ROME, ITALY · J-Term 2023
Immerse yourself in Rome’s art, history, culture—and food!
January 4 –21, 2023
Two exciting J-term courses in Rome

Here’s your chance to study abroad, earn college credit, and visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum; Catacombs; St. Peter’s, Sistine Chapel, and Vatican Museums; Borghese Gallery, Keats-Shelley Museum, contemporary art museums, and other cultural heritage sites and a day trip to Pompeii.
English and Creative Writing:
TOPICS IN WRITING ABROAD: ROME
Business and Entrepreneurship:
INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT: ROME
Both courses are open to undergraduate and graduate students from any major.
UPCOMING INFORMATION SESSIONS ON ZOOM
Thursday, July 21, 12:00 noon
Zoom Meeting Link: https://colum.zoom.us/j/98613414812
Thursday, July 21, 5:00 pm
Zoom Meeting Link: https://colum.zoom.us/j/97444514172
More sessions to come in August and September.
ABOUT THE COURSES:
INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT: ROME
BUSE 415 / BUSE 515 – 3 Credit Hours, Instructor: Bob Blandford – rblandford@colum.edu
Rome is home to over 2000 years of human history and culture. You’ll investigate cultural sites, archeological excavations, museums and exhibitions in and around the city while meeting with local archeologists, art historians, and film experts.
The course welcomes students of all majors. Through first-hand observation, research, and reflection, you’ll analyze and propose strategies to engage visitors from diverse backgrounds with the cultural heritage of Rome. You’ll draw on your own creative, professional and academic interests and experience to investigate curatorial direction, exhibition design, uses of technology, interpretative methodologies, and marketing and communication strategies.
Site visits include museums and cultural sites such as the Roman Forum, Colosseum and Palatine Hill; the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel; Catacombs of St. Callixtus; Borghese Gallery; MAXXI Museum of Contemporary Art; Keats-Shelley Memorial House; as well as a day trip to Pompeii
TOPICS IN WRITING ABROAD: ROME
CRWR 372 / CRWR 672 - 3 Credit Hours, Instructor: Randy Albers – ralbers@colum.edu
This J-session course offers you an intensive immersion in Rome's literature, art, history, and culture that will give breadth and depth to your creative and professional pursuits. You will read fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by noted authors writing in or about Rome along with visiting major sites, including the Colosseum, Vatican and Sistine Chapel, Roman Forum, historic churches, open air markets, catacombs, inspiring museums like the Borghese Gallery, places associated with noted authors such as the Keats-Shelley House and Non-Catholic Cemetery, and a day trip to Pompeii.
Site visits, journal entries on your experiences, responses to assigned reading, and in-class writing workshop activities lead to creating an extended story, essay, performance, hybrid, or mixed media project, which may be done individually or collaboratively. You will conclude with a brief reflection on the effect of study abroad upon your creative and professional development.
This course welcomes undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline. You may focus upon new or ongoing work and need not have traveled abroad previously.
IMPORTANT INFO:
COSTS: There are three areas of costs for you to consider:
- Tuition: J-term is part of Spring semester. Undergraduates: If registering for the Rome course brings you to full-time status (12-16 credit hours), there is no additional tuition cost for Spring semester. If registering for the Rome course takes you above 16 hours for the Spring semester, you will pay at the designated college rate per extra credit hour. You must be authorized by the college advising center to enroll for more than 18 hours. Graduate students: regular tuition rates apply.
- Special Course Fee: Estimated $2,880. The special course fee includes housing and breakfasts, all class-related field trips and entrance fees to museums and cultural sites, guides and class speakers, transportation associated with program activities, a day trip to Pompeii, and several special meals and events.
- Airfare, meals, spending money, etc. These are your responsibility. (Airfares vary widely, depending upon a variety of factors, running from approximately $700 to $1300.)
ACCEPTANCE AND DEPOSIT:
Once you are accepted to the program, a $750 deposit is required to hold your space. This deposit will be applied to the Special Course Fee. Space is limited.
Admission Deadline: October 1, 2022
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Bob Blandford (rblandford@colum.edu) or Randy Albers (ralbers@colum.edu)
TO APPLY:
Complete the following information and return to Bob Blandford (rblandford@colum.edu) or Randy Albers (ralbers@colum.edu)
Please indicate which course you’re interested in:
☐ Writing in Rome
☐ Cultural Heritage Management
Name:
Today’s Date:
MyColumbia ID:
CCC Email:
Phone:
☐ Undergraduate - Year:
☐ Graduate - Year:
Major:
Minor:
Date of Birth:
Have a current passport?
STATEMENT OF INTENT:
Please write a short narrative (250 words) explaining what you hope to gain from this experience in Rome and how it might benefit your creative, academic and/or professional work.