Under the Italian Sun: Journeys in Italy

Program Content

In this hybrid study abroad program, students will explore journey narratives set in Italy while comparing these narratives to their own experiences while in Rome. By examining popular depictions of various genres that feature metaphorical and physical journeys (travel narratives, the road film, the Travelogue romance genre, Italian Neorealism, the Italian Auteurs, documentaries) through an array of artistic mediums (novels, short stories, films, television, visual arts), students will consider what differing perspectives (American, British, Italian) and cultural contexts illuminate about Italy and Italian culture. Students will trace common themes (leisure, labor, family, pleasure, fear, envy, transformation) and will consider how journey narrative highlights - or conceals - matters of marginalization, migration, class, and identity. Particular attention will be given to analyzing how post-World War II American media constructed notions of Italianness and Italianicity through the lionization of Italian cultural products (the Vespa, fashion, pop music, food, and wine) which then obtain powerful symbolism in the narratives under study (some films/shows include Roman Holiday, Love and Gelato, Emily in Paris, Eat Pray Love, Ripley, and White Lotus in Sicily).

As a hybrid study abroad program, for the first four weeks of Autumn quarter, students will engage in pre-departure coursework on campus before traveling to Rome, Italy in late October. After spending several weeks in Italy, students will return to Tacoma to conclude the term with post-program reflection work, class presentations, and final projects.

Students will have the opportunity to visit sites featured in the films and literature and will be asked to reflect on how common themes, tropes, and stereotypes featured in the journey narratives compare to their own personal experiences, impressions, and encounters with Italian culture both at home and abroad. Guided tours and guest speakers will enhance learning experiences for students while in Rome. Some of these tours include: a visit of Italian film studios (Cinecittà), a tour of Caravaggio paintings in Roman churches and in the Galleria Villa Borghese (as featured in Ripley), on-location site visits to Trastevere as featured in Bicycle Thieves, walking tours of famous monuments like Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and the Colosseum (featured in Roman Holiday, Umberto D., and most of the journey narratives are set in Rome). Students will be asked to create their own Travelogue and will keep a reflective travel journal.

This study abroad program is led by Dr. Jennifer Myers Baran and Dr. Nicole Blair.

Academic Content

This program does not require any pre-requisites or language requirements.  Students will earn 12 credits for this study abroad program as follows:

TFILM 499: Cinematic Journeys in Italy (5 credits)

This course will provide students with an interdisciplinary framework that brings together Film and Media Studies, History, and Cultural Studies. During experiential-learning activities in Rome, students will have the chance to explore the different locations where films were shot to better understand the spatial complexities of the city and the various forms and levels of cinematic representations of travel in Italy. By illustrating opposing perspectives, styles, and concerns of Italy on screen, students will be asked to reflect on their own experiences, impressions, and encounters with Italian culture both at home and abroad in class discussions, reflection posts, and creative projects (photo essays, short films, and/or short travelogue stories).

Learning Goals Include:

• Identify how the historical and cultural contexts reflect and shape the journey in each narrative while examining the transformations of - and the connections between - film and society
• Develop a critical vocabulary and visual literacy needed to discuss film form and its content and contexts
• Define and analyze themes, aesthetics, and generic tropes associated with each journey film
• Analyze how gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, and/or class are depicted in each narrative 
• Recognize and utilize various theoretical lenses and approaches - film studies, tourism studies, cultural studies, Italian studies, etc. - to analyze the material
• Create a travelogue which reflects on the course material as well as the student's personal journey in Italy

TLIT 458: The Modern Novel - Travel Narratives of Italy (5 credits)

In this course, students will explore how the development of modern fictional narrative coincides with the democratization and rise of international Travel. By focusing on fictional Travel narratives set in Italy, this class will consider how transformations of the medium reflect cast social changes associated with the Modern era.

Learning Goals Include:

• Read and reflect on short stories and novels focused on travel experiences in Italy and the impact that such travel had on the authors
• Explore and analyze various fictional devices such as character development, plot, and narration and how they function to perpetuate a reductive version of Italy and Italians
• Write a literary-critical argument based on students' readings and reflections about the impact of international travel in Italy inspired by modern fictional narratives (short stories and/or novels)
• Give a presentation of this project in class upon returning to UWT

TIAS 498: Directed Reading (2 credits)

This 2-credit directed reading course will draw from and build upon the course material covered in TFILM 499 & TLIT 458. Each week, students will be asked to complete additional primary readings (which may also include films) and/or secondary readings and then discuss how they further illuminate concepts, themes, and tropes discussed in the film and literature courses. The readings will be interdisciplinary in nature, coming from a wide variety of disciplines and lenses (food studies, Italian studies, tourism studies, cultural studies, genre studies, studies of adaptations, sociology, psychology, art history, etc). This multi-discipline approach will enrich students/ engagement with and understanding of the cultural products and cross-cultural interactions that they encounter during their time in Rome. The course will require discussion and reflection posts and a final project.

Learning Goals Include:

• Apply a multi-perspective and interdisciplinary analysis of Italian culture and society
• Analyze the connections between various artistic mediums and identify common themes, tropes, and iconography
• Appreciate aspects of Italian culture that are illuminated in the assigned reading and course materials and observed during travel
• Create a reflection project or research paper that synthesizes ideas gleaned through an interdisciplinary study

Program Schedule 

The program runs from September 24 - December 12, 2025. Students will spend October 20 - November 5 in Italy. 

Housing

Students will stay in shared apartments with other UW Tacoma students. 

Student Eligibility

This course is open to students with a strong interest in culture and communications, and it may be of particular interest to students in the following majors: Business, Marketing, Management, Communication, Arts, Media & Culture, and Urban Studies. There are no prerequisites or language requirements, however students must be in "good academic standing" (2.0 or above) in order to participate. 

Application Deadline

Applications are due February 15, 2025. Applicants who applied by the February 15th deadline will be notified of acceptance decisions by March 1. Once accepted to the program, applicants will need to confirm their participation in the program by March 15, 2023. Click the "Apply Now" button below to begin.

Travel Documents and Insurance

Passport and Visas

No visa or other paperwork is required for U.S. citizens. For international students, the Office of Global Affairs is not responsible for obtaining visas for your travel. You can research visa requirements by calling the consular offices of countries to where you will be travelling or visiting the following website: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country.html. 

The cost and requirements for obtaining visas vary. It is your responsibility to determine visa requirements for all countries you plan to visit while abroad including countries that you plan to visit before or after your study abroad program. This is an especially important consideration if you are planning to do more than one study abroad program.

Insurance

The University of Washington requires students engaged in educational activities abroad – including study, research, internships or community engagement – to purchase UW Student Abroad Insurance. If you are a current UW student, you are required to purchase coverage UW Student Abroad Insurance. Details are on the UW Study Abroad Insurance page.

Program Cost 

Check back later for the total program cost!

Withdrawals

The $470 UW Study Abroad Fees are non-refundable once a contract has been submitted. Students withdrawing from a program are responsible for paying a percentage of the program fee depending on the date of withdrawal. More details about the withdrawal policy are included in your payment contract. No part of the program fee is refundable once the program has begun. The date of withdrawal is considered the business day a withdrawal form is received by the Office of Global Affairs. Notice of withdrawal from the program must be made in writing by completing the following steps:

1. Provide notice in writing to the program director that you will no longer be participating in the program.
2. Submit a signed withdrawal form to the Office of Global Affairs. 

Financial Aid and Scholarships

• A large percentage of UW students utilize financial aid to study abroad. Most types of financial aid can be applied to study abroad fees.
• For UW Tacoma students, you can submit a revision request to increase the amount of aid for the quarter you are studying abroad. These additional funds are usually awarded in the form of loans. To apply, fill out a revision request form, attach the budget sheet (available via the link at the top of this brochure) and submit these documents to the UW Tacoma Office of Financial Aid. 
• For UW Seattle or Bothell Students, you can apply by filling out a revision request form, attach the budget sheet (available via the link at the top of this brochure) and submit these documents to the Office of Financial Aid. 
• Consult the Financial Aid section of our website for more information on applying for financial aid, special considerations for summer and early fall programs, and budgeting and fundraising tips
• Please also review this list of scholarships: these are opportunities that can help fund your study abroad experience. Please note that many of them have deadlines before your study abroad application is due. For help with the application process, please contact uwtintl@uw.edu.

Budgeting Tools

We understand that figuring out your finances for study abroad can be complicated, and we are here to help. Here are some ways to find additional support:

• Click on the Budget Sheets link at the top of this brochure to view the estimated budget of all expenses for this program.
• UW Tacoma students can attend a How to Fund Your Study Abroad event - more information is on the Events page of our website.

Orientation 

To be eligible to study abroad, all program participants must attend an online pre-departure orientation facilitated by the Office of Global Affairs/UW Study Abroad as well as your program-specific orientations, offered by your program directors. Orientation must be completed prior to the enrollment deadline for the quarter that you are studying abroad.

Changes in Cost or Scope of Program

In the event of significant devaluations of the dollar, some adjustments to program activities may be necessary. If there are any political events that might compromise the safety of the participants, a rescheduling or cancellation of the program may be necessary. If such changes occur, students will be notified of the changes and options will be presented.

Program Cancellation

If viable enrollment is not reached by May 1, 2025 the program will be cancelled. Participants will be notified and the administrative and program fees will be refunded.

Disability Accommodations

The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, and education for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation for this program, contact Disability Resources for Students at least 8 weeks in advance of your departure date. Contact info at tacoma.uw.edu/drs.