Independent study abroad Program

Have you ever wished that Providence College could relocate to some place more scenic? Does the Italian cuisine in Ray lack the authentic flavor you crave? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to learn about Seneca and St. Augustine in the city where their great works were produced, instead of thousands of miles away in Providence?The Providence College Center for International Studies recently teamed up with Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA) in order to establish the CEA/Providence College Center for Theology and Religious Studies in Rome. The center will begin its first semester in fall 2011. It aims to target undergraduate students from Roman Catholic universities across the United States with a focus on theology and religious studies in addition to course electives from other disciplines.

The center will be located in a residential neighborhood in the northeastern section of the city of Rome,said Adrian Beaulieu, dean of International Studies.It will be close to public transportation so students will be able to visit any landmarks they wish and all of Rome.What makes the center unique, unlike other study abroad options available at Providence College, is that the program will be administered by the College. The College will oversee the theology curriculum and approve the other elective courses that students will take. Students who attend the center will take five courses, or 15 credits. They will take two required courses, The New Testament in the Eternal City and an Italian language class at the beginning, intermediate, or advanced level. Their other courses will include various electives in theology and other subject areas.

The center's faculty will be comprised of scholars from various local universities as well as the pontifical colleges in Rome. In addition, a theology professor from the College will serve each year as the resident faculty director and teach while also performing administrative work.This program is a good fit for the College with its Roman Catholic affiliation and the history of the college,said Beaulieu.It is also a good fit in terms of academics.Beaulieu spoke of housing plans for students who will be enrolled in the center.We want students to live with students from other schools so it will not be like a smaller version of PC. We want to have opportunities for cultural immersion.While the center's main focus is on theology and religious studies, students of most majors are encouraged to apply. We know that theology has few majors at PC, and we want to make the program available to as many students as possible. We hope to extend this program to include some courses for business majors by the fall of 2012 as well.said Beaulieu.

For the first time, starting in the fall of 2011, students who receive financial aid from the College will be able to apply it to their study abroad expenses. In addition to financial aid provided by the College, CEA also has scholarships available.Already, a few students have expressed interest in the program after attending the study abroad fair which was held on Sept. 27. There will also be a PC Rome info session at the end of October. The dean of CEA Italy will be at that info session. The date has not yet been determined, but a notice will be sent out to students," said Beaulieu.Prior to the CEA/Providence College Center for Theology and Religious Studies, the College had two other Europe-based centers. These programs took place at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and another summer program at Pietrasanta in Italy. These programs began in the 1970s and lasted for about 20 years. The center in Rome will be the first program by Providence College since its conclusion of the past two programs.