ROME, ITALY

SPRING QUARTER 2025

Study abroad in central Rome puts over 2,000 years of history at your doorstep. Be a part of the community, not just a tourist, taking courses and living in the Eternal City for one quarter. The city will become your classroom with relevant academic field trips and cultural activities. In your free time, enjoy relics of ancient Roman Empire, treasures of the Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces on every corner as well as the delights of Italian culture and cuisine in the ristorantes, cafes and gelaterias.

Campus & Classrooms

Classes will be held at the AIFS Student Center, which is centrally located and a short walk from the student apartments. The school is located in the city center, just steps from the Vatican. Wi-fi is available throughout the Study Center; students and faculty also have access to computers and a printer, projector, white boards, etc.

Housing

Students will stay in self-catered apartments in a central location near the Vatican. Typically, each two-to-three-bedroom apartment is shared by four-to-six students on a twin-bedded basis. Students will have a shared kitchen and living space. Bed linen and wireless internet are provided. Apartments are within a short 10-20 minute walk of the AIFS Student Center.

Transportation

An unlimited one-month public transportation pass is provided for all students on this program. The pass is good for the metro, bus, train, and trams within the central zone of Rome. After the first month, students can recharge the pass at their own expense. Students are responsible for ground transportation from the airport in Rome to their apartments (instructions will be provided).

You will register for your courses at your home campus. You will take a total of three classes for a total of 15 credits including a Life and Culture class taught by local faculty.

Introduction to Fiction – 5 credits

This literature class focuses on works of short fiction by Italian and mainly Roman writers. Moving chronologically starting in Ancient Rome, we will use Rome as a textbook. When we read the writer Ovid, for example, we’ll visit ancient sites like the Forum. As we move to the Renaissance, we’ll read Giorgio Vasari’s account of Michelangelo, diving into the exaggerations, the fiction, he constructed of the man who created the Sistine Chapel. We’ll do the same with Benvenuto Cellini’s writing, exploring his own account of when Rome was sacked by troops sent by Charles V, and he defended the city at Castel Sant’Angelo. In the 20th century, we’ll read short stories by Natalia Ginzberg, whose works were often an affront to Mussolini’s Italy. We’ll finish with the American-Indian writer, Jhumpa Lahiri, who now calls Rome her home and writes exclusively in the Italian language. All these works will allow us to explore Rome more in-depth, looking at its origins and then moving throughout history to contemporary times, where we see an international metropolis that still retains much of its historical past yet is trying to adapt to the many changes the 21st century has brought.

Creative Writing I (ENGL& 236) – 5 credits

Fiction writers have been visiting Italy for years for inspiration. Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Anthony Doerr are just a few, but the list is much longer than that. Using these expat writers as our guide, this class will focus on writing fiction with Rome (and Italy) as our inspiration. Conducted in a writing workshop format, students will write fiction, read published fiction, and critique the fiction of their peers. Students will use Rome to set at least one work of fiction, and writing exercises will take us onto the cobblestone streets of the city, so students can really capture the flavor and feel of this magical and historic city. We’ll also explore the concept of imitation and look at some famous work that have been shaped by stories already written (like the Roman mythology that was adapted from Greek mythology) and consider how best to use imitation in our own writing. At the end of the course, students will organize a reading of their work, choosing a place in Rome to hold the reading and working together to plan the event. For those who have already completed Creative Writing I, there will be an option to enroll in an Advanced Fiction Writing class with some additional requirements.

Italian Life and Culture Course – 5 credits

Taught by local qualified guest lecturers focusing on historical, political, economic, and cultural aspects of Rome and Italy. Local faculty will assign work and grades for the course.

This is an academic program and students are required to enroll in a full-time course load (15 credits). Failure to participate in the academic coursework may result in dismissal from the program. Students are encouraged to make the most of their classroom learning as it will enhance understanding of all the local area has to offer.

Included in the program students will have:

Reserved entrances to the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and Colosseum, and the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with a professional, English-speaking guide.
Half-day excursion to Tivoli including round-trip private transportation, entrance to Hadrian’s Villa and the services of a professional, English-speaking guide.
Program of free and subsidized cultural activities including activities such as walking tours, opera tickets, a sporting event, museum visits, and cooking and wine appreciation classes.

Optional three-day, two-night excursion to Sorrento and Pompeii for an extra cost including:

Round-trip transportation by train or private bus, two nights’ accommodation in multi-bedded rooms in a centrally-located hotel on a bed and breakfast basis, entrance to Pompeii with a professional, English-speaking guide, plus a day excursion to Capri. This excursion is available for a supplemental fee of $625 based on a minimum of 15 paying participants.

Independent Travel

You are free to use your weekends to explore new neighborhoods in Rome, or take short train trips to other cities in Italy. Or you may even choose to leave the country and travel to Europe’s great cities including London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Paris.

Program fee: $7,225

Included

Accommodation in a shared, self-catered apartment (centrally located) with wireless internet
24-hour on-call service in Rome for duration of program
Pre-departure orientation and onsite orientation
Travel Pass for unlimited travel on buses, trains, and metro in central Rome for 1 month
Welcome meal and local walking tour
Comprehensive Health Insurance
A dedicated AIFS Program Coordinator to ensure smooth program experience
Free internet access and printing facilities in AIFS Student Center
Reserved entrances to the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and Colosseum, and the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with a professional, English-speaking guide.
Half-day excursion to Tivoli including round-trip private transportation, entrance to Hadrian’s Villa and the services of a professional, English-speaking guide.
Program of free and subsidized cultural activities including activities such as walking tours, opera tickets, a sporting event, museum visits, and cooking and wine appreciation classes.

Not Included

Round-trip airfare and in-country transfers
College tuition & fees for 15 credits
Course books/materials
Passport & visa fees, if applicable
Meals not mentioned above
Personal expenses
Additional excursions and fieldtrips to those listed
Anything not specified as included in the program
Optional personal effects coverage and medical insurance upgrade

Scholarships

Rome participants are all eligible for one of three $1,000 WCCCSA/AIFS scholarships. Applications are due on or before Friday, January 31, 2025.

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ROME, ITALY

SPRING QUARTER 2025

Program fee: $7,225

Become a student.Take the next step.

ROME, ITALY

SPRING QUARTER 2025

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

DATES, DEADLINES AND APPLICATION

COURSES AND FACULTY

EXCURSIONS/ACTIVITIES

COSTS AND FUNDING

Program fee: $7,225

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