The Eternal City and Sede di Roma
Click the photo for a power point presentation of information.
"At last - for the first time - I live! It beats everything. It leaves the Rome of your fancy - your education - nowhere... I went reeling and moaning through the streets in a fever of enjoyment."
—Henry James on his first visit to Rome
From the medieval cobbled streets to the high fashion designers to the sidewalk cafes, Rome offers something for everyone. While studying in Rome, students might meet friends on the Spanish Steps, throw coins in the Trevi Fountain or shop the Campo de' Fiori, a market abundant in flowers, fish, produce, and centuries of history. A Saturday afternoon might be spent gazing at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, browsing through antique markets full of Etruscan artifacts, or imagining gladiators in the Colosseum. Sunday might mean marvelling at the Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, or a cool evening watching a play in the ruins of an outdoor theater. Or, because the temperature in the Fall wavers between 85 and 50 degrees, students might simply troll the city trying to find the hundreds of fountains that add to the romance of this ancient and cultured capital.
British and American writers share a long and tumultuous history with Rome. Byron stayed and wrote stanzas for Canto IV of “Childe Harold;” Shelley wrote the majority of “Prometheus Bound” and “The Cenci” there and rests in Rome's Protestant cemetery. Americans can follow in the footsteps of a grumpy Mark Twain as he recounts his impressions of the city in Innocents Abroad and revel in Henry James's descriptions in Portrait of a Lady . Joyce began work on Ulysses and finished The Dubliners in the City of Seven Hills and Hawthorne found the idea for The Marble Faun at the Capitoline Museum where Praxiteles's famous statue of a faun caught his fancy. Edith Wharton used Rome as the setting for Roman Fever and Other Stories and contemporary writers like Francine Prose and Muriel Spark discovered the muse in Italy as well.
European artists loved Rome as well. The city has hosted Wagner, Heine, Gogol, Stendahl and Goethe who all famously sipped coffee at the Antico Cafe Greco. Penn State students can study in English and follow in the footsteps of famous visionaries.
The English Department Program:
Sede di Roma is a Penn State location abroad. This eliminates a number of bureaucratic worries for students. First, students are assured that each course will transfer back to the University for credit. They will not have to deal with strikes or academic calendars that do not mesh with Penn State's. The majority of the professors are from the University Park campus, so students do not need to adjust to a new style of learning and grading.
Most students will take 16 credits while abroad equaling five courses. Students have the option of adding world campus courses to their schedule as well. In addition to standard coursework, students will take numerous field trips which are integrated into the program. The Penn State site, Sede di Roma is located in the historic Palazzo Doria Pamphili, located in central Rome. Classrooms and a computer lab are located on site.
The Department offers the program exclusively for the Fall semester. For students in the honors college, this is a particular boon, as they can prepare in the Spring for their senior theses, when they return from Italy. In addition, the program finishes within Penn State's Fall semester calendar, thereby allowing students the opportunity to pursue a semester abroad in the spring as well if they so choose.
Courses:
This program of study encourages students to meld the city of Rome and its rich history into their coursework. Students take two English courses, both of which will be offered at both the 200 and the 400 level. The difference in the level will be reflected in additional projects/papers. The content of these courses changes semesterly, but Rome and its literary legacy will be always at the heart. Advisers in English can discuss the current course offerings with interested parties. English 202, a general education requirement for every student at the University, will be offered on-line, and due to the nature of the course assignments, students will have the chance to interact with the local population through ethnographic research. Italian language courses will also be offered which students might take to fulfill BA requirements. Finally, Professor Romolo Martemucci offers a course on Architecture and Urban Space in Rome where the city is the classroom. This course counts as a general arts requirement on the University audit. For students NOT in the English major, the two English courses (excepting 202) will generally count as general humanities credits.
Housing and Meals:
Students will live in their own apartments near the Sede di Roma site. As with American apartments, students will be responsible for their own meals.
Costs:
Students pay regular Penn State tuition, room and board, and a program fee.
Financial Aid and Scholarships:
Penn State students studying through Education Abroad can use most components of their existing financial aid packages towards the cost of study abroad. This may include federal and state grants, VA educational benefits, federal students loans, and University scholarships and grants. However, work-study awards and most athletic scholarships do not apply. Additionally, students might find support through the English Department, International Programs scholarships and/or their colleges. For student majoring in English, please contact Mark Morrisson, Associate Head of English, for more information.
To Apply:
Applications are available in PDF format. Please deliver the applications to Camille Welsch by either email or drop them off in her mailbox in 112 Burrowes Building.
Department Contacts:
Robert Caserio
165 Burrowes Bldg
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-6409
Camille-Yvette Welsch
159 Burrowes Bldg
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-9588
Photos courtesy of Kristoffer O. Jacobson
