Temple Rome Liberal Arts Program

Temple Rome

Walk the streets of Rome for a semester, amid historic architecture and famous sites dating from classical civilization! The Villa Caproni, by the Tiber River in the center of Rome, houses the program’s academic facilities including an extensive library and art studios. Students live in 3-person apartments within walking and bus distance of the Villa Caproni and take classes from Temple University professors.

Additional information available at Temple Rome.

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ELI Faith Integration

It is important for Messiah University students to grow in their faith while studying abroad. Since Temple Rome does not have a faith component, students will do the following as part of the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) requirements in partnership with their ELI Advisor:

Prior to their experience, students will submit a 1-2-page plan outlining the prominent faith traditions of the country they will be studying in and outlining their plan for integrating and exploring their faith during their semester abroad.
While abroad, students will electronically submit (in Terra Dotta) at least six journal entries (minimum two paragraphs each) on their personal faith journey in their cross-cultural context, which could include a comparative reflection on cultural practices of Christianity in the new culture (or absence of religious practices) versus their home culture. (ex. syncretism through cultural lenses; cultural views of Christ in wealth versus poverty; insights of faith drawn from another cultural point of view, etc.)
Students who do not complete the above components will be placed on chapel probation the semester after they return.

Note: This is effective starting fall 2017.

Requirements

Students will complete all of the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) requirements that are a part of this program.
Junior or senior (will consider sophomores with extenuating circumstances)
2.75 GPA to qualify for the program.
Since studying off-campus for a semester is a privilege, please note the following implications of being place on probation at Messiah University:

Chapel Probation: A student currently on chapel probation for the first time (or with an impending chapel probation for the upcoming semester) will be required to communicate or meet with the Director of the Agape Center for Local and Global Engagement to determine the potential impact on the student’s upcoming semester off-campus. If a student has been placed on chapel probation more than once during their time at Messiah, they will not be eligible to study off-campus for a semester.

Academic Probation or Low GPA: A student on academic probation or whose GPA drops below 2.75 will be not be eligible to study off-campus.

Disciplinary Probation: A student who has been placed on disciplinary probation at any time during the off-campus study application / acceptance process will be required to meet with the Director of the Agape Center for Local and Global Engagement to determine the potential impact on the student’s upcoming semester off-campus.

Know Before You Go - Challenges

Off-Campus study is a time of challenge and change. The following are some things you should understand about this program before you participate. Students at ASC should anticipate:

Rome requires a lot of walking. Temple Rome’s campus is not currently wheelchair accessible and the city itself can be challenging for wheelchair accessibility as cobble stone streets and high sidewalks are not always manageable. Public transportation is accessible to a degree.
Rome, being a city of 3 million people has its share of homeless visibly sleeping or begging on the city streets. Stay alert to purse snatching and pickpocketing especially at sites where tourists gather.
Due to the large influx of refugees and immigrants arriving in Italy from northern and central Africa, the Middle East, and to a less extent Eastern Europe, some students of color are assumed immigrants and this can lead to some difficult interactions for some students.
Remember that people abroad have different cultural norms and tend to be less “politically correct” than people in the U.S.
The climate in Rome is fairly mild and Mediterranean. The temperature in winter months range from highs during the day between 30’s and mid-50’s and fall and early spring can be rainy. From early May, temperatures typically rise and stay high until early September.
Recently, there have been earthquakes Italy which were felt in Rome

Credits

Courses may meet major or general education requirements.

Courses will appear on Messiah transcripts with letter grades.

Students will meet their third language/cross-cultural requirement by participating in this program. Students will not earn 3 credits, rather the requirement will be waived.

Pass/Fail Option

During their university careers, students may take a maximum of four courses on a pass/fail (P/F) basis with these conditions:

Such a course must be from a discipline other than those required for the student's major or minor.
Courses fulfilling requirements for a major, minor, or general education may not be used.
Students may declare their intention to take a course under the Pass/Fail option when they register or through the first calendar week of classes at the beginning of the new term. Students may also select to return to the letter grade system during this same time period. The selection cannot be changed after the first calendar week of classes.
The cut-off point to obtain a P is C–.
The instructor will submit only conventional letter grades to the Registrar's Office. This office will then convert the grade to P or F. (An instructor does not know which students are taking a course on a pass/fail basis.

The first FIVE DAYS of your classes are critical:

Recognizing that courses change while abroad, a student is required to communicate to the Registrar’s Office within the first FIVE DAYS of classes if their Off-Campus Course Approval Form in Terra Dotta has changed since the original submission/approval. Specifically, if a student desires to change a course to a pass/fail instead of a letter grade, this must be approved by Messiah University Registrar’s Office within the first FIVE DAYS of classes at the host partner program.

Auditing

Students are required to take no fewer than 12 credits towards their overall degree requirements and no more than 18 credits. These 12-18 credits include courses taken as pass/fail and letter grades. However, in addition to those 12-18 degree credits, students who would like to audit an academic course for no credit are permitted to do so for up to one 4 credit hour course for the sake of learning, cultural immersion or personal interest at no additional charge. This audited course will not appear on the Messiah University student’s transcript.

Costs: 2024-2025

Because of the high cost of this program, participation is capped at 9 students per academic year.

What do you pay?

PA residents:

TOTAL COSTS = Messiah tuition + Messiah room + Student services fee

Non-PA residents:

TOTAL COSTS = Messiah tuition + Messiah room + Students services fee + $1,910 off-campus study fee

Explore possible scholarships for this program.

These Costs Include:

tuition and housing
educational excursions
predeparture, and re-entry orientation
international travel insurance
student services fee
- Student Services fee includes access to various services available to all students through, including internet access to, the Learning & Writing Centers, Career Services, Academic Accessibility Office, Library, Department of Safety, Agapé Center for Local and Global Engagement, and other campus offices that provide services to students both on and off campus.

Notes:

Meals are not included.
Additional fees students may encounter include (but not limited to) transportation, visas, passports, immunizations, and course fees.
Course fees and off-campus study fees will be added to students' bill once the semester has begun and Temple invoices Messiah for these charges.
Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from this program.

Credit Limit Policy for Semester-Long, Off-Campus Program

Typically when students study off-campus in Messiah-approved, semester-long programs, students earn between 13 and 18 credits. All students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits.

The tuition/fees charged for Messiah’s approved study abroad programs permits a student to complete 12-18 credits. Messiah University will process up to 18 credits. If a student completes more than 18 credits and would like the additional credits applied to their transcript, additional tuition will be charged for credits over 18 and would be assessed after the official transcript is received/processed by Messiah.

Updated 03 March 2023