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Study Abroad | Rome
Fall 2024: Academics

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Study abroad students in Rome, Italy, visit the Erremiti Cloister.
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Select Your Program Option:

  • Fall 2024

  • Spring 2025

  • Fall 2025

  • Spring 2026

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AcadEmics Overview

AIFS Abroad offers a unique global educational experience for students on this program, with the following academic options available:

Program Options

Program Name Early Start Available Credits Notes
Multi Discipline
Early Start Available: No Credits: Up to 18

Italian language study is optional. Students choose to take Italian Language courses and/or electives taught in English for a total of up to 17 semester credits. 

Music Program: Students take up to 5 courses from the Traditional Program plus possible extra credit from Saint Louis College of Music and earn up to 18 semester credits. Courses are available in bass, drums, guitar, percussion, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and vocals. 

No AIFS participant is permitted to take a course without receiving a grade. Pass/Fail options are not available. 

Art History

Business

Communications

History

Italian Language

Literature

Marketing

Music

Political Science

Psychology

Sociology

Trevi fountain in Rome, Italy.

The Music Program

For music majors who do not want to fall behind during a semester abroad, or for those with an interest in music, an exciting Music Program is available, taught in a multicultural environment in conjunction with Saint Louis College of Music, founded in 1976 and authorized to issue Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research. Students take up to 15 credits among the academic offer at the AIFS Global Education Center and may then take one or two additional Music courses listed above.

As this program is taught by the Saint Louis College of Music, Fairfield does not award the academic credit. Students receive a Saint Louis College of Music certificate authenticating work completed and should confirm the status of credit transfer for courses taken at Saint Louis with their home institution.

Music classes are taught in the evenings and do not conflict with the majority of the AIFS courses. Students take their music classes in a truly international context, with Italian and other international students at Saint Louis College of Music.

Instruction is in Italian, but all music instructors speak and understand the English language.

The study of each instrument will focus on thematic developments and applications, combos for group practicing, history of jazz or rock, improvisation sessions.

For more information on Saint Louis College of Music visit www.slmc.it

Academic Credit & Transcripts

Credit Transfer

As a part of the AIFS application for semester programs, you will complete a Course Approval Form, which will be signed off by your study abroad office staff and/or faculty at your university.

For J Term/Summer programs, no such approval form is needed; however, students are still responsible for ensuring credit can be brought back from their overseas program.
In any case, we recommend getting additional courses approved in case you need to change courses while abroad.

Overseas universities do not use the credit system employed by American institutions. AIFS students must make special arrangements to transfer credits, but since AIFS courses are given at recognized universities or the AIFS Centers (which are transcripted by Fairfield University), there usually is no difficulty in arranging transfer credit toward U.S. degrees provided the proper procedure is followed.

European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)

Many of the European institutions that AIFS works with award credits under the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). ECTS enables cooperating institutions to measure and compare a student’s performance and facilitates the transfer of credits from the European institution to the U.S institution.

Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

Language levels are defined according to the CEFR and will be listed on your transcript on completion of the program. CEFR organizes language proficiency into six levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) which can be regrouped into three broad levels according to the needs of the local institution: Beginner: A1, A2/U.S. Level 100; Intermediate: B1, B2/U.S. Level 200-300; Advanced: C1, C2/U.S. Level 400

Transcripts

When you complete your program, an official transcript is sent to your home institution directly from AIFS Abroad or the host university. Another official transcript may be retained by AIFS Abroad in Stamford, but this is not the case for all programs. Please contact transcripts@aifs.com to find out how to request additional transcripts. 
 
Generally, your school should receive your transcript 60 days after completion of the program. (Cannes Semester programs, Perth, Sydney, Dublin, Limerick, and Wellington Programs exception: Transcripts issued and retained by the host universities. Transcripts for the Cannes Semester programs are issued by Chapman University.)
 
Transcripts may come without an English-language translation, so participants will need to organize translations with their home university.

Academic Records

Credit assessment methods in overseas universities may not be comparable to those in U.S. universities. Grading may involve exams, papers, individual projects, class discussion or some combination of these. Although academic institutions abroad may grade on a variety of scales, admissions counselors and registrars at U.S. institutions are familiar with international grading systems and can convert grades.

Course Selection

AIFS Program Advisors are available to assist you in the process. The following procedure is recommended:

Read course descriptions for the selected program and select courses. Obtain approval from your academic or study abroad advisor for the preliminary courses selected. Final approval of credit transfer for completed courses is at the discretion of the Registrar or appropriate official at the home institution. Students must ascertain that courses taken meet their individual academic program requirements. Recommended credits in this catalog are based on 15 classroom hours per semester credit.

I would absolutely recommend this program. The trip has been such a positive experience. Wonderful program!

AIFS has a lot to offer. The more I talked to American students from other programs, the more I realized that AIFS was clearly the best choice

This program opened my eyes to a culture and society I knew very little about. I made great friends and had a fabulous time during the process. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

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