AUR Summer Schools offer you an educational, social, and cultural experience you’ll never forget. Immerse yourself in engaging classroom discussions, intensive language study, and in-depth courses with professors and students from around the world. Earn credits towards your degree or pursue a personal interest, while exploring the culture, history, and food of Rome through this unique, thought-provoking, international experience.
An introductory course in the history of art. The course focuses on Rome, from its origin to contemporary times. Masterpieces of painting, sculpture, architecture, and urban planning are examined within their historical contexts. Most of the classes are held off-campus. The course hones a method of description, critical analysis, and interpretation of art and builds an understanding of traditional forms and cultural themes useful in the comprehension of all western art.Students are responsible for all entry fees.
Course Code: AH 100 - Download sample syllabus
Covers the art of industrial production in Italy over the last two centuries focusing on furniture, decorative arts, interior design, fashion, textiles and jewelry, household appliance, and automotive design. The role of wider European and American influences in Italian production is examined. Classroom presentations are augmented by special visits to design firms and showrooms in Rome. The goal of the course is to understand the role of artistic expression in industrial production and to develop skills to comprehend the art of everyday objects
Course Code: AH 203 - Download sample syllabus
Explores main ideas behind the sacral space on the example of the sacral architecture of Rome, from the ancient to the postmodern. The course maximizes the opportunity for off-campus teaching in Rome; most classes are held in the real surrounding, which best illustrates particular topics of the course. Students will have the opportunity to learn about different religious traditions, various religious ideas, and practices (including the ancient Roman religion, early Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism, as well as the main elements of religion and sacred spaces of ancient Judaism and Islam). Students will have the opportunity to experience a variety of sacred spaces and learn about the broader cultural and historical context in which they appeared. Short study trips outside of Rome may also take place.
Course Code: AHRE 106 - Download sample syllabus
An introductory off-campus course exploring the archaeological sites and ancient monuments of Rome. The course will begin with the evidence for the earliest settlement in Rome and continue through the development of the Republic, the empire, and the transition to early Christian Rome. The course will focus on placing the archaeological and architectural evidence in its topographical context. Students are responsible for all entry fees.
Course Code: ARC 101 - Download sample syllabus
This practicum course allows students to experience archaeological research, survey, and excavation firsthand and to receive credit for it. Instructor consent required.
Course Code: ARC 293 - Download sample syllabus
Offers an overview of the history of the Early Church from 100-425 AD, focusing on the confrontation of Christianity with Roman life and thought. It will examine that relationship both from the early Christian and early Roman perspectives. Field trips to historical sites and museums in Rome will be used to reanimate ancient Roman history. Pre-requisites - ENG 102. Students are responsible for all entry fees.
Course Code: CLRE 202 - Download sample syllabus
A study of the legends about the origins and history of a people, their deities, ancestors, and heroes. The stories of the gods and legendary heroes of the Greco-Roman tradition have provided the fountainhead for literature and the arts in the service of religious and political imagery down to the present. While the emphasis will be primarily literary, with extensive readings of such writers as Homer and Vergil (noting, in passing, the influence upon later literature). The visual depiction of these myths will also be studied. A field trip to a museum in Rome may be required.
Course Code: CLS 101 - Download sample syllabus
Provides an introduction to the environmental and operational aspects of international business. Topics include international business background, comparative environmental frameworks, theories, and institutions of trade and investment, world financial environment, dynamics of international business, governmental relationships, corporate policy and strategy, functional management, operations, and related concerns. Pre-requisites - Junior or Senior standing or permission of the instructor.
Course Code: BUS 300 - Download sample syllabus
Opens with an overview of the global financial environment, including a history of exchange rate regimes: Gold Standard, Bretton Woods, and the present system of managed and floating exchange rates. Students then analyze the factors affecting the determination of exchange rates. With that knowledge, they turn to an analysis of international foreign currency exposure of multinational businesses and the financial derivatives available to hedge these exposures. Students will explore the role of international institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization, as well as topics related to past and present financial crises, specifically Russia, East Asia, and Latin America. Pre-requisites: ECO 211 and FNC 300.
Course Code: ECFN 306 - Download sample syllabus
Examines the process of envisioning, opening, and growing successful mission-driven ventures. We investigate cases of organizations that foster change through novel solutions and explore the process of launching an enterprise that pursues social metrics in addition to profit and financial sustainability. Using case studies and real-world examples, we investigate strategies behind high-impact, socially-conscious ventures. Students also examine how to employ design thinking and other tools with the potential to alleviate social problems and address some of the world's most pressing needs. Pre-requisites: MGT 311 or introductory course in Entrepreneurship or approval of the instructor.
Course Code: MGT 411 - Download sample syllabus
This course examines an array of organizational communication tools, including marketing communication, advertising, public relations, and managerial communication, as they are practiced in Italy and the United States. Students will explore these practices and examine how cultural differences affect marketing and organizational communication and will apply their increased understanding and honed skills to a final project designed for a “real-life” client. The course includes lectures, discussions, guest speakers, and field trips. Pre-requisites - MKT 200 or ECO 208. Students will pay a fee to cover the cost of the mandatory field-study trip.
Course Code: MKT 303 - Download sample syllabus
Examines sportswriting in its various professional forms and will instruct students in approaches to writing about sport for publication. The course develops the skills needed to be a sportswriter: event reporting, feature writing, opinion articles/blogs, interviewing, editing, and researching. Students will visit sporting events and venues in Rome, as well as read and analyze the literature of sportswriting. We examine the changing world of sports journalism, the rise of social media in sports, the issues around fake news, and the ethics of sportswriting. Pre-requisites - ENG 202 or permission of the instructor.
Course Code: COM 323 - Download sample syllabus
Analyzes and applies principles of speech structures to oral presentation. Students learn to analyze audiences, adapt messages, apply critical listening skills and practice ethical decisions in preparing public speaking. Emphasis is placed on building a positive speech environment and practicing speech presentations.
Course Code: COM 203 - Download sample syllabus
This course provides hands-on skills for future music managers, concert and festival promoters, and tour managers. Moreover, the course explores the process of signing artists, planning, budgeting, booking, and advancing concerts, festivals, and tours with a focus on pre-production, logistics, production, promotion, and consumption, highlighting the impact of converged technology on the industry and professional practice. Finally, issues of copyright and security will also be assessed. Pre-requisites: ECO 208 or MGT 201 or permission of the instructor. Students are responsible for all entry fees
Course Code: COM 314 - Download sample syllabus
Students will engage weekly with the city (on-site) to understand the complexities of composition, exposure, aperture, speed, and light to realize and capture the beauty of this monumental city fully. Students will learn to shoot using a variety of techniques and lenses to understand their inherent pros and cons in Rome while also learning the fundamentals of the exposure triangle, composition, and post-production to produce aesthetically pleasing photographs of Rome. Photographs will be presented (online) locally and internationally.
Bring Your Own Camera. If you want to have the ability to control all the aspects of photography, a DSLR camera is highly recommended, or a mirrorless camera.
Course fee Euro 75.
Course Code: DM 104 - Download sample syllabus
Instructs students in the mechanics of travel writing, from research, interviewing techniques, and pitching editors to crafting essays and articles for newspapers, magazines, books, and the internet. Pre-requisites: ENG 202 or equivalent.
Course Code: ENG 322 - Download sample syllabus
Will teach the fundamentals of fiction filmmaking to students with little to no experience. Students will learn to create film story ideas, plan them for shooting, operate video cameras for shooting, as well as basic video editing for post-production. Specific topics include: understanding the formal foundations of cinematic storytelling, basic technical skills and concepts of video camera and lens operations, scene pre-visualization using blocking and shooting diagrams, the basic skills of shooting on location, as well as the basic techniques of film editing. The class consists of a mixture of lectures and analysis workshops, as well as hands-on shooting and editing exercises. This course is only open to non-FLM majors. Course fee Euro 75.
Course Code: FLM 150 - Download sample syllabus
An introductory course in drawing. Off-campus classes will provide landscape views, architectural forms, paintings, and three-dimensional sculpture as subject matter, using pencil, pen, charcoal, and sanguigna (red chalk) as drawing techniques. The course includes individual drawing projects and a written component related to the experience of sketching on location. The aim is to develop confidence and visual awareness in creating representations of the vast selection of art that the city of Rome has to offer.Students are required to purchase their own materials and are responsible for all entry fees
Course Code: ART 101 - Download sample syllabus
Introduces students to the techniques of painting in water-based and /or oil-based colors. The complexity of the artist’s craft will be introduced through a series of gradually scaled exercises; for example, students will learn how to make preparatory drawings for transfer to the canvas. Other projects include an introduction to imprimaturas, the function of grisaille, and the skill of working with glazes. The course culminates in participation in a public exhibition of student work. Pre-requisites - ART 101 or ART 102 or permission of the instructor. Course fee (includes materials) Euro 75. Students are also responsible for all entry fees.
Course Code: ART 115 - Download sample syllabus
This course traces the history of “art as a healing agent,” introducing the key concepts of art therapy and defining its field of action. The historical debate about “process” (art as therapy) versus “product” (art in therapy) in the evolution of this practice will be discussed. A brief theoretical introduction will be followed by experiential and practical work. This course is recommended for students who want to experiment with art as a powerful tool for self-knowledge and personal growth and for students who want to explore the possibilities of art therapy as a profession. Course fee (includes materials) Euro 75. Students are also responsible for all entry fees.
Course Code: FAPS 210 - Download sample syllabus
Will provide detailed knowledge of how Fascism transformed Rome. Grounding students in the history, architecture, and politics of this dramatic period of urban change and expansion, this study of the capital under Mussolini will be contextualized within a broad analysis of Italy during the Fascist regime. This series of 13 x 3hr classes will consist of a majority of site visits, plus lectures and class discussion, and structured group break-out work. Groups will then report back to the class, and all participants will be encouraged to venture opinions. Teaching will also include the use of video material. Pre-requisites - ENG102, Junior standing or permission of the instructor.
Course Code: HSSO 312 - Download sample syllabus
An introductory course for all majors; it provides substantive knowledge about the history of Italy from the Napoleonic period to the present day. The study concentrates on the centuries of political fragmentation and the efforts to develop an effective political system. In this respect, the course offers insights for the comparative study of different ‘paths to modernity' in Western Europe.
Course Code: HST 200 - Download sample syllabus
Examines a number of interesting issues for its history, geography, culture, religion, economy and politics. The field study trip to Cyprus is used in order to apply the IR theories learned in class to this relevant case study and illustrate the practice of many IR issues (e.g., the politics of contested borders; EU-Turkish negotiations; religion and politics; democracy; energy politics; internal national conflict/separatism; the political impact of the EU’s response to the Great Recession; and human rights). The course integrates classroom learning with seminars from distinguished lecturers, cultural experiences, and informal encounters. The field trip will rely on local contacts (e.g., politicians, journalists, diplomats, members of the academia and of think tanks, NGOs, and IGOs), which will be asked to brief us on the political and geopolitical relevance of the Cyprus issue nationally and internationally.
Pre-requisites - Intermediate level POL or IA (200 level)/ European history course / or permission by the instructor.
Students will pay a fee to cover the cost of the field-study trip.
Course Code: IA 364 - Download sample syllabus
Gives students the opportunity to actively explore the multiple dimensions of the City of Rome systematically and on the basis of a theoretical framework of urbanism, cultural studies, and social theory. The students will examine how the city impacts its citizens, its businesses, and social organizations.
Course Code: SOC 120 - Download sample syllabus
This course will focus on the social and cultural aspects of food and eating in different geographical areas with a special emphasis on Italy and its history. The course will be taught through a variety of readings, class discussions, and presentations, and there will also be some practical experiences. Please note that this is not a cooking course. Pre-requisites - ENG 102. Conducted in English.
Course Code: IS 212 - Download sample syllabus
Examines the history of Italy’s fashion industry in order to understand how it gained strength and importance in Italian culture. The course will analyze how fashion has been effective historically as a communication system that has represented the development of Italian national identity and in turn has had a considerable impact on Italian society and culture. Interdisciplinary in nature, the course makes use of novels, periodicals, and films from the late 19th century post-unification period to the present and will highlight the close connection between the massive presence of art in Italy and its influence on the development of a collective sense of aesthetics that finds confirmation in fashion. The course will also address contemporary issues relating to the fashion industry, such as black market fashion production and the search for humanitarian and ethically responsible fashion practices. Pre-requisites - ENG 102.
Course Code: IS 214 - Download sample syllabus
Explores representations of the Italian Mafia in literature and cinema, with reference also to the Italian-American context. Students will be introduced to the history of the Mafia, starting from its beginnings in Sicily, and follow its historical and geographical evolution within and also outside Italy. The course will make reference to Italian literary texts as well as Italian and Italian-American cinematic representations of the phenomenon. Pre-requisites - ENG 102. Conducted in English.
Course Code: IS 301 - Download sample syllabus
For those with no previous training in Italian, the course introduces features of the Italian language needed for interaction in everyday practical situations, such as the caffè, restaurants, accommodation, and in shops. The course satisfies a limited number of immediate needs necessary for survival in the target language culture. Cultural topics, such as religion in Italy, Italian geography, and Italian families, will also be studied through readings in English in order to familiarize the student with certain aspects of contemporary Italian society and culture.No placement examination. This course does not constitute a pre-requisites for ITL 102. This course can not be taken simultaneously with or after the successful completion of ITL 101.
Course Code: ITL 100 - Download sample syllabus
Establishes an introductory base in the Italian language in the four areas of language skills: listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. At the successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate proficiency in everyday spoken Italian by performing the following functions: greet people and introduce themselves, give and follow simple directions, respond to and ask questions, describe their families and friends, order items in a café, discuss their life at school and hobbies, express likes and dislikes, and recount recent past actions. Students will be able to read simple written texts in Italian and write short paragraphs on familiar topics. Students will also have gained specific knowledge about contemporary Italy through cultural readings on topics such as family life, pastimes, and food and wine culture. No placement examination. Required for AUR degree students.
Course Code: ITL 101 - Download sample syllabus
Introduces the physical elements and processes responsible for weather and climate, vegetation, soils, plate tectonics, landforms, their distributions, and their significance to humans. This special session of Physical Geography examines these processes as they are expressed in the context of the Italian Peninsula and larger Mediterranean region.
Course Code: ENV 102 - Download sample syllabus