Summer Study in Italy

Every summer, students can experience Rome and earn course credits in a compressed one-month-long format, gaining all the advantages of the University’s Rome Campus, located in a safe residential neighborhood next to one of the largest parks in Rome, a short twenty-minute walk from Vatican City.

Summer Study in Italy - Rome & Florence
July 6 to August 6, 2022

At Assumption University, students can take advantage of the Rome Campus for an entire semester and also during the summer. Located in an authentic Roman neighborhood next to one of the largest parks in Rome, the campus is within walking distance to Vatican City and close to public transportation. A metropolitan bus/subway pass allows students to quickly and conveniently explore the city.

A Roman chef prepares authentic Italian meals. Housing is in double rooms with private bath. Wifi is available throughout the fully updated building, which includes a state-of-the-art classroom, in-house laundry facilities, and a lounge.

The Summer Semester features a month-long exploration of Rome and central Italy led by Professor of Italian Richard Bonanno, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Chemistry James Hauri, Ph.D., each offering a course that counts in the Core Curriculum. Applications for Summer are due on March 15. The program will be limited to 18 students.

The Summer program includes courses of particular interest to science and education majors and complements any academic program. Students accepted to the Summer Program are required to enroll in one of three courses offered. Books, housing in Villino Dufault, breakfast and dinner, transportation to/from the airport in Rome, a pass for unlimited public transportation (bus/subway) in Rome; a weekend excursion to Florence, and admission to various sites in and around Rome and central Italy are included in tuition. (Round-trip airfare, lunches, and personal expenses are not included in tuition.)

Not an Assumption student? Students from accredited colleges or universities are welcome to apply to study in Rome. However, priority registration is granted to students of Assumption University.

Rome Campus Applications

Questions? Please email Dr. Knowlton or Dr. Bonanno.

Rome Summer Program

Students admitted to Summer Study in Italy will earn six credits, taking two 3-credit courses which will share integrating activities and excursions.

CHE105R: Everyday Chemistry in Rome (Hauri, 3 credits, counts in core curriculum as a science in the Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning section.)
Even though chemistry has a constant and ubiquitous impact on our lives, most people are unable to leverage the science when cooking, buying products, or evaluating environmental/health news. This summer course for non-science majors will emphasize Italian-specific examples to understand how people use chemistry in their everyday lives to produce food, art, and consumer products. We will explore how different cultural norms and European regulations affect such things as the taste of coffee at the local café, the types of sunscreens that you can purchase at the local shops, or the colors available for Renaissance painters. We will also use local trips to study the environmental chemistry underlying climate change, water pollution, and recycling. CHE105R is offered in tandem with CLT295R during Summer Study in Italy 2020 on the Assumption University Rome Campus, and students enrolled in each course will participate in shared activities and excursions designed to foster interdisciplinary dialogue.

CLT 295R Special Topics: Reading the Culture, Ecology and Environment of Italy (Bonanno, 3 credits, counts in the core curriculum Great Conversation section, as a second literature course and toward the Italian Studies Minor or self-declared Major in Italian Studies)
This course introduces students to a broad range of Italian texts dealing with the environment and, more specifically, the ways in which human beings have shaped—and been shaped by—the natural world, in particular within the Italian peninsula. Through the ecocritical lens of Italian authors, filmmakers, and artists, students will explore a number of topics in the social and political sphere, such as immigration, mafia, and racism, with particular focus on their interconnectedness with issues concerning sustainability, environmental policy and activism, and the global climate crisis. All readings offered in English translation. Italian Studies Minors and Majors are encouraged to carry out readings in Italian. CLT 295R is offered in tandem with CHE 105R during Summer Study in Italy 2020 on the Assumption College Rome Campus, and students enrolled in each course will participate in shared co-curricular activities and excursions designed to foster interdisciplinary dialogue.
Included in tuition is an exhilarating three-night group excursion to the Tuscany Region of Italy and the Renaissance city of Florence.

Faculty and students will board a high-speed train at the Rome Termini train station and be whisked through the beautiful Italian countryside en route to Florence. In Florence, students will visit sites such as The Duomo, or the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore; the Galleria dell'Accademia, which hosts the infamous sculpture created by Michelangelo, The David; or ascend the Ponte Vecchio to Pizzale Michelangelo to enjoy a breathtaking view of Florence.

Students will have two free weekends to explore the city or country on their own. Many European cities are easily accessible by short flights from Fiumicino Airport.
Boston to Rome

Prof. of Italian, and Director of the Summer Program, Richard Bonanno, Ph.D., will coordinate with a travel agency to book a group flight from Logan International Airport in Boston to Fiumicino Airport in Rome. Students will travel as a group on the same flight with Prof. James Hauri, Ph.D., meeting the group at Logan. Round-trip airfare must be purchased by students once the flight has been identified.

Airport Transfer to/ from the Rome Campus

Transfer to/from Villino Dufault, the Rome Campus will be provided to those students traveling with the group. Students will return to the airport on their own, with Prof. Hauri accompanying them to the security gate at Fiumicino.

Independent Travel to Rome

Students who wish to travel on their own, may do so, but must plan to arrive on the Rome Campus on the official start date of July 6..
What is included in the $4,750 cost?
- Three credit class
- Accommodations at the Rome Campus
- Daytrips and local excursions.
  - Options include a winery, an olive oil press, and a glacier.
  - One overnight excursion to Florence and Tuscany.
    
    Transportation, meals, and accommodations
- Bus and rail pass for unlimited use throughout Rome
- Breakfasts and dinners served in Villino Dufault and during group excursions.
- Lunches Monday through Thursday
- Transportation to and from Fiumicino International Airport.
- All textbooks

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Summer Study in Italy

Every summer, students can experience Rome and earn course credits in a compressed one-month-long format, gaining all the advantages of the University’s Rome Campus, located in a safe residential neighborhood next to one of the largest parks in Rome, a short twenty-minute walk from Vatican City.