipped Jackson St. House. Enjoy shared meals, engage in lively discussions, and forge lasting friendships while exploring the city together.
Develop skills, discover strengths
Explore the city using public transportation, manage your own food budget, and cook in our modern communal kitchen. Pacific Heights offers the perfect blend of urban charm and natural beauty. Step outside your door to wander the Presidio's trails, delve into the Haight-Ashbury's cultural tapestry, or savor delicious food in nearby Japantown. The city is your classroom!
Why San Francisco?
FOOD! CULTURE. MUSIC. PARKS. FAITH. DIVERSITY.
The Jackson St. House
The WSF House (also called the Jackson St. House) is located in the beautiful neighborhood of Pacific Heights, a few blocks from the historic Presidio of San Francisco. Its unique setting (only three miles from downtown and four miles from the Pacific Ocean) allows you to immerse yourself in life and culture of the city. Using nearby public transportation, you can explore the city's many attractions and commute to various internship sites. The Haight-Ashbury, Inner Richmond, Japantown, NOPA, and the Marina districts are minutes away. The Presidio is 2 blocks away and features 2 square miles of green space and areas for outdoor recreation. Pursue endless possibilities with the city of San Francisco at your front door!
〜WSF Room Tour〜
Student Rooms & House Features
The house has 13 bedrooms, with many rooms having their own private bathroom. Each room houses 2-3 people, and contains an individual desk, closet and a chest of drawers for each person. The house has printers available for student use. There is a large TV with to cast to for movie watching. Additionally, there are bikes, sporting equipment, board games, and a piano available for student use.
〜WSF Room Tour〜
Frequently Asked Questions
The semester program incurs no additional fees to the typical campus tuition. In fact, students receive a $2,400 stipend to cover food costs for the semester, which often proves more than sufficient.
The summer internship program has a total cost of $6,275. This covers 8 units of academic credit. In order to keep program fees as low as possible, students are responsible for covering their own food expenses during the summer program. Once a week community night meals and occasional outings are provided.
In addition to general scholarships for off-campus programs, WSF is glad to invite all semester and summer program participants to apply for the Rose Marie Springer Diversity scholarship.
The Rose Marie Springer Diversity Scholarship was established by Westmont in San Francisco (then “San Francisco Urban Program”) in 2005 to honor Rose Marie “Rusty” Springer who served at the Program for 20 years. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide a continuing source of individuals interested in pursuing diversity reconciliation whether that is socio-economic, religious, gender, racial or other, by awarding scholarships to college students who participate at Westmont in San Francisco.
Westmont in San Francisco will award undergraduate scholarships to outstanding students who will be known as Rusty Springer Recipients. The awards will be made on the basis of merit to those students who embody the qualities that are eminently seen in the life of Rusty; those of tolerance, sensitivity, grace, mercy, justice and compassion.
Each scholarship will be in the amount of $1,500 for the summer & $2,500 for the semester; and must be used the semester the recipient attends Westmont in San Francisco. To be considered, a student must turn in an application along with a reference from a community member who can speak to the applicant’s sensitivity and ability to promote and provide opportunities for reconciliation between polarized groups of people. The number of scholarships given in each year will be dependent upon the monies available in the Rose Marie Springer Fund and the number of qualified applicants.
In order to apply to be a Rose Marie Springer Recipient a student must:
- Be a full-time matriculated sophomore, junior or senior pursuing a degree at an accredited institution of higher education, and be accepted into Westmont in San Francisco
- Have a college grade-point average of 2.5 or higher
Nominees are evaluated on:
- Demonstrated potential for an commitment to issues concerning diversity
- Strong Christ-centered character demonstrated through acts of service
While every major city faces challenges, San Francisco has exhibited consistent reduction in crime and is experiencing a resurgence of culture and vitality following the COVID-19 pandemic. With briefings in basic safety precaution and mindfulness at the beginning of each program, students consistently report that the city quickly feels like a second home in the best of ways---safe, friendly, and easy to navigate on foot and public transit.
Here's some helpful articles on safety in San Francisco
Yes! Students enrolled in the semester-length program are allowed to take approved Acadeum courses, or enroll in the local city college in order to earn credit and stay on track towards their degree. See more information on Acadeum courses
In order to preserve the integrity of the summer program experience, concurrent enrollment is not allowed while engaging in the full-time internship.
Students quickly learn to navigate on foot and by using public transportation (bus and BART routes). Students are not allowed a car while in San Francisco, and within a few weeks understand why! It is significantly easier to traverse the different neighborhoods of San Francisco and the Bay without having to worry about a car, traffic, and parking. While students are often nervous about transportation coming into the semester, it often becomes one of their favorite experiences and places to observe the people around them.
We got you! Each program starts with an in-depth orientation that covers different neighborhoods, means of transportation, and recommendations for navigating safely individually and as a group. Internships are in a variety of different areas and students quickly find themselves as tour guides for one another and sharing favorite finds in their new locations.
Yes! While always introducing new internship sites, there are a number of long-standing program partners in every major department . A sampling of internship sites from over the years can be found on our internships page.
Great question! Reach out to wsf@westmont.edu and one of our staff members would be happy to schedule a phone or Zoom conversation with you to learn more about your goals and how the program may best work with your schedule and desired outcomes.
