
Arizona in Orvieto - Summer
Orvieto, Italy
Program Facts
Program Type: UA Faculty-led
Credit Type: UA Direct Credit
Level of Study: Undergraduate
GPA: 2.5
Class Eligibility: Freshman who will be Sophomores after the Spring Semester , Sophomore , Junior , Senior
Language of Instruction: English
Program Open To: UA and Non-UA Students
Coordinator: Dafne Johnson
Explore Arizona in Orvieto - Summer
Arizona in Orvieto is one of the most popular summer study abroad programs in the beautiful, quaint town of Orvieto, located just one hour from Rome. Students earn U of A direct credit through the broad variety of courses offered, taught by both UA and Italian faculty, which includes a variety of academic fields.
Join us Fri. Nov. 30, 2024 for an Arizona in Orvieto virtual info session from 4-5pm!
The Arizona in Orvieto program is one of the few programs which enables students to take courses from various academic fields and receive UArizona direct credit. Students participate in numerous field trips and museum visits throughout the semester and term which include visits to various sites. Students from all majors are welcome to participate.
Summer 2024
Summer 2024 tentative dates: 5/17 - 6/23/24 (Please do not purchase airfare until instructed by your Study Abroad Coordinator)
All classes are direct UA credit! Students must select 2 courses from the options below taught by UArizona Faculty who will be joining students over the summer and by local instructors who live in Orvieto. Summer 2024 course will be updated soon!
Summer Courses
Art
ART 242: Intro to Photo Concepts
Professor Joseph Farbrook. In this course, students will examine photographic history, theory, and practice. Students will learn to apply the viewpoint of an artist to analyze image-based creative expressions, explore diverse perspectives, and investigate challenges faced by local, national, and online communities. Students will put this perspective into practice through the thoughtful creation of digital photographs, written reflections, and peer critique. This course will be tailored to the unique perspective of the Orvieto, Italy summer program.
ART 358: Creative Strategies in Visual Design
Professor Joseph Farbrook. This course examines issues, principles, methodologies, theories and visual language of graphic design, illustration and new media. Students will be required to keep a journal, create and write a study, create visual responses to design prompts, and participate in discussions. This course will be tailored to the unique perspective of the Orvieto, Italy summer program.
Astronomy
ASTR 204: Great Debates- Galileo and the Birth of Modern Science
Dr. Richard Poss. This course uses our Italian setting to explore the pivotal role of Galileo in the history of science. We’ll begin with the clash of world-systems in the Presocratics and Aristotle through the Middle Ages, and the character of early theories and experiments. We will examine the Copernican Revolution and its impact on modern culture, the shock waves radiating out from the invention of the telescope, and the “Many Worlds” hypothesis and how it affected our sense of our role in the universe. Further topics for debate include national policy towards orbital debris and “killer asteroids,” human vs. robotic exploration of space, and the ethics of terraforming. There will be writing prompts, an essay exam, and a final project.
ASTR 333: Astronomy and the Arts
Dr. Richard Poss. This course examines the intersection of astronomy and the arts by studying astronomical ideas as they occur in works of literature, art, and music. From frescoes in ancient Rome to YouTube videos, we will examine the artifacts for what they reveal about both the poetic and the scientific worlds. Our location in Orvieto will allow us to engage especially with the currents of the Italian Renaissance and early modern period. Classroom sessions will be a combination of lecture and discussion. There will be short writing prompts, a final project, and students will keep a notebook. Fulfills course requirements for Astronomical Studies Minors.
Classics
CLAS 222: Classics through the Ages
Dr. Nathaniel Katz. In this course, we will explore the towns, museums, and galleries of Italy to learn how Greek and Roman myths have inspired artists, thinkers, and ordinary people over the centuries. Religious Studies majors/minors may enroll in this course for RELI credit, please contact nathanielkatz@arizona.edu for more information.
CLAS 335: The Roman Empire: Rulers and Ruled
Dr. Nathaniel Katz. This course explores the Roman empire from the perspectives both of the ruling Romans, and of the non-Roman peoples they ruled in Italy and beyond. Religious Studies majors/minors may enroll in this course for RELI credit, please contact nathanielkatz@arizona.edu for more information.
English
ENGL 160D2: Nonhuman Subjects- Monsters, Ghosts, Aliens, Others
Dr. D.R. Ransdell. This course aims to explore the nature of human identity and values, particularly in relation to the “Other.” Not only do “monsters” include ghosts and other supernatural beings, but they also include the symbolic monster that puts society at risk, the evil “other” that threatens a society’s best intentions. Students will consider their own role as “other” while living in a small Italian village. Then they’ll study current views on the paranormal before graduating to a study of famous haunted houses and archaeological sites within Italy. They’ll also consider societal evils such as technology and the fast pace of modern life—both of which are often at odds with traditional Italian values. Finally, students will compare political figures such as Berlusconi to other adversarial politicians within Europe, thus providing students with a new international perspective.
ENGL 307: Business Writing
Dr. D.R. Ransdell. Business Writing provides applied, hands-on experiences with professional business writing. The course explores how to address ethics of communication and how to navigate opportunities and challenges presented when writing business correspondence. Students engage in rhetorical analysis, research, persuasion, reflection, and revision in professional contexts. Students write a variety of workplace genres, including emails, memos, proposals, resumes, cover letters, white papers, and digital web spaces.
In Orvieto, this course will include an European Union (EU) focus. Students will investigate small local companies, learn about finances throughout Italy as well as Europe, and analyze aspects of EU life. Final portfolios will showcase a combination of documents they might use to apply for jobs, grants, or graduate schools in the U.S. with an added international perspective that highlights a richer understanding of their place within the world community. *Prerequisite: English 101 & 102, English 109, or comparable sequence
Information Science & eSociety
ESOC 150B: Social Media and Ourselves
Prof. Michael McKisson. Through the lens of international travel in Italy, this course will act as a gateway to understanding how social media sites influence and are impacted by ourselves, as well as the role of social media in our relationships. With a focus on both theory and practical applications, this course gives learners opportunities to delve into how mobile technologies and being online impact daily living, personal health, individual success and interpersonal relationships.
ESOC 300: Digital Storytelling & Culture
Prof. Michael McKisson. This course will lay a foundation for understanding how stories shape communities, identities and memories while immersing ourselves in the Italian culture and international travel. Students will be required to call on their own intellectual, emotional and imaginative processes to develop their own skills in digital storytelling, interviewing, oral history collection and use of relevant digital storytelling tools to tell the stories of their time in Italy.
Italian
ITAL 496A: Topics in Advanced Italian Studies- Food, Wine & Italian Culture
Dr. Claudio Bizzarri. Social, political and cultural changes in Italy since the first millennium B.C. have shaped the multi-faceted Italy of today. In a global landscape dominated by tendencies towards cultural sameness, the course aims to identify what constitutes Italian cultural specificity, "Italian flair" emerging as a prominent element of Italian culture, lifestyle and identity. Among the topics that will be discussed are the aspects connected with food, wine production and the idea of Made in Italy, connecting the differences with the material culture aspects, i.e. tradition and everyday life in Italian regions. We will be able to understand what is real inappropriate to do when meeting an Italian grandma or how to avoid being spotted as a foreigner along the main street of an Italian city. DOP, DOC and IGT will mean something to you at the end of the course and you will not pour wine in your glass as if it was Coke. This course is taught in English and counts towards the minor and major in Italian.
*Course may be repeated for a maximum of 12 units or unlimited completions*
Journalism
JOUR 150C1: News in Society
Professor Pate McMichael. This course will explore how the news media acts as an influential institution shapes political, social and cultural conversations in a global society and acts as a democratic check on government power. The course will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how journalists do their job, the clash between First Amendment rights and government control.
JOUR 411: Feature Writing
Professor Pate McMichael. Learn the craft of feature writing with a special emphasis on travel writing. Students will create multimedia feature stories based on their experiences abroad and immerse themselves in great journalism writing.
Why study abroad in Orvieto?
The town of Orvieto is located in central Italy, in Umbria, the region known as "the green heart of Italy". It stands high on a tufa plateau with cliff walls falling sheer to the valley below.
Considered by many travelers to be one of the world's most beautiful towns, Orvieto combines Italian small town friendliness and atmosphere with the beauty of the Umbrian countryside. It is also one of the great centers for Italian art and archaeology. Surrounded by treasures from the Etruscan period, Gothic era, the Renaissance and the 19th century, the student has the entire town as a living classroom.
Read more about Orvieto and explore the galley of photos on the Arizona in Orvieto website.
Orvieto is an ideal location to visit the most important cities and sites in Italy, being approximately one hour away from Rome by train, and a little over two hours from Florence.
A 2-day trip will be organized and all costs (transportation, admissions to sites/museums, lodging and some meals) will be included in the program fee.
Full-day optional excursions may be organized, depending on the interest for the scheduled courses, to:
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Rome
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Florence
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Tivoli (where we’ll visit Hadrian's Villa, the astonishing architectural project of the Emperor Hadrian, and Villa d'Este, a Renaissance villa famous worldwide for its beautiful gardens and fountains)
Guided visits to:
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Orvieto Cathedral and St. Brizio’s Chapel
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Archaeological sites in the Orvieto area
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Museums in Orvieto
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"Orvieto Underground", a special guided tour to the hidden, underground section of the town
Cultural excursions and activities:
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Cooking classes
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Wine-tasting
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Visit to a local artisan workshops
The field trips destinations and cultural activities may vary according to the season and courses offered.
Good to Know:
LGBTQ+ Equality Index rating: Italy rates 64/100 (with 100 being the most equal) on Equaldex’s LGBTQ+ Equality Index.
Global Peace Index rating: Italy ranks 34/163 in the Global Peace Index. The lower the score, the more peaceful the country.
Languages spoken: Italian (official); German, French and Slovene-speaking minorities.
Students live in nice, fully furnished apartments, all located in the historical district in Orvieto and within walking distance from the school. Generally, an apartment with two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and living room, is shared by four students (no co-ed housing). Housing costs are included in the program fee, and they will also cover all expenses (water, gas, electricity bills), sheets and towels (changed once a week), and a weekly cleaning of the apartment.
- Students who receive the Pell Grant may qualify for the Gilman Scholarship is a national study abroad scholarship sponsored by the Department of State. UA students have received funds totaling over $1.5 million from the Gilman Scholarship! Application will open in mid-January and close March 7, 2024.
- The Fund For Education Abroad is another national study abroad scholarship that is a great opportunity. Application is already open, if you are eligible, be sure to apply before the Feb. 7, 2024 deadline!
- Although it is not exhaustive, our office has put together a list of study abroad scholarships & we have compiled them into a database. Please visit our Scholarship Tracker to view the available scholarships. Do not forget that Scholarship Universe also is another great resource!
- W.A. Franke Honors College Study Abroad/Travel Scholarships
- Cynthia White Travel and Study in Italy Award: Students who are enrolling in a UA Classics/Religious Studies course in Orvieto are eligible to apply!
- The Arizona in Orvieto Classics Award: Awards of up to $1,500 are available for any UArizona student enrolled in Classics courses through the Arizona in Orvieto Study Abroad Program in summer 2024. Priority will be given to majors or minors in the Department of Religious Studies & Classics, but all UArizona students (with any major/minor) can apply.
- SILLC Global Award Fund: Benefits UA undergraduate students in good standing who are declared majors in any of the SILLC disciplines.
- The Department of Religious Studies & Classics Awards
- College of Humanities (COH) Scholarships: The COH offers a number of scholarships specifically for study abroad, including the Fearless Inquiry Award, Alfred and Mary Beigel Memorial Scholarship ($5,200), Donna Dillon Manning and Larry Horner Endowed Humanities Award for Study Abroad ($2,500), Donna Swaim Study Abroad Award for Double Majors ($1,000), Werner Schirmer Memorial Scholarship ($400). See complete list above for general scholarship opportunities from COH.
- Prof. Alba Frascarelli, Arizona in Orvieto Program Director
- Dr. Claudio Bizzarri, Arizona in Orvieto Professor in Residence
- Prof. Joseph Farbrook- School of Art
- Dr. Richard Poss- Department of Astronomy
- Dr. Nathaniel Katz- Department of Religious Studies & Classics
- Prof. Michael McKisson- School of Information & eSociety
- Dr. D.R. Ransdell- English Department
- Prof. Pate McMichael- School of Journalism
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