Study Abroad in Rome
Duke University: ICCS-Rome (Classics Program)
The Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome (ICCS) was established in 1965 by representatives of ten American colleges and universities; the number of member institutions has now grown to 90. It provides undergraduate students with an opportunity in Rome to study ancient history and archaeology, Greek and Latin literature, and ancient art. ICCS has received generous aid from the Danforth Foundation, The Old Dominion Foundation, The Mellon Foundation, and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, as well as the continuing support of a consortium of colleges and universities, and contributions from former students.
A Managing Committee elected by the consortium colleges and universities determines the curriculum and selects the faculty, students, and scholarship recipients. Administration of the Intercollegiate Center is handled by Duke University's Office of Study Abroad.
The curriculum is structured differently from that in many American colleges and universities. Students are expected to take four courses, which is a minimum and normal load; a few students take five courses. A major part of the academic work is a required comprehensive and integrated course called The Ancient City. It is equal to and requires as much class and study time as two semester courses. It covers Roman archaeology and topography, aspects of social and urban history of Rome, and Roman civilization. Frequent site visits and explorations, intensive museum tours and lectures, and wider-ranging trips based on the Professor-in-Charge's area's of expertise outside Rome are included as part of the course. In the recent past, Campania and Sicily have been the focus of extended and focused study. Because The Ancient City course depends on prior knowledge of Roman history, students are expected to prepare themselves by taking a Roman history course or by careful reading on the subject.
Students choose their other courses from the following: Intermediate or Advanced Latin (Petronius); Intermediate Greek; Advanced Greek; Renaissance and Baroque Art History; or Elementary Italian (no other level of Italian is available). Students are required to take at least one course in Latin or Greek as part of their ICCS course load.
The Latin and Greek courses avoid excessive concentration on commonly read works. Students who wish to take an independent study or directed reading may do so, providing it is supervised by a member of the faculty at the student's own college or university. This work will not appear on an ICCS transcript, and no responsibility for it will be taken by the ICCS faculty. Visit the Duke University ICCS- Rome website for more information on course offerings.
SJU students must maintain a full-time enrollment of 12-17 credits on this program. Students typically take 4 courses during the semester. Since students can only take 4 courses on this program, students are able to use the SJU 4 Course Policy. This policy allows students to either 1)have a free elective waived or 2)take an overload and not pay for it. Please click here for a full explanation of the 4 course policy.
The academic calendar is similar to SJU; the Fall semester runs from late August to mid-December, the Spring semester runs from mid-January to the end of April.
Located in a four-story building on one of the main streets of the Janiculum, the Center is ten minutes by bus from the Piazza Venezia and downtown Rome. It is close to the American Academy in Rome with which it maintains cordial relations. The building is owned by the Suore Infermiere dell'Addolorata, and contains bedrooms (mostly doubles) for 36 students, classrooms, a library, offices, dining rooms, and a kitchen. Outside is a small and pleasant garden. The neighborhood is residential with apartment buildings, small shops, cafes, and services. Three meals a day are provided at the Center, Monday through Friday. Other meals are at individual student's expense and are not included in the program fees.
Students will remain registered at SJU and pay SJU tuition for the semester or year they will be studying abroad plus a Continuing Registration Fee of $100. Tuition rates are assessed to a student based on the student's primary matriculation at Saint Joseph's University as determined by the academic policies of the University.
Housing is paid directly to Duke University. For the most up to date cost estimates for this program please refer the Financial Information Sheet for this program on file in the Center for International Programs.
All selected students must pay a non-refundable deposit (applied toward tuition) and a security deposit (refundable in part or in full when all financial obligations to ICCS and to local businesses have been met - up to six months after completion of the program). Saint Joseph's University is a member college.
Students must arrange and pay for their own roundtrip transportation to Rome. Personal expenses can be expected to be higher in Rome than at a student's home college or university. This increase usually comes from individual travel, higher costs for laundry, weekend meals, and attendance at concerts, plays, and movies.
A specific scholarship is available for this program:ICCS Scholarhip Application.
For information on additional scholarships and financial aid for study abroad please visit the SJU study abroad scholarships page.
- GPA Requirement: 3.0
- Applicants must be currently registered undergraduates majoring either in classics, classical history, or archaeology, or must be art history majors with strong classical interests and background
- Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing,
- Students should be junior year students; second semester sophomores will also be considered
All application materials should be submitted to the Center for International Programs prior to the deadline. Students are required to submit the following material to apply for the Duke ICCS-Rome Fall or Spring Semester program:
1. SJU Study Abroad Application
2. Two Academic Recommendations (use Duke's form) One recommendation must be from faculty in the SJU Classics Department; the second recommendation should be from a faculy member in your major;
3. CIP will obtain a copy of your official transcript for review purposes and forward it to Duke ICCS.
4. Complete ICCS-Rome online application
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A passport and visa are required for this program. If you do not already have a passport, go to the following site to apply for one: http://travel.state.gov/passport/index.html
If you already have a passport check the validity dates. Your passport will need to be valid for 6 months after the END of your program. Details on how to apply for a visa will be provided to accepted students at a later date. You MUST have your passport before you can apply for a visa!