Brown University - Office of International Programs

Brown in Italy - Academics

The exchange program between Brown and the University of Bologna provides an opportunity for undergraduates to study at the oldest university in Europe. Students on the Brown program may also take visual art classes at the Accademia di Belle Arti.

 

The program begins with a one-month (September or January-February) orientation program in Bologna. During the required orientation period participants will attend a series of group and individual advising meetings with the on-site staff. At the meetings students will receive logistical information regarding the city of Bologna and other pertinent program materials. Students will also make final university course selections with the help of the on-site staff. In addition to these logistical advising sessions, student will be required to participate in the required Intensive Language and Culture Pro Seminar.

The Intensive Language and Culture Pro Seminar is comprised of three main components:

  1. Language Course
  2. Italian Culture Course
  3. guided excursions (total of 60 contact hours)

The courses and tours are geared toward preparing advanced Italian language students to function well in the academic and social context of Bologna. Guided tours of Bologna and neighboring cities of interest may include visits to Ravenna, Mantova, Verona, and Parma.

From October to May, students attend intensive semester courses (some year-long courses are available) at the University of Bologna. Students can choose courses from any combination of the eighteen facoltà (schools) which are in turn subdivided into different departments:

  • Agriculture
  • Architecture
  • Artistic Conservation
  • Economics and Business
  • Educational Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Foreign Languages and Literature
  • Industrial Chemistry
  • Law
  • Letters and Philosophy
    (which includes History, Art History, Classics, Italian, Modern Languages and Literature)
  • Mathematics, Physics, and Natural Sciences
  • Medicine
  • Motor Sciences
  • Pharmacology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Statistical Sciences
  • Veterinary Medicine

Brown program participants may also take one studio and visual arts course at the Accademia di Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts), if they can provide a portfolio of their previous work. Students must take six 60 credit hour courses or the equivalent from the regular university in order to maintain full academic status in the program.

Students can enroll for the fall or spring semester program which will include the two courses during orientation and three 60 credit hour courses or the equivalent. Students have access to the full range of academic offerings at the University of Bologna.

Course Requirements and Structure

In order to complete a full courseload on the Brown in Bologna program students must complete the Intensive Language and Culture Orientation ProSeminar and the equivalent of three 60 hour courses at the University of Bologna, including the corresponding exams. The course structure is very different from that of US institutions. Most courses are divided into two parts ˆ an institutional part, which requires individual reading and general background preparation on the subject, and the monographic part, which is covered by the professor in class. There is rarely any immediate accountability such as quizzes, written assignments or midterms. The final exams are usually public oral presentations before a small committee of three professors. Thus, students in Bologna are expected to be much more academically independent and have to pace themselves to complete the necessary reading for final exams.

Academic Calendar (Approximate dates)

Academic Year: August 28- June 5

Fall Semester Option: August 28-December 18

  • Orientation: August 28-September 28
  • Winter Break: December 19-January 8

Spring Semester Option: January 8-June 5

  • Orientation: January 8-February 8
  • Spring Break: March 20-24
Updated: October 1, 2008