Each ASA participant must choose one primary “study track” each semester which consists of their primary subject course. Each primary subject course meets twice per week at archaeological, cultural and historical sites throughout the city of Rome. The following study tracks / primary subject courses are offered in 2025:  

• Roma Antica: Twice weekly on-site visits provide a survey of Roman art from the Etruscan through the Baroque periods, and therefore, from the founding of the ancient city in the 8th century BC to circa 1700. Students study each period's art and architecture and define its place within the general context of Roman civilization. Rome's position as both capital of the ancient empire and of the western Latin Church has earned her the well-recognized sobriquet, the Eternal City. Consequently, students confront how the "idea" of Rome had bearing upon the formation of its art and architecture within the chronological context. The course as a whole can be considered an introduction to art history in the field, as each meeting the class visits a historical site or museum in order to reconstruct through living examples the artistic fabric of the city. 
   

• Roma Moderna: Together with Temple Rome faculty, participants will explore sites relevant to the contemporary history and character of Rome. This exploration begins with the Risorgimento, or unification of Italy, and continues through World War I, Fascism, World War 2, and Postwar Italy. Selected sites will be viewed and analyzed through the lenses of various academic disciplines: including History, Architecture & Urban Development, Political Science, and Anthropology. 

Each participant will also have the opportunity to participate in a classroom film seminar focused on Italian cinema. The seminar meets once weekly on campus. 

Course Description: In this seminar, “Italian Culture through Cinema,” we will delve into and share ideas, observations, experiences, and questions regarding relevant aspects of Italian society as portrayed in Italian films. Some topics pertaining to the historical, social, and economic developments of contemporary Italy are discussed, such as: fascism; the family; attitudes towards gender; political instability; rural poverty; the uneasy relationship between north and south; terrorism, organized crime and the mafia; and immigration. 

In addition to the primary subject course, all ASA participants are enrolled in an Italian Language & Culture course. The course meets three times per week, including two 90-minute classroom sessions and one 3-hour cultural lab off campus. Various language levels are offered each semester based upon enrollment and the results of the ASA Italian Placement Exam. 

Course Description: One cannot fully begin to understand a new culture without first understanding the local language. In this course, learners will embark on an educational journey in which language and culture intertwine. Emphasis will be placed on the vocabulary and phrases most commonly used in every-day settings, and embedded “Italian Tutors” will allow learners to practice conversational skills with native speakers during each class meeting. Learners will put their newfound language skills to use in real-world settings during weekly Cultural Labs, designed to highlight key aspects of everyday Italian life and culture.  

In addition to the courses included in the ASA Base Program, 1-3 Optional Short Courses are offered each semester depending upon the interests of our enrolled participants. Each short course meets once weekly off-campus. While these offerings vary semester to semester, below you’ll find descriptions of some of our more popular optional short courses. 

• Artists & Artisans with Prof. Shara Wasserman 
  This course is intended to introduce participants to the rich and varied hand made tradition in Rome. Built on the banks of the Tiber River, and with direct access to the Tyrrhenian Sea, the city has been at the center of commercial activities since antiquity, with merchants and commerce spurring the economic growth of Rome. As a port city that saw the arrival of merchandise from all parts of the Roman Empire, and again in the later Middle Ages, with the rise of commercial activities throughout Europe,  tradesmen, pilgrims and voyagers brought their wares, or needed merchandise. Keys, locks, saddles, prints, books, papermaking, weaving, tailoring, leather crafting, mosaic and fresco work, woodwork, gilding, and more were the core of the handmade artisan output. Artistically, the Emperors, the Church and the aristocratic families, commissioned the well-known marvel of buildings, churches, monuments, and works of art, which made use of the able hand work of brick makers, marble carvers, mosaic and fresco artists. 
  By means of neighborhood walks and visits to local Roman artisans, we will explore the continuity of this artisanry. 
   
• Invisible Rome with Prof. Lorenzo Rinelli
  “As this wave from memories flows in, the city soaks it up like a sponge and expands. A description of [the city] as it is today should contain all [the city’s] past. The city, however, does not tell its past, but contains it like the lines of a hand, written in the corners of the streets, the gratings of the windows, the banisters of the steps, the antennae of the lightning rods, the poles of the bags, every segment marked in turn with scratches, indentations, scrolls.” – Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities, 1974 (original 1972) 

  Rome has maintained the signs and symbols of its past which influence representations and behaviors, policies and governance, and also determine the way we imagine the city to come. Eternal thus is not immobile, and the concept of a frozen city is therefore flawed. This course starts from the premise that migration, past and present, is a major factor in urban development. To better comprehend its potential, we will add some historical context to our discussions by examining hidden monuments and urban spaces. This short course develops at the intersection of migration and urban studies which often focus on space to the exclusion of the temporal dimension. But these hidden histories are key to understanding social bonds, belonging, and identity through shared memories and ultimately for understanding the impact of migration memories on social, cultural, and political cohesion, as well as the creation of pluralistic and inclusive societies. 
   

• Neighborhoods of Modern Rome with Prof. Andrew Kranis
  Beyond the Classical, Renaissance and Baroque monuments of the Centro Storico lies the Rome that is lived-in by a majority of Romans and has been a great cauldron of experiments in housing and neighborhood design for over 150 years. Through neighborhood walks, building interior tours and plein air sketching or photography (no experience required), we will consider the relationship between the city’s historic center and its periphery as well as modern housing and urban design strategies as they help to synthesize the major transformations of the Italian Capital in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. We will discover how architecture is intimately connected to Italy’s self-perception, from its 19th Century transformation to a parliamentary monarchy, through fascism and its post-World War II aftermath; and onward to the city’s 21st Century development trends and architectural landmarks. All class meetings take place onsite at diverse locations within Rome’s public transport network, which learners will explore and navigate as an essential tool of life in the city. 
   
• Additional Courses Pending Participants’ Interest 
  The Short Course catalog is determined each year following the results of an interest survey of all enrolled participants, and thus offerings can vary widely from one year to the next. Beyond the three courses listed above, past optional Short Courses have also included Ancient Roman History and various studio art workshops. If you have a particular academic or artistic interest beyond what’s included in the base program, please make note of it in your application!