Program Information
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Winter 2025: Italy COMM micro
January 07, 2025 - January 28, 2025 (dates are tentative)
This program has been cancelled. Please contact the faculty director for more information.
Meetings
Program Notes
This program is highly competitive and will accept only a limited number of applicants. Interview appointments and acceptance decisions are at the discretion of the faculty director.
All applicants must have a valid passport by the program’s application deadline. Your passport’s expiration date must be more than six months after the program ends. If you do not have a current passport, apply through the U.S. State Department. It takes an average of 6-8 weeks (2 months) to process a passport.

Traveling and studying abroad at this time poses new challenges and requires accepting a higher level of uncertainty than in the past. Students who choose to study abroad must be prepared to adapt to evolving situations and must take responsibility to act in accordance with the rules, regulations, and recommendations of UD, their program leadership, and legal authorities of their home and host country which are subject to change at any time.

The University will continue to monitor the ongoing situation with COVID-19 (coronavirus) and world events as we approach the departure date for this program. Please reach out to your program coordinator or faculty director with questions and continue to monitor the UD coronavirus webpage for updates. If UD decides to cancel a study abroad program, we will communicate directly with affected students.
Program Description
Study global public relations in two of the most beautiful and popular cities in Italy: Rome and Florence.

Rome is a place of contrasts. It’s an ancient city full of some of the most treasured examples of arts and culture in Europe and spawned the Roman Empire. And yet, Rome is now also home of some of the world’s most prestigious global public relations and advertising agencies operating in today’s face-paced, mass-media oriented, globally interconnect world. So in Rome you can time travel from 750 BC to today and end up in the cutting edge of the communication profession, and that’s all within a 10-mile radius chocked full of world-heritage sites in easy reach.

If that weren’t enough, we’ll also study in beautiful Florence, the heart of stunning Tuscany, celebrated for its breathtaking landscapes. The region is legendary for its delicious cuisine. It’s nestled among the rolling hills of one of Italy’s most important farming areas. Here generations of farmers have produced some of the best olives, wheat, and grapes for delicious olive oil, bread, and wine -- the mainstays of the now world-famous Mediterranean diet, a way of eating for over 5,000 years. All of this lies just outside Florence, one of the most beautifully preserved Renaissance cities in Europe.

In Florence itself, you will also visit world-heritage sites, for example, Michael Angelo’s famous David statue. Plus you’ll meeting with the marketers charged with promoting that priceless treasure along with others promoting Tuscany’s thriving farm-to-table culinary destinations. Florence, known is known as the place where the Renaissance began in the late Middle Ages, planted the intellectual seeds which grew into the modern ways we live today.

In three intensive weeks, you will completely immerse yourself in authentic Italy beginning in the ancient world, moving through the medieval world, and finally into today’s digitally-drenched, communication-oriented world.

Academics and Excursions:

Based in both Rome and Florence, you will be guided through this broad program by professional guides, local experts, as well as your UD instructor. All in-classroom and out-of-classroom activities (both academic and culture) focus on how/why/where international public relations efforts best succeed. But beyond that, you will also practice those techniques yourself while you’re deep inside authentic Italy.

During part of your first or second class session, you’ll learn introductory “arrival Italian” to grasp basic Italian language phrases and to receive cross-cultural tips so you can better communicate with Italians.

Uniquely, the program is designed to improve your visual literacy skills so that you better understand the core principals of visual communication such as: color, balance, harmony, movement, layout, design, and execution. That learning happens during our frequent excursions to museums, monuments, art galleries, and cultural treasures.

Typically, this winter session program includes many local excursions and day-trips. In Rome that normally includes: the Coliseum, Vatican City, Sistine Chapel, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, St. Peter’s Basilica, Pompeii, and a visit to a professional public relations agency. In Florence that normally includes: Michelangelo Square, Florence Cathedral with its famous Duomo (dome), Uffizi Galleries, Ponte Veccio, Galileo Museum, olive groves or grape vineyards with tastings or meals, and a cooking lesson.

Housing and meals:

Students reside in double or triple rooms in hotels with breakfast provided daily.

Summary:
Rome and Florence will become your immersive “learning laboratory”.

You will meet for morning class in a regular classroom building. Our frequent excursions away from that classroom are integrated into your assignments so there is no distinction between cultural visits, agency visits, and classroom sessions. The program is designed to maximize on all that Italy offers you. So this is a customized educational experience that is impossible to have in Delaware.

That’s part of the many reasons that study abroad programs enhance your education because it’s through these new experiences that you’ll gain a greater understanding of different cultures and also a new awareness of your own identity. You’ll grow in your adaptability, in your problem-solving skills, and in your personal independence which are all positive traits most employers look for in new hires.

The entire program will be a visual, cultural, artistic, culinary, interpersonal, and strategic communication combined experience. Through your classroom workshops, assignments, and excursions you’ll end the program with concrete work samples that will showcase your knowledge, skills, and personal traits to future employers.

The Program Fee includes housing in double or triple rooms, group excursions, cultural events, some meals, and international medical insurance.

The Program Fee does NOT include airfare to/from Rome, nor airport transfers within the U.S.
Students will need to budget for laundry, some meals, and cellphone.

The program officially begins when students arrive in Rome. Students will receive detailed travel instructions after acceptance, explaining how and where to purchase their plane ticket. See the Cost section below for estimate airfare.
ACCESSIBILITY: Students with disabilities are welcomed and encouraged to study abroad, but should be aware that accessibility and accommodation in some program locations may differ from the United States. Transit systems and legacy building construction practices may not meet U.S. accessibility standards, and alternative access to public transportation, buildings, or public sites cannot be guaranteed. Review these questions with the Office of Disability Support Services to determine whether this program can meet your accommodation needs.
Program Courses
Students must enroll in all credit-bearing courses for a grade. Only the UNIV (zero credit) course may be taken pass/fail. Audit registration is not permitted on UD Travel Study. Please refer to the University Catalog to verify requirements and prerequisites
All students must enroll in at least 3 credits, as well as the 0-credit UNIV course.
COMM 200-070: Topics in Communication: Global Public Relations (3 credits)
Rotating topics presenting overviews of social science research on communication in various contexts including the behavior of individuals,relationships, social groups, and media in society. Emphasize theories, empirical findings, and applications of communication research in the social and behavioral sciences.
Satisfies the following requirements:
University Social Science Breadth
Arts and Sciences - Group C
Restrictions: May be repeated two times for nine credits when topics vary.
UNIV 370: Study Abroad - Italy COMM micro (0 credits) pass/fail
Students are asked to reflect upon changes in their knowledge, skills, and attitudes that occur due to their study abroad experience.
Satisfies the following requirements:
Discovery Learning
Requirements

Applicants should have a G.P.A. of at least 2.0 (on a 4.00 scale).

Meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance, which is based on academic quality and demonstrated ability to contribute to the objectives of the program. Early application is encouraged.

For all participants, a formal application is necessary, including at least one recommendation. An interview may be conducted in person or by Zoom.

A transcript is required from Non-UD applicants only. Non-UD students, please email a copy of your official transcript to the Program Coordinator.

Study abroad at the University of Delaware is highly competitive. Please review the study abroad acceptance process. If you are not selected for your first choice program, we encourage you to apply to another program.
Costs
How much does it cost?.
  • University of Delaware Tuition/Fees for one Winter Session
  • Travel Study Program Fee
    • Usually covers: housing, all program-related excursions and some meals (check with the program's faculty director for details).
    • Does NOT cover: airfare to/from the program site and ground transportation to/from the U.S. departure airport. For planning purposes only, we estimate roundtrip airfare to be approximately $1,300.00.
  • Plan ahead for how to pay for travel study, and make sure you understand the costs associated with your program.
When and how do I pay?
If you are offered acceptance to the program, you will have 3 days to withdraw without financial penalty. After the 3 days have passed, you will be officially accepted to the program, and CGPS will post the full Program Fee and Tuition/Fees to your UD student account.
  • An initial payment of $1000.00 will be due in mid-May.
  • The balance of the Program Fee and Tuition/Fees will be due in early January.
  • Payments are submitted through My Finances in UDSIS.
  • All charges, once posted to your account, are considered non-refundable.
Other important things to note:
  • Program Fees are subject to change until the group's departure date. Final Program Fees may increase due to unforeseen local cost increases, fluctuations in exchange rates, or changes in the group size.
  • CGPS reserves the right to cancel a program at any time due to under-enrollment, safety/health/security issues, staffing issues, or any other relevant reason. If your program is cancelled, you will receive a full refund of all Program Fees paid.
Delaware ResidentNon-Delaware Resident
Estimated Tuition based on current year$1,755.00$4,710.00
Estimated Program FeeTBATBA
UD Registration & Activities Fee$30.00$30.00
Total to be charged to UD account (estimated)TBATBA
Plus Airfare Estimate (purchased separately)$1,300.00$1,300.00
The rates above may not apply to you if you are a UD graduate student during the time you are studying abroad. Please refer to http://www1.udel.edu/finaid/rates.html for the appropriate rates.
The University of Delaware’s differential charge for Engineering, Nursing and Business & Economics students does not apply to winter or summer session and is waived for students enrolled in semester- or year-long study abroad and exchange programs sponsored by the University.
Scholarships
Financial need-based scholarships are available to UD undergraduates on a competitive basis. To be considered, students must have a current FAFSA on-file with Student Financial Services. For more details, please see our scholarships page.
Deadlines
All charges, once posted to your account, are considered non-refundable. Payments are submitted through My Finances in UDSIS.
Submit Program Application by 5pm onApril 20, 2024
Acceptance and Scholarship AnnouncedMay 03, 2024
$1,000.00 Initial Payment Due *mid-May
Program Fee Balance, Tuition and Fees Dueearly January
*All students will receive an email when they are accepted to a program and will have 10 days from that notification to make their $1,000.00 Initial Payment.
Please note that this program is highly competitive and will accept only a limited number of applicants.
Contacts
Carolyn White Bartoo
Faculty Director
Communication
242 Pearson Hall
302-388-2211
bartoo@udel.edu

Program information is subject to change at any time. Please check this web site periodically for updates.