ASPIRE Semester: Italy
Arts + Sciences Programs for International Research and Education (ASPIRE)
The College's semester study abroad program in Salerno, Italy, provides a unique opportunity to take part in an overseas program that provides essential academic credits to keep you on track with College major requirements. It integrates liberal arts disciplines into one fascinating experience-based program that allows you to explore the Italian coast. Hike Mt. Vesuvius with an IU geologist, explore Roman ruins with a Classics professor, bring Art History to life through frescos seen in person, and taste Italian history through food.
Course topics include earth hazards and sustainability, food and heritage, classics, the culture of Italy, and art history and ensure you earn requirements in both GenEd and CASE designations. You will also fulfill your GenEd World Languages and Culture requirement through this international experience.
And it’s affordable! The cost of this program is comparable to what you would spend for a semester in Bloomington, and any financial aid will apply to your bursar account per your standard process.
Courses + Faculty
Below is the course lineup of 15 credits for Spring 2024. Courses overlap, so not all five courses are taught at the same time throughout the semester. Instead, the Program Director teaches a course for the entire duration of the program abroad, and the other courses are taught in shorter increments. This allows for maximum flexibility in excursions and classtime appropriate for each course.
All courses are taught in English, and each course is required for a full course load of 15 credits.
Program Director: Associate Professor Giles Knox, Art History
Art History (ARTH-A 201, 3 cr.) Art and Culture of Southern Italy [GenEd and CASE S&H, CASE GCC]
Associate Professor Giles Knox
This course lays a foundation for understanding the art and culture of ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern southern Italy in the region of Campania using the concept of the city. With Paestum and Pompeii as Greek and Roman examples, the course explores how ancient people lived and expressed their beliefs in art.
Classical Studies (CLAS-C 102, 3 cr.) Roman Culture [GedEd and CASE A&H, CASE GCC]
Professor Cynthia Bannon
Campania is the perfect place to study Roman culture. The Romans lived and worked in Campania from early in their history, and the region epitomizes the multicultural character of the Roman world. We will study the ancient Romans from the origins of their civilization through the early imperial era with a focus on the Romans in and around the Bay of Naples. Archaeological sites and museum artefacts will play an important part in the course, including a visit to Rome itself. We will contextualize Roman culture in historical perspectives and cultural frameworks in order to understand Romans on their own terms as well as in terms of their legacy to us. You will learn to recognize and interpret the literary and material sources that inform our study of ancient Rome.
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS-E 116, 3 cr.) Our Planet and Its Future [GenEd and CASE N&M]
Professor Michael Hamburger
The Earth impinges on our lives in many ways, sometimes disastrously through earthquakes and volcanoes, sometimes bounteously through energy and mineral resources, and sometimes ominously as with climate change. This course provides an introduction to these Earth processes and their impact on society in the past and in the future.
History (HIST-B 200, 3 cr.) Topics in Western Europe: Food in Italian History [GenEd and CASE S&H]
Professor Carl Ipsen
Has pizza always been the Italian national dish? [hint: it still isn’t.] What did Italians eat in the
past and where did the so-called Mediterranean diet come from? This class will explore Italian
history from unification (1860) to the present with a focus on seven meals that vary in time, place, and social class. Along the way we will look at Italian political, social, and cultural history including topics like Neapolitan song, Neorealist cinema, and the Mafia.
past and where did the so-called Mediterranean diet come from? This class will explore Italian
history from unification (1860) to the present with a focus on seven meals that vary in time, place, and social class. Along the way we will look at Italian political, social, and cultural history including topics like Neapolitan song, Neorealist cinema, and the Mafia.
French and Italian (FRIT-M 222) Topics in Italian Culture [GenEd A&H, GenEd World Cultures]
Professor Nicolas Valazza
This course will explain modern Italy and provide a cultural and social framework to students as a complement to the other perspectives gained through art, ancient history, food, and geology.
Professor Nicolas Valazza
This course will explain modern Italy and provide a cultural and social framework to students as a complement to the other perspectives gained through art, ancient history, food, and geology.
Excursions + Experiences
The program is largely a field-based course, with field trips (excursions) and activities that complement in-class lectures. Excursions include visits to:
- Paestum Greek temples
- Mt. Vesuvius crater
- A mozzarella factory
- Herculaneum Roman city
- Naples, Amalfi, and Ravello
- Villa Oplontis
- And more!
During each trip, you'll receive lectures from faculty about the importance of the location, or how it relates to what you're learning in the classroom. These experiences go way beyond what you would see and do as a tourist, and they are incredibly rich in how they help shape your view of Italy and your studies.
Information You'll Need to Know
Don't have a passport? Apply for one now at U.S. Passports.
Students must be in good standing and have a 2.8 GPA (or 3.2 in their major). You must be curious, flexible, open-minded, mature, and able to interact well within a group. You should be prepared for full days with lots of walking and exploring.
In order to have a richer experience in Italy, participating students are strongly urged to enroll in an Italian language course in Summer and/or Fall 2023. It will be a very worthwhile investment!
(Students are not eligible to study abroad in their freshman year.)
2024 Program Dates
January 22 - May 3, 2024
Students will arrive in Salerno prior to Orientation on Monday, January 22. For the first weeks of January, online readings and light coursework will prepare you for your time abroad. However, you may complete these from anywhere- you do not have to be in Bloomington at all during the spring semester. We will meet you in Salerno!
The course fee will be approximately $4,700-$5,500, which includes housing, program excursions, local travel, and some meals. You will be responsible for IU tuition at your standard residency rate, airfare, visa fees, most meals, and personal expenses.
The course fee is charged to your bursar bill, so your scholarships, awards, and loans will apply without any additional work on your part.
Scholarships are available from the College of Arts and Sciences, and additionally, qualifying Earth and Atmospheric Science students should contact Professor Michael Hamburger for additional opportunities. Art History also offers a study abroad scholarship for majors or minors.
In Salerno, you will room with one or more students in apartments located in Salerno's medieval city. You may be in a studio apartment with another student, or your apartment might have multiple bedrooms. All lodging meets with IU standards for safety and cleanliness, and while sharing spaces, each student has their own bed.
Be prepared that these apartments conform to Italian expectations for space and are naturally smaller than typical American apartments. Italian apartments do not have dryers, nor dishwashers.
If you’re making a decision about housing in Bloomington for the 2023-2024 academic year, please know that you will not have to pay a fee to break a housing contract with RPS for the purpose of studying abroad on this program.
You will make your own travel arrangements to Salerno and will meet the group upon your arrival in Italy. You may coordinate with other participants so you travel together. If you wish, you may stay after the ASPIRE Semester program ends to travel in Europe or join another IU study abroad program!
We will provide the necessary documentation for a student visa during your time in Italy. You are required to have a passport that is valid until the end of 2024.
This program is a condensed semester, and there is no spring break week. We provide two long weekends as opportunities for extended travel throughout Italy or Europe.
Participating students will need to enroll in a one-credit preparatory course during the second eight-weeks of Fall 2023. The course is currently scheduled for Thursday mornings. If you cannot take it for credit, you may request an exemption but will still be required to participate in mandatory pre-departure orientation sessions. For more information, .
A sample day in Salerno
The College’s Salerno program is packed with opportunities and excursions to enhance learning. Below is an example of just one of the awe-inspiring day trips.
A trip to Herculaneum
An archaeological site similar to Pompeii, Herculaneum is a smaller Roman city that was preserved when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. The site harbors a wealth of archaeological treasures. During your visit you will:
- Walk ancient streets into houses with original building materials preserved by rock and ash from Vesuvius’s eruption
- Explore the thermopolium, lunch counters built to serve well-heeled Romans
- View original mosaics while you learn about their centuries-old history
- Discuss how Mount Vesuvius has left its mark on the Neapolitan region for millennia
Support College study abroad
Donations to the College Study Abroad Scholarship fund help students attain their study abroad goals. The scholarships are available to College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate students who have been accepted to an IU-approved study abroad program, including the College’s ASPIRE Semester program. Thank you!