Rome: Course Details
An Immersion in Roman Life & Culture
Rome students choose one course from each category: Roman Life and Culture, Italian Language Study, and Humanities.
Roman Life & Culture
Students choose one Roman Life & Culture course offering: Ancient Roman Civilization or Renaissance Rome. Classes meet each morning from 8:30 to lunch and include lecture and site visits. Courses span Rome's history and take fullest advantage of the program's location. All courses include special access to sites and projects that are normally closed to the general public. The city of Rome is your classroom in this tailored and unique program.
Ancient Rome: Archaeology and Civic Life (CRN: 10412)
The main objective of this course is to introduce students to the high point of Roman civilization, the Early Imperial Era, from which remains rich literary and archaeological evidence. Students will investigate the Romans through daily visits to archaeological sites throughout the modern city of Rome, as well as through museum visits and readings in the relevant literature.
The Romans ruled an empire that stretched from Spain and Morocco in the west to Iraq in the east, from England in the north to Egypt and Arabia in the south. The city of Rome was the political, economic, and cultural center of this empire, and, together with ancient Greece, became the father of our Western culture, as evidenced in our art, architecture, literature, engineering, law and government. We will be studying the early Imperial era (ca. 40 BC " AD 140) of this ancient civilization, when the Roman Empire was at its largest extent. We will be investigating both political and historical trends, as well as the art, architecture, and literature of the Romans. This course will enable a student to move into a college-level Roman Civilization, Roman Art and Archaeology, or Roman Religion class with a basic understanding of important historical movements and figures, cultural practices, and archaeological terminology.
This course aims:
- to provide students with a general knowledge of the topography of ancient Rome and the southern Italian plain as well as the most significant monuments and artifacts of the period in question.
- through investigation of these materials in their original contexts, as well as through lectures on social history, to help students achieve a better understanding of the daily lives of the Romans.
- to develop in students a recognition and appreciation of the cultural heritage that the Romans have passed down to us.
Secrets and Symbols of Roman Art and Architecture: Renaissance and Baroque (CRN: 10413)
This course will provide an in-depth, insider investigation of the architectural and artistic wonders of the city of Rome, from the Renaissance through the Baroque. This course will bring students behind the scenes to explore the secrets and symbols of the hidden city. While the course will cover the major items of art historical interest, from the Caravaggio’s paintings to the Sistine Chapel, what sets this course apart its focus on the important but little-seen jewels of the Eternal City. The result is an insider’s study of the art and architecture of what is arguably the most important city in the history of the civilized world.
Language Study
Students enroll in Beginning Italian (CRN: 10379 or 10433)
To really experience Italy one must feel the color and rhythm of the Italian language. This course aims to help students experience the Italian language in everyday contexts, so that they may use it in their wanderings around Rome. In the classroom, students will learn by doing, and they will be involved in all sorts of team projects, musical games, and creative thinking activities. Students will also study cultural topics, which will enable them to better understand Rome and Italy.
Humanities Course Options
Students choose one afternoon Humanities class from the following:
Italian Film: Art and History (CRN: 10414)
Some of the greatest films ever made come from Italy. In the second half of the last century, there developed in Italy a film culture of remarkable power and richness.
A study of the great films from this time, from The Bicycle Thief to La Dolce Vita to The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly to Life is Beautiful, provides a window into Italian history and culture. These are wonderful films--- moving, exciting, often funny, astute in their insights into human nature and into the world in which they were made.
After allowing yourself to live in a movie, it’s worthwhile to try to understand what makes that movie work. So we will learn about the craft of filmmaking. And we will explore the myth of Italy with a look at how foreigners have imagined the country, with clips from several non-Italian films.
When you leave this class you will know much about modern Italian history.You will be able to understand how a film works and be able to analyze and interpret what the impact of the film was when it was first made, and what it says to us today. You will have experienced some of the best films ever made and be able to judge and understand contemporary films with a sense of history and what came before. And you will be well prepared for any film studies course or Italian history course you might encounter.
Digital Photography (CRN: 10415)
Students will learn the art of photography while documenting the Eternal City's urban landscape. The technical component of the course consists of mastering camera operation, exposure and digital input and output. Students will gain an understanding of the aesthetic possibilities of photography through assignments, lectures on important photographers, photo field trips in Rome and visits to contemporary photo exhibits. By the conclusion of the course, students will have produced a visual diary of their Roman experience. Students are required to supply their own digital camera.
Creative Writing (CRN: 10417)
This course aims to allow students to explore and strengthen their creative voice. Students will work with and from the different genres of literature, learning to draw inspiration from others’ writing and to muster the necessary patience and dedication to perfect their own. Students will work both in the classroom and outdoors, where they will be able to explore the stimuli generated by the magical combination of ruins, rubble and modernity offered by the eternal city. At the end of the course, the students’ work will be collected in individual portfolios which will hopefully constitute the initial pages of their literary adventure.
Field Trips
Weekend excursions to the Sorrentine Coast, Tuscany, and Umbria allow students to experience the great diversity of landscapes that make up the Italian boot. Program staff members accompany the field trips and supervise students at the off-campus sites.
Daily Schedule
8:30am -12:30pm Roman Life & Culture
12:30-1:15pm Lunch
1:15-2:45pm Italian language courses
2:45-3:00pm Break
3:00-5:00pm Humanities courses
5:00-5:30pm Break
5:30-6:30pm Dinner
6:30-7:30pm Study hall
7:30-9:00pm Evening cultural activities
11:00pm Curfew