Study Abroad American University of Rome

Housing

Off-Campus Housing

Student apartments usually have two or three bedrooms, a lounge, a kitchen, a bathroom, linens, access to a washing machine, basic kitchen accessories and a TV. Each apartment is provided with a cellular phone, though students pay for its use. All apartments are also equipped with an on-line computer.

Apartments are located in areas of Rome convenient to the university campus: Trastevere, Monteverde, Giancolense and Colli Portuense, all desirable residential neighborhoods. Compared to other parts of Rome, they have more green areas, better access to public transport and are conveniently located to the historic center of Rome.

All apartments are either within walking distance or conveniently located to public transit routes relative to the university. Travel times to the university vary but generally range between 15 and 35 minutes. Variances in transit times largely depend on bus frequency and local traffic. Many apartments are directly accessible by one direct bus line, while others require a change. Some apartments are located within walking distance of the university. Detailed travel instructions to/from the university and an initial supply of public transportation tickets will be provided upon arrival.

Meals

Meals are self-catered.

For More Information…

For more information, email a study abroad representative. To schedule an advising appointment, contact the Office of Study Abroad at 336.841.9280.

Cost Breakdown for Fall 2013 & Spring 2014

Application Fee: $500.00

The application fee is non-refundable. Due at time of application.

Program Fee: $15,357.50

The program fee is payable to High Point University and includes tuition and fees. Participants are billed at the HPU All-Inclusive Fee rate of $20,800 less $2,630 for housing not included and $2,812.50 for meals not included.

Note: Total may vary due to currency exchange rate and tuition costs

Additional Costs:

• Housing (approx. $5,250 due to apartment abroad)
• Meals
• Round-trip airfare
• Ground transportation
• International medical insurance
• Trip cancellation insurance
• Passport
• Immigration visa
• Textbooks
• Personal travel, expenses, and souvenirs

IMPORTANT: High Point University affiliates with the University of Wisconsin at Platteville (UWP) to provide this educational program to HPU students. Students looking for information online may find discrepancies in program fees between what HPU charges and what UWP charges. Due to the terms agreed upon in our affiliation agreement, HPU students cannot apply directly to UWP for this program, nor can they opt to pay program fees directly to UWP.

For More Information…

For more information, email a study abroad representative. To schedule an advising appointment, contact the Office of Study Abroad at 336.841.9280.

What will I experience at the American University of Rome?

Student Blogs

Check out an HPU student’s blog from their semester at AUR:

• Alex Palmer (History/Theatre) – Spring 2012
• Hannah Flattery (COM) - Spring 2013
• Michael Cantalupo (COM) - Spring 2013

Read about Strategic Communications major Meredith MacIver’s experience in Rome below:

When my college experience began, I started to consider the possibility of studying abroad. Going to college in another country would certainly be stepping out of my comfort zone.  Would I be able to handle the experience?

Expectations: I chose to study abroad at The American University of Rome, because I wanted to experience life in Italy, first hand.  So many of my friends had traveled to Europe and told me how beautiful it was. I decided that I wanted an experience that went deeper.  I wanted to experience the everyday life of people in a foreign country. I went into this experience wanting to expand my understanding of another culture.  Little did I know, that I would come away from this experience with a greater appreciation of another culture that would affect my world view; a realization that I was a stronger, more flexible and determined individual; and friendships that may last a lifetime and influence my future career path.

Accommodations: Our apartments in Rome were a lot larger than I had expected. The American University of Rome places students in 5-6 person apartments. Each apartment had a kitchen, living room and two full bathrooms, as well as a computer and TV. The apartments are scattered within walking distance of the university. Perhaps the best part about this was that we lived in an apartment complex that was inhabited by other Italian families. This helped me to achieve the “full Roman experience” which is what I had been seeking. It was my first time truly living on my own, but still under the guidance of the University.

Classes: The American University of Rome is within walking distance of the center of Rome. The University sits atop a hill making the views from the 3^rd and 4^th floor windows absolutely breathtaking.  I was able to sit in class, glance out the window and see the entire city of Rome unfold before me. Perhaps the best part of the University experience was that my classes included students from all over the world. There were students from Germany, China, Italy and England, just to name a few. This created a unique classroom environment.  Class discussions not only dealt with the topic under review, but also the attitudes and perspectives of other cultures surrounding that topic.  It added a depth to the conversation that cannot be achieved without those first hand insights.  The classes at the American University of Rome were engaging and beneficial. Each one of my teachers was from a different country, which added to the cultural experience.

Travel: In order to get around Rome, you mainly use the tram and buses. There is a bus stop on almost every street. The tram is easy transportation straight to the city center.  One of the best parts about studying abroad in Rome was the wonderful restaurants and cafes that could be found on every corner. Every day for lunch, I would go to a small shop, two minutes from the University, called Salsamenteria. For three euro, I could get a made to order sandwich with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and prosciutto on a roll. Directly across the street was a pizzeria that had over fifteen different types of pizza. Not only was it delicious, but it was inexpensive, as well.

The opportunity to explore other parts of Europe during my semester in Italy, added to the appeal of studying abroad. I went cliff jumping into the Mediterranean Sea in Positano, Italy. I swam through caves in the crystal clear, blue waters in Capri. I watched the sunrise on a beach in Barcelona.  I sipped wine while overlooking the countryside in Tuscany. I visited the home of Marie Antoinette in France and shopped at the world famous Christmas markets in Prague.

Advice: My advice to future students is to take full advantage of each day abroad. Taste new foods, attempt to speak a different language, travel as much as you can, absorb your surroundings and remember that it goes by in a blink of an eye. Don’t waste a minute, because it’s a minute you won’t be able to get back.

Conclusion:  Being able to navigate among different cities and countries, experience different cultures, languages and cuisines, as well as figuring out how to use public transportation, helped me to become more confident and independent.  The first days are scary, but once you realize you can do it, you feel as though you can take on anything. Studying abroad opens your eyes to a world you never knew was out there. It’s a four month adventure, surrounded by students your own age, experiencing and going through the same things you are. You don’t realize it, but when you’re put into a foreign setting and find yourself discovering a new culture, you also begin to discover things you never knew about yourself. By opening yourself up to so many new things, you can’t help but start seeing the bigger picture.My study abroad experience impacted my life in so many ways. I am confident that I can handle any new experiences, no matter how challenging.  I am no longer limiting my job prospects to those in the United States. Study abroad also made me appreciate and respect different cultures.  It has also changed my perspective of the world and has opened my eyes to life outside of the United States.

Excursions

Many trips are included with your program fee such as:

• Tuscan Weekend - This Student Life weekend trip will take you to the fabled towns of Tuscany: Pisa, Florence and Trequanda. From the world famous tower of Pisa, to the highly sophisticated medieval city of Florence, to the beautiful landscapes of Trequanda (our wine tasting destination). There are cathedrals, city palaces, intimate town squares and breathtaking landscape views. This is the best way for you to become the most “cultivated” traveler and lover of the best of Italy. The Student Life department provides you a chance to visit some of the historical and artistic treasures of these selected cities of Tuscany. There will also be leisure time for wandering, shopping, individual discovery and relaxation.
• Capri, Mount Vesuvius, Sorrento, and Pompeii Weekend - Join the Student Life crew for a new twist on our old classic and very popular trips to Capri and Pompeii, Sorrento, and Mount Vesuvius! Experience the magnificent coastal walks, flower-strewn mountain slopes and, of course, the shimmering blue Mediterranean sea with its natural wonders which include the magical Blue Grotto and Faraglione of Capri. Buried under ash and pumice and lost for over 1500 years, the Roman City of Pompeii that is frozen in time was rediscovered 4 centuries ago. On the Amalfi coast overlooking the Bay of Naples, Sorrento offers spectacular views across the bay. It is also the home of limoncello. Famous for having buried Pompeii and Herculaneum under up to 6 meters of ash, and while currently inactive, the volcano of Mount Vesuvius is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted in the last century.
• Assisi Day Trip - This Student Life day excursion will take you to the beautiful town of Assisi: it represents an ensemble of masterpieces of human creative genius, such as the Basilica of San Francesco, which have made it a fundamental reference for art history in Europe and in the world.The Student Life department provides you a chance to visit the main historical and artistic treasures of Assisi. There will also be leisure time for wandering, individual discovery and relaxation.
• Tuscan Day Trip - This one-day trip is all about the Italian century-long traditions of culinary taste and wine making. Our main destination is a 16th century Tuscan farm house in the hills surrounding Siena. Here we will learn how to recognize excellence in wine-making through a lesson of wine tasting. Lunch will be served in the Fattoria del Colleand will consist of traditional Tuscan peasant cuisine. In the afternoon, we will visit the farm house and the chamber of the Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany.

For more information…

For more information about the American University of Rome, visit the American University of Rome website or email a study abroad representative.

For an idea of what your semester at the American University of Rome may look like, schedule an appointment with a study abroad advisor. Contact the Office of Study Abroad at 336.841.9280.