CURRICULUM

Courses offered by the program will be limited in size and taught by Italian faculty members. In addition to these courses, students with adequate Italian (demonstrated by the exam following the intensive language course in September or January) will have access to a range of courses in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences at the Università di Bologna. All program courses are taught in Italian.

Lecce Session (August)

Italian Language and Culture—A three-week intensive review of grammar and an introduction to contemporary Italy. This 1/2 credit course is graded on a pass/fail basis and is considered summer study credit only; it is not considered to make up part of the 4.0 credits students will take in the fall semester. Required of students with less then four semesters of college-level Italian. Optional for all others.

Fall Semester in Bologna

During the fall, opportunities for taking courses at the Università di Bologna are available for qualified students. Typical program courses offered are:

Intensive Practice in Italian—A three-week language course offered in Bologna, prior to the beginning of the regular fall semester program, emphasizing communication skills, grammar, reading, and writing. This 1/2 credit course is graded pass/fail. It is intended to prepare students for work in consortium courses or those at the Università di Bologna. Required for all program participants. All other subsequent courses award quality grades to the student.

Writing Workshop—A 1/2 credit workshop designed to support student writing in the program courses as well as courses taken at the Università di Bologna. This course is mandatory.

Sample E.C.CO. courses (all 1.0 credit courses)

Theater and Visual Arts—Resources in Bologna and nearby cities provide the basis for an understanding of the role of theater and opera in Italy.

History of Italian Middle Ages and Renaissance—A course taking advantage of the extraordinary opportunities offered by regional resources, and allowing students an opportunity for the analysis of both events and social realities in the dramatic and checkered history of this part of Europe.

Art and Architecture in the Middle Ages and Renaissance—with special emphasis on local Bolognese and Florentine art. Past field trips have included Assisi, Florence, Venice, Padua, and Ravenna.

Modern Italian Narrative—A thematic course investigating a body of contemporary Italian writing in accordance with the special interests of the instructor.

Italian Cultural History Since the Unification—A course that explores various themes in Italian social and cultural history since Unification in 1860.

Spring Semester in Bologna

During the spring, more opportunities for taking courses at the Università di Bologna are available. Typical program courses offered in addition would be:

Intensive Practice in Italian—A three-week intensive language course offered in Bologna, prior to the beginning of the regular spring semester program, emphasizing communication skills, grammar, reading, and writing. This 1/2 credit course is graded on a pass/fail basis. It is intended to prepare students for work in consortium courses or those at the Università di Bologna. Required for all spring semester only participants. Accommodations can be made for year-long students. All other and subsequent courses award quality grades (i.e., A–F) to students.

Writing Workshop—A 1/2 credit workshop designed to support students’ writing in the program courses as well as in courses taken at the Università di Bologna. This course is mandatory.

Government and Politics in Modern Italy—An exploration of the dynamics of the 20th century and their impact on the political and social structures of Italy, with special emphasis on the rise of fascism and the post-World War II era.

Women in Italian Life—An interdisciplinary course exploring gender relations in Italy from various theoretical and disciplinary perspectives.

Art and Architecture in Modern Italy—A course using resources available in Bologna and throughout central and northern Italy.

Italian History after Unification—Topics covered include the formation of the modern Italian state (the Risorgimento), the rise of fascism, and Italy’s role in the post-World War II rebuilding of Europe and within the European Community.

Great Italian Writers—A monographic course focusing on the work of a single writer, chosen according to the interest of the instructor.

CREDIT

Each semester, students can expect to receive:
•           1/2 credit for the Italian language course (pass/fail);
•           1/2 credit for the Italian language writing workshop (quality grade);
•           1 credit (3 3/4 semester credits) for each program course or supplementary course at the Università di Bologna. In some cases, university courses earn 2 credits. All these courses award quality grades to students. Each will carry the same number of contact hours as a course at any of the sponsoring institutions (1/4 of the normal full-time course load). Students who join the program for the intensive Italian language course in August will receive an additional 1/2 pass/fail credit.