Architecture in Italy (Faculty-Led Program)

Experience the architecture of Italy through lectures, guided tours, day trips, and cultural exhibits to gain insight into architectural principles that are as strong an influence today as they were 2,000 years ago.

Highlights

• Visit three cities in Italy - Rome, Florence, and Siena - to explore diverse architectural design and Italy's rich history and culture.
• Immerse yourself in Italy's architectural heritage through visits to iconic landmarks, such as the Colosseum, churches in Rome (Medieval, Baroque, Gothic), the Pitti Palace in Florence, and the Uffizi Gallery in Siena.
• Through guided tours, guest lecturers, and independent exploration, you will better understand and appreciate Italian culture and how it influences architectural design.
• Master of Architecture students may use this experience to complete the global experience degree requirement.

You will enroll in a spring 2025 course in Rochester and then travel to Italy for two weeks as a group. While in Italy, you will absorb the culture by exploring the neighborhoods, talking with residents, and dining in local eateries. Throughout the two weeks, excursions, guest lecturers, and guided tours will provide an in-depth view of the rich history and culture of architectural design in three major Italian cities: Rome, Florence, and Siena.

Your two-week travel to Italy will culminate in a final project where you will provide an analysis of the architectural designs you experienced. You will stay in a shared hotel room during the two weeks in Italy.

Program Term: Spring 2025 course, with travel to Italy in early May
Travel Dates: May 10-24, 2025
Credits: 0 to 3

Course:
ARCH 598/698: Global Experience
No pre-requistes. Open to all 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students, and graduate students.

Application deadline: October 20, 2024

Eligibility:

• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher (students with lower than a 2.5 GPA would be considered on a case-by-case basis)
• Have a clear conduct record with RIT
• Have no financial holds on your RIT eServices account at the time of your program acceptance/confirmation

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Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: A student budget worksheet outlining all program costs will be available soon. 

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting, so they have time to prepare) 
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications in the RIT Study Abroad Compass for this program will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships awarded based on financial need.

• Other scholarships: RIT Study Abroad Scholarships, National Study Abroad Scholarships

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To Apply

1) Watch this short video on application steps for RIT faculty-led programs.
2) Start an application in the RIT Study Abroad Compass