Saint Mary's College in Rome:

Since 1970, when Saint Mary's College opened a campus in the center of historic Rome, hundreds of students have had the opportunity to experience another culture in this unique city, either for the academic year, or for one semester. This memorable, life-changing experience makes a significant and lasting impact on students' intellectual, spiritual, and personal growth. Participants bring back not only a breadth of knowledge and an appreciation for other people and cultures, but also a greater sense of self-confidence, maturity, responsibility, and tolerance for others and other points of view.

With its 3,000 years of layered history and its 2,000 years as the center of Christendom, Rome provides a most special and stimulating educational environment. It holds unparalleled treasures of ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque art. The facets of Rome are endlessly varied: the Roman Forum set against the background of the Colosseum, Saint Peter's Square viewed from Via della Conciliazione, the Sistine Chapel in the morning, Piazza Navona in the bright sunlight, and the domes and spires of four hundred churches spread below the Terrace of the Pincio.

It is no wonder, then, that, for over thirty years, returnees have unfailingly stated that there is no place like Rome.

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Travel and Orientation:

Students fly to Rome in September as a group, and are taken to Assisi for a five-day orientation session. Assisi, the birthplace of Saint Francis, is a picturesque and tranquil town and a most appropriate intermediary stop before going to Rome. In this relaxed and stress-free environment, students get to know one another better, get to experience Italian life, are introduced to Italian culture, and visit local sights.

During both semesters, students continue to experience Italian culture though a series of lectures and tours, including a five-day trip to southern Italy (Naples, Cuma, Pompei, Paestum, and Capri) in the fall, and a five-day tour to northern Italy (Ferrara, Ravenna, Mantua, Parma, and Bologna) in the spring.

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Calendar:

The academic year is divided into two semesters: the first starts shortly after the middle of September and continues until a few days before Christmas; the second begins in the middle of January and continues until early May. Students leave the United States for Rome as a group, but return on an individual basis. Thus, students are free to choose between further travel during the summer or immediate return after final examinations.

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Facilities:

The Rome Program is headquartered at the family-owned and operated Hotel Tiziano, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 110, 00186 Rome, Italy. The Hotel Tiziano, where students are lodged, and where they take their main meal of the day, is an historically noteworthy edifice located in the heart of old Rome, on the traditional route that runs from the Campidoglio and Saint Peter's, and has been the home of the Rome Program since its founding. Every room has its own bathroom and shower and is equipped with a study desk and limited storage space for clothing. Students are provided weekly with blankets, sheets, pillowcases and towels.

Classrooms, faculty offices, a chapel, and a twelve-thousand-volume library are located in nearby and adjacent buildings situated close to the Hotel Tiziano in the central Largo Argentina, within walking distance of the Pantheon, the Forum, Saint Peter's, the Tiber River, Piazza Navona, and the Trevi Fountain.

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Eligibility:

The Rome Program is open to undergraduates from all accredited institutions. Eligibility is based on academic record, personal recommendations, and the assurance of readiness for living and studying overseas.

To be eligible for consideration, the student must have satisfactorily completed a year of college-level introductory Italian or its equivalent and must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on the 4.0 system.

Students from instituations other than Saint Mary's College are encouraged to apply, even if they have not taken Italian either because their institution does not offer it or because they were not aware of this requirement.

Participants must be in good health as attested by a doctor.

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Curriculum:

Designed primarily for sophomores, the Rome Program meets the traditional requirements for the humanities, the arts, and the social sciences. Juniors and seniors who can adapt the program to their own academic sequence may also participate. Since, with some exceptions, a major is not declared until the junior year, sophomores with a variety of academic interests enroll in the Rome Program. For some, the primary objective is a broad orientation in the humanities; for others it is competence in Italian.

The Rome Program offers courses in the core curriculum including Italian art history, classical archaeology, monument drawing, history of music, mythology, literature, history, international business, journalism, political science, philosophy, and Italian language and literature. All students are required to take an Italian language course and are encouraged to take elective courses in Italian literature and the sociological and historical developments of modern Rome.

Credits are earned through Saint Mary's College. The academic regulations are the same as those on the home campus. Saint Mary's College reserves the right to modify or cancel any aspect of the program should conditions warrant it.

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Expenses:

Basic costs are kept to a minimum. Fees cover tuition, room, the main meal five days a week, breakfast and a light lunch at a local cafe five days a week, the long weekend tours to southern Italy in the fall and to northern Italy in the spring, as well as one-day bus tours, and museum entrance fees for on-site-class lectures. It does not cover other travel, registration, passport fees, round-trip airfare, required health and accident insurance, books, expenditures of a personal nature, or weekend meals. After acceptance, or upon request, students receive a fee-structure sheet listing the payment schedule. In the past, most students have spent approximately $3,000 for travel and personal expenses.

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Financial Aid:

Participants from Saint Mary's College are eligible for financial assistance. The amount of financial aid received is determined by the usual methods and is applied for through the Office of Financial Aid on the home campus. Participants from other institutions are encouraged to contact their respective student offices for financial assistance in the form of grants and loans. Many federal and state forms of assistance can be transferred to the Rome Program since it is directly affiliated with an institution in the United States. Several positions are available on the Rome campus that offer ten hours of paid service a week.

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Insurance:

Each student accepted into the program is required to have health and accident insurance. Health facilities in the city of Rome are very adequate, and a hospital with an English-speaking staff is available. The director of the Rome Program keeps a list of dentists, physicians, and specialists.

Saint Mary's College exercises every possible care in the arrangements made for its students. The College, however, is not responsible for any loss, damage, or injury to person or property, nor does it accept responsibility in connection with the service of any means of transportation. It is wise to have insurance on personal baggage and possessions.

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Application:

Saint Mary's College students can obtain applications from the Rome Program Office on campus. Students from other institutions may contact the Rome Program Office. Applications, which are handled on a first-come, first-served basis, should be completed preferably by January 1, and no later than April 1, for the fall semester or academic year, and October 15 for the spring semester. A nonrefundable fee of $35 must accompany the application. Four recommendations are required. Students wishing to apply credits toward graduation at institutions other than Saint Mary's College are urged to discuss their program with their academic dean before applying.

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