Temple Summer in Italy

Film and Media Intensive at Temple Rome

Spend six weeks learning and living in one of the most magical countries in Europe. You’ll spend the first four weeks in the vibrant cinematic city of Rome exploring its rich film tradition, including a visit to the famous Ciné Citta Studios. This part of the course will focus on filmmaking in the capital city of Rome—we will study a broad range of films set in Rome by Italian directors, including Calvalcanti, Fellini, Pasolini, Visconti, and Wertmüller, as well as look at Italian American filmmakers such as Coppola and Scorsese for whom Italy plays a major role in their cinematic oeuvre. We will visit neighborhoods in which films were made outside of the studio and visit a dubbing lab.

The last two weeks of the course will shift to the Cinema Ritrovato film festival in Bologna. Initiated by Scorsese as a means by which to preserve and showcase both classical and lesser-known films from around the globe, Cinema Ritrovato constitutes one of the most important film festivals honoring the importance of the medium as a major art and cultural form. We will explore the politics of exhibition and trace a history of festivals—what gets included, what are the processes and politics of restoration, how are canons formed? In addition to a festival pass, we will visit a restoration lab and a film museum.

Program Overview

Expand upon each of the links below to view more details about this program.

Academic Program

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to study film in Rome and Bologna this summer. Choose the Film and Media intensive track, and you'll spend the first four weeks in Rome and the final two weeks in Bologna. As a program participant, you will enroll in two 4-credit courses.

Language of Instruction

English

Course load

8-credits

Course Offerings

  • FMA 3680. Foreign Studies in FMA (4 credits). This course spans six weeks, including the final two weeks in Bologna. 
    • Crosslisted with MSP 4571: International Topics in Media and Communication
    • Crosslisted with ARTH 2660: Topics in International Cinema.
  • FMA 4240. Writing for Media (4 credits). This course takes place during the first four weeks of the program in Rome.
    • Crosslisted with MSP 3890. Intermediate Topics in Media Production. 

View all courses.

Location

You’ll spend the first four weeks in the vibrant cinematic city of Rome exploring its rich film tradition, and the last two weeks of the course will shift to the Cinema Ritrovato film festival in Bologna.
 

Temple University Rome

Temple University Rome's campus is located at Via di San Sebastianello 16, adjacent to Piazza di Spagna—one of the most notable landmarks in the heart of the Eternal City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The new campus is walking distance from the iconic Trevi Fountain as well as famous monuments such as the Pantheon, Villa Borghese, Villa Medici and Mausoleum of Augustus.

Facilities include a variety of “smart” classroom spaces, well-equipped and professional studios for visual arts, printmaking, darkroom, digital photo, sculpture, painting and architecture, a science lab, student lounges, a contemporary art gallery, a conference center and a library with over 14,000 volumes. 

Furthermore, Temple's campus includes terraces with views of Rome's city highlights and an open-air courtyard, as well as full disability access and a new 50-bed residence hall, offering a true campus experience in the heart of Rome.

Learn more about the facilities at Temple Rome.

View Temple Rome on Google maps.
 

Explore Rome!

Historically, Rome has few peers. Discover the possibilities of Rome -- a living museum, business center, and hub of Mediterranean culture. Rome offers the greatest co-mingling of the historic and the modern, where you will walk the streets of an ancient capital that has transformed through the centuries into a vibrant and magical contemporary city.

After you've visited all of the major tourist sites on your list, you will no doubt want to explore the local areas that most tourists never see. Rome is a city with many unique neighborhoods, making it fun to discover your favorite spots, those that will make you feel like you really have made Rome your home.

Read student blogs about studying in Rome.
 

Explore Bologna!

As you step out of the train at Bologna central station, the city known as La Dotta (the educated one) begins to reveal its vibrant, ancient, and ever-evolving story. Its 38 miles of covered walkways of covered walkways called portici bring you through a city that has existed since 196 BCE, providing countless options to sample traditional regional dishes such as ragù, tortellini, and crescentine.

The city offers countless references to its deep connection with cinema and film restoration including the recently restored Modernissimo, the art deco cinema located underneath the Piazza Maggiore. Recent visitors to the Modernissimo include Martin Scorsese, Alice Rohrwacher, Jeff Goldblum, and Wem Winders. Just outside the doors of the cinema, you will the main square (Piazza Maggiore) where the ‘Under the stars’ cinema is screened every summer. Films are screened nightly from mid-June to mid-July and range from modern to recently restored silent films.

The city's covered walkways lead out of the city and up to the famous basilica church of San Luca where you can view Bologna in its entirety. If you squint, you’ll see the famous towers Asinelli and Garisenda (which the locals are currently attempting to keep upright!) and the university district, founded in 1088 and whose alumni include Copernicus and Thomas Becket.

Program Dates

Six weeks: mid-May through late June

Tentative Program Dates

Departure from U.S.May 14
Arrival in RomeMay 15
OrientationMay 16-18
Classes beginsMay 19
Travel to BolognaJune 15
Orientation in BolognaJune 16
Last day of classes 
Last night in housingJune 28
Program endsJune 29

Do not use the above dates to book your flight, as they are tentative and subject to change. Accepted students will receive confirmed program dates and flight booking guidelines from Education Abroad before making travel plans.  

Program participants are required to be present for the entire length of the program, from the official arrival date through the program end date.

Housing

Rome

All students will stay at program-arranged housing in Rome.

  • Temple Rome program-arranged housing is in a variety of buildings and complexes throughout the central neighborhoods of Rome, about 10-40 minutes away from campus by foot or public transportation. 
  • Program-arranged housing is apartment-style.
  • The apartments vary in size and layout and house up to seven students, with no more than three students per bedroom. All apartments are non-smoking and do not have air conditioning units (air conditioning is uncommon in Italy).
  • All program-arranged housing provides the following basic amenities:
    • Access to a kitchen equipped with basic utensils, cookware, refrigerator and a stove or hot plate 
    • Bathroom
    • Wi-Fi
    • Washing machine
    • Basic bed linens and towels
    • Fire extinguisher & smoke alarm
    • Periodical cleaning service & maintenance

Bologna

During the two weeks in Bologna, you will stay at Combo, a trendy multi-service accommodation with easy access to the center of Bologna and the Cineteca area. Combo offers mix of double and quadruple occupancy rooms.

Activities & Excursions

Students will participate in multiple cultural activities and excursions throughout the program. The excursions form a crucial part of the program. Details are subject to change, but some of the excursions are likely to include:

  • a day trip to Verona
  • guided walking tours of Bologna
  • a visit to the Verona Film Museum
  • a visit to L'immagine Ritrovata Laboratory
Faculty & On-site Support

Temple Faculty

Temple Main Campus visiting faculty member Nora M. Alter is author of over 7 books in film studies. She specializes in European, avant-garde and experimental film. She has extensive experience in teaching abroad, including in Venice, Rome and Paris.

Temple Rome faculty Erika Tasini is an accomplished film director and writer whose films have been screened at several international venues.

Program Costs

PROGRAM DEPOSIT

Students will pay a non-refundable program deposit of $400 within 2 weeks of acceptance to the program, or 2 weeks after the application deadline, whichever is earlier. This non-refundable deposit is credited to your program fees as a prepayment. 

TUITION AND FEES (3 CREDITS)

Temple students pay their usual rate by school/college and residency..

Non-Temple students are charged the non-matriculated per-credit rate based on residency. For the 2024-25 academic year, PA residents are charged $786 per credit and non-PA residents are charged $1,413 per credit. *Non-Temple students: your program costs may vary depending on your home institution's billing model. Please check with your study abroad office about your school's billing policies.

All students pay:

  • University Services Fee
  • Film Intensive Program Fee, estimated at $3,590, which includes housing in shared accommodations, orientation, transportation from the airport upon arrival, some field trips and a few group meals.

For complete details about billable costs and estimate for non-billable expenses, such as airfare, meals, and personal expenses, view the program cost sheet.

View detailed program costs.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID

Education Abroad offers competitive, need-based scholarships for this program. Learn more about scholarships and financial aid.

Health & Safety

Staying healthy and safe abroad requires good planning and strong support. Review our health and safety page for important steps to preparing for study abroad, and details about international travel medical insurance and assistance provided by Temple.

Contact

For more information, contact:

Eligibility Requirements

Temple programs are open to qualified students matriculated at any U.S. or Canadian college or university.

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following requirements.

Are enrolled fulltime and will have completed 2 semesters before studying abroad
  • You are enrolled as a full-time matriculated student at the time of application as well as during the semester prior to studying abroad.
  • You will have completed at least two (2) semesters of college-level study by the program start.
Are in good academic standing and meet minimum GPA requirement for the program

You meet minimum cumulative GPA requirement, on a 4.0 scale from all colleges/universities attended. The requirement varies by program:

  • Temple Semester Programs: 2.75 (Internships: 3.0)
  • Temple Summer Programs: 2.5
  • Exchange Programs: 2.75
  • External Programs: 2.5

You remain in good academic standing from the time of application until the start of your term abroad; students on academic warning are not eligible to participate.

Have a valid passport

You will need a passport, valid well beyond the length of your program, by the application deadline.

View deadlines and validity requirements for your host country.

 

Are in good disciplinary standing

You are in good disciplinary standing at the time of application and remain so through the start of your term abroad. Students who have been found responsible for a code of conduct violation and will not be in good disciplinary standing (including disciplinary probation) may submit a petition for review.

Meet the minimum age requirement

You are at least 18 years old at the time of application.

Application Requirements

The standard application requirements pertain to all students applying to Temple programs.

    For the Film Intensive program, there are no additional application requirements.

      Admissions Timeline

      • Admissions is rolling (early applications encouraged).
      • Once you submit your application, you should expect a decision within two (2) weeks.