Rome, Italy
History, Classics, and World Religions
September 8 – November 1
2008
Fall Term in Rome, sponsored by the Department of Classics and World Religions, is designed to introduce students to modern Rome as they explore the city’s past. Students live together in a quiet residential area of the city, eating often together in local restaurants with the program directors. They take three courses focused on ancient and medieval Rome, in addition to an Italian language course throughout the entire eight weeks. The Rome courses are taught by OU faculty; the Italian course is taught by faculty from Italia Idea, a well-known language institute in Rome (www.italiaidea.com). Enrollment in the program is limited to 20 students.
Purpose:
Fall Term in Rome 2007 has four objectives: 1) to immerse students in a foreign culture, 2) to introduce them to new methodologies for looking at other cultures, 3) to develop their language skills, and 4) to create a learning community of students taking the same coherent program of courses.
Location:
Rome itself is the focus of the three consecutive courses. Every day combines knowledge from reading and lectures with first-hand experience of the city. Students visit sites and museums, complete projects in the field, and travel to sites such as Ostia and Pompeii. During the first three weeks they study the archaeology and topography of Rome, learning how to make sense of the ruins of the ancient city. The second, two-week course focuses on religious monuments and artifacts and their role in Roman social life, from the most ancient religions down to the origins of Christianity. In the final two-week course they examine how the Roman Catholic Church shaped the city we see today by investigating dozens of the earliest and most remarkable churches, as well as discovering the papacy’s hand in urban infrastructure (e.g. Rome’s famous aqueducts and fountains) and the city’s great walls.
Students are given monthly passes to the buses, trams and subways; course projects encourage them to use public transport to explore different parts of the city. At the same time, they study the Italian language in the ideal language workshop.
Lodging and Meals:
All students will reside in Villa Maria (www.villamaria.pcn.net), ideally located in a quiet area of the city, close to affordable pizzerias, delis, and restaurants, as well as groceries and pharmacies. The hotel provides breakfast. Most students live in suites for seven, two or three to a room and two bathrooms to share, with television and small refrigerator in each room. In the first three weeks, students and directors dine together five nights a week,three of those multi-course meals in a typical Roman restaurant, the others in pizzerias. For the remainder of the program, there will be three of these meals a week, plus informal group meals paid for individually. The program directors will help students to find shops and restaurants to accommodate various tastes and budgets for remaining meals.
Faculty:
All of the faculty combine professional and practical experience with Rome. They all have lived and worked for months at a time in the same neighborhood where the students will reside.
Dr. Jaclyn Maxwell (Ph.D. Princeton University, Associate Professor of History and Classics & World Religions) is co-director of the program. She teaches the second segment on Roman Religion and is resident in Rome throughout the program, always available to students by cell phone. Her first book, published in 2006 by Cambridge University Press, was on religion and urban culture. maxwelj1@ohio.edu
Dr. Kevin Uhalde (Ph.D. Princeton University, Associate Professor of History), is co-director of the program and teaches the final segment on the Catholic church and the city. He teaches and publishes research on medieval Christian history, including a book published by University of Pennsylvania Press(2007). He’ll be resident in Rome throughout the program, always available to students by cell phone. uhalde@ohio.edu
Dr. Lynne Lancaster (D.Phil. Oxford University, Associate Professor of Classics & World Religions) will teach the first segment on Roman Archeology. She’s published extensively on architecture and building techniques in the ancient world, especially Rome, including her book, Concrete Vaulted Construction: Innovations in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2005). She’s taught in Fall Term in Rome twice before. lancaste@ohio.edu
Eligibility and Application Process:
Fall Term in Rome is acompetitive academic program open to all Ohio Universitystudents with a GPA of 3.00 or higher. The deadline for applications is Friday February 15, 2008.Students will be notified of the decisions of the selection committee on March1 (up to 20 students chosen plus a ranked waiting list) and a non-refundabledeposit of $300 will be due on March 15 to guarantee a place. Participants willbe required to have passports and air tickets in hand by May 1.
Applications will be available starting in September 2007 atthe Office of Education (107 Gordy Hall)and at the Department of Classics and World Religions (210 Ellis Hall).
Courses:
- CLAR 352X Ancient Rome: Development of a City – 4 credits (Dr.Lancaster)
- CLAS 354 Roman Religion & Society – 4credits (Dr. Maxwell)
- HIST 453E Rome:Power & Piety – 4 credits (for Seniors: this is Tier III Equivalent; Dr. Uhalde)
- ITAL 111X or 211X Elementary (or Intermediate)Italian – 4 credits (ItaliaIdea staff)
Note: No prerequisites will berequired of students participating in the program.
Cost*
Billed by Ohio University
- Tuition: one quarter of OU tuition
- Administrative fee: $150
- Program fee: $4900
Out-of-pocket expenses
- Passport and Photos: $110
- Round-trip airfare: $950
- Meals: $800
- Textbooks and supplies: $150
- Incidentals: $600
Financial aid may be applied to program costs, further information available at Funding for education abroad.
*Cost is subject to change. Please see the program director for up-to-date information.
For more information contact
Dr. Kevin Uhalde
