Italy
Rome, Siena, Florence & Cinque Terre, Italy

May 6 - 28, 2012

Total Program Fee:  $4,990


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View photos of Italy taken by past TnCIS students on YouTube

Academics and Courses    Application, Cost and Important Details

Program Location:

All roads lead to Rome which is where the program starts. Rome, the eternal city, has an ambiance like no other. Here the ancient world is integrated with the modern. Rome means history. Bernini fountains, baroque basilicas, Michelangelo frescos, and street markets are found in the same city with chic designer stores, terrific restaurants, and a contemporary mass transit system. After Rome the program continues to the Tuscany region which is distinguished by rolling hills, snowcapped mountains, and dramatic cypress trees, providing gorgeous views at practically every turn. The region is known for art, architecture, wine, cheese, and olive oil. In Tuscany we will stay at the rival cities of Siena and Florence. One of Italy's best preserved medieval towns, Siena was built on three hills and is surrounded by well preserved city walls and filled with fine examples of Gothic and early Renaissance architecture. Next we travel to Florence, home of the Renaissance and birthplace of the modern urban lifestyle. Many consider Florence Europe’s cultural capital. The program will finish in Cinque Terre, five villages undisturbed by traffic or modern development, clinging to a stretch of the Riviera coastline. The villages are linked by a milk-run train, a ferry, and a fantastic trail which draws hikers from all over the world.

Program Description:

Heart of the Roman Empire, birthplace of the renaissance, and Roman Catholic Church; Italy, offers the perfect setting for the study of many academic disciplines. The legacy of art and architecture extends through every era from ancient to the most contemporary. Italy offers an excellent opportunity for students to experience the development of the western art, civilization, society, and culture. Courses offered will incorporate the Italian people, varied land and seascapes, history, art, and culture to provide students a unique and exciting study abroad experience.

Please note: Prospective students should be aware that study abroad programs require a great deal of walking. You should be prepared to walk at least a mile or two each day. You may also walk over uneven, possibly slippery or rocky terrain even in cities. Photography students must also be able to carry the additional weight of the equipment requirements for the class.

Excursions: There will be multiple excursions including visits to the Forum, Coliseum, Vatican, Duomo, El Campo, a winery, San Gimigano tour, the markets, the Pantheon, Rome at night walking tour, the Academia (home of Michelangelo’s David), hike of the Cinque Terre Trails, and more.

Classes: Class meeting times will average 3 hours daily. Class schedules may vary depending on the daily activities for each class. In addition to traditional classroom time all courses require class excursions.

Accommodations: Students will stay in budget hotels in Siena, Rome, and Florence in rooms holding up to five people. The hotel in Rome has an 11:00 pm curfew. In Cinque Terre students will stay in a youth hostel holding up to nine people. A light breakfast and one other meal will be provided daily.  Students are also responsible for the purchase of their own snacks and drinks.

Academics:

All TnCIS programs are academic in nature and course work that takes advantage of the program location will be the central focus. TnCIS program courses are for credit only. In Italy, students will enroll in ONE of the following courses:

ECONOMICS: Macroeconomics (Corequisites: College-level Math)
Economics is all about the quality of life. Students in this class will explore the difference of life in the U.S. and in Italy. While applying basic economic concepts students will examine how history, culture, ethnicity, the media, and religion influence the standard of living in a country. ECN 2010 can be used as a social science elective for most majors. On the excursions students will learn first-hand what inspires people, the challenges they face, and what gets the way of obtaining individual and national goals.
Planned site visits include:
A 600 year old vineyard and winery that began exporting to England in the 1600s
The oldest bank in Europe that has been in business over 500 years
A leather factory in Florence
The Commercial Service Department of the US Embassy in Rome- This department assists US and Italian companies with international trade
And more… 
See course syllabus 

ART: Survey of Art History II (No Prerequisite)
Major movements in Western art, with emphasis on Europe from the 14th through the 17th century. The course provides an overview of the predominant artists, aesthetic intent, and techniques encountered in the Late Gothic (Proto-Renaissance), Early and High Renaissance, Mannerism, and the Baroque periods.

A majority of content that this course entails is centered on Italian Art and the Renaissance. This is an extraordinary opportunity and privilege to be face to face with some of the most famous groundbreaking art achievements of all time. Every effort will be made to directly incorporate the city of Rome, Siena, and Florence and its abundance of architecture, art, museums, and cathedrals with course content.  See course syllabus

PHOTOGRAPHY: Photography I (No Prerequisites)
An introductory course in the study of photography with emphasis on the digital single lens reflex (D-SLR) camera. Exposure, metering, focus, depth of field, lenses, basic lighting, design elements and composition are explored. Basic principles of digital photographic capture are discussed. Students are responsible for providing a digital single lens reflex (D-SLR) camera. This course will be taught using central Italy’s landscape, people and historic architecture as subject matter for this introductory photo course. See course syllabus

PHOTOGRAPHY: Nature and Travel Photography (Prerequisites: 6 credits of PHO courses or equivalent)
This course is a study of basic location photography: nature, urban and rural. The emphasis is placed upon on-site photography, coping with changing lighting and weather conditions, equipment and material selection, and documentation. The course will use the Italian cities and countryside as backdrop for an in depth exploration of the fields of professional location, nature and travel photography. See course syllabus

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