Description
JOIN a band of ink-stained adventurers for a month of concentrated exercise and conversation in and about the Eternal City. We explore Rome from a variety of perspectives--as avid readers and intrepid writers, through history and geography, art and architecture, language and literature, not to mention the color and flavor of daily life in Italy, where they know carpe diem is more than a catch-phrase. Following in the footsteps of those poets, painters, saints and soldiers who for some two and a half millennia have traveled where all roads lead, we'll write our way into the heart of the city, poking into the foundations of civilization as we go, honing our writerly skills and enthusiasms in conversation, practice, and stride.
We welcome all students. No experience in literary analysis or creative writing is presumed. The Summer Creative Writing in Rome Program is open to anyone (undergraduates, graduates, graduate students, alumni, citizens-at-large) seeking to join an intensive program in the written arts. The ideal participant for this program will be interested in creative writing, ready to take intellectual and creative risks, open to the challenges and excitement of living in a foreign city, and open to having a grand adventure.
Classes will be held at the University of Washington Rome Center at the 17th-century Palazzo Pio, situated in the vibrant center of the city’s historical district, as well as out and about in the city itself. A number of field trips, museum visits, and excursions will also be included in the program fee. Housing will be in shared apartments arranged by the UW Rome Center.
Requirements:
- Pluck and good humor: we value verve, adaptability, and a spirited willingness to suffer minor inconveniences in the interest of the greater adventure.
- Good shoes and stamina: this program is physically vigorous, involving a lot of walking (up to 5 miles per day) over stones in a busy urban environment, dogged on occasion by Roman summer heat and humidity.
- Intellectual and imaginative commitment: Frost said Poetry is play for mortal stakes, and that’s how we see our agenda in Rome. It’s not Roman Holiday—classes meet almost every day. But the city itself is our classroom. You can expect the experience of a lifetime: joyful, serious, intense in every way.
- No knowledge of Italian is presumed or required, but learning a few conversational phrases will likely enhance your experience.
Students in the program will maintain their University of Washington residency and any financial aid eligibility they have already established. Credits earned will be recorded on students' UW transcripts and will apply directly to UW graduation requirements. Credits earned in English courses may be used to satisfy requirements in the English major.
Courses and Credits
Undergraduates will receive 15 credits [ENGL 363, Literature and the Arts; ENGL 395, English Study Abroad; and ENGL 493, Advanced Creative Writing Conference —with some flexibility, depending on individual student degree requirements]. Note to English majors: it is possible to receive 5 credits (max) of pre-1900 (ENGL 395) if arranged before departing for Rome. A maximum of 5 credits out of the 15 total may be in Creative Writing. If you would like to arrange for alternate credit (ENGL 283, 383, or 483) contact Bridget Norquist in advising.
MFA students will receive 10 credits [ENGL 586, Graduate Writing Conference, and ENGL 600, Independent Study or Research.] Credit questions should be directed to Professor Andrew Feld, Director of Creative Writing.
MA/PhD students are also welcome to apply. Credit questions should be directed to Kathy Mork in the English Graduate Office.
Application Process
To apply, please use the online application on the Study Abroad website.
Application Deadline: January 29, 2016
The application includes
- personal statement;
- three short-answer questions;
- two faculty recommendations
- electronic signature documents related to University policies and
expectations for study abroad.
Following the online application process, students may be contacted by the Program Directors for an in-person interview.
Depending on the number of applications submitted, we may maintain a waiting list for the program. Students who are invited to participate in the program will be required to return a signed payment contract and risk form before the deadline indicated in their acceptance email.
Online application coming soon
Courses
Sacking Rome: Rome From a Writer's Perspective
ENGL 493 Creative Writing Conference
5 credits VLPA
taught by John Horton and Rebecca Hoogs
This course is designed as an introduction to imaginative thinking, from the writer’s perspective, with Rome as a focus. What does it mean to be an artist—an American writer— in Rome? Between “what is art?” and “what is Rome?” lie the several literatures of Rome and Italy, Europe and America, travel and history, culture and archaeology. Apprenticed to all of these, walking the cobbles daily with notebooks in hand, we’ll read, write, converse, and experience personally that carriage of mind which makes art sensible and possible, and so in literary terms sack the city at the center of the world.
This course can be tailored to meet appropriate Creative Writing requirements and may also count as a creative writing elective for English Language and Literature majors.
Reading Rome
ENGL 395, English Study Abroad
5 credits, VLPA
taught by John Horton and Rebecca Hoogs
Read and discuss works from some of Rome's great poets, writers, and historians.
This course may count as an English major elective in the Creative Writing or Language and Literature Pathways. It may also be tailored to meet the pre-1900 requirement for English majors, as long as arrangements are made with the program faculty during Spring Quarter 2016.
Roaming Rome
ENGL 363 Literature of the Arts and Other Disciplines
5 credits, VLPA
taught by John Horton, Rebecca Hoogs, and various guest speakers
Roam Rome with experts in its art, architecture, history, and culture. This course will include various guest speakers and field trips.
This course may count as an English major elective in the Creative Writing or Language and Literature Pathways.
Cost
The program fee will be $4,540 (based on current exchange rates). This fee includes instructional costs, group field trips, housing, Rome Center services, and facilities at the Palazzo Pio. No additional tuition payment is required. Resident and non-resident students pay the same fees. Graduate Students also pay the same fees.
Fees do not include the $325 non-refundable Study Abroad Office fee, airfare, food, mandatory Study Abroad Insurance, other health expenses, or personal spending money.
Non-Matriculated participants must also pay an additional, non-refundable administrative fee of $250.
Note: program fees are paid in dollars; most program expenses are paid in euros. Unavoidably, we must reserve the right to modify charges in case of unfavorable currency fluctuation. In this unlikely event, students would be notified, and an adjustment made to the final payment.
Payment Schedule
Program fees will be posted to participants' MyUW student accounts and can be paid the same way that they pay tuition and other fees.
- $325.00 non-refundable study abroad fee due by July 8, 2016.
- $4,540.00 remaining program balance due by July 8, 2016.
Total fees: $4,865.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Matriculated UW students can apply most forms of financial aid to support their study abroad costs. You can verify that your financial aid award will apply to your program costs by contacting the Financial Aid Office. Financial aid or scholarships awarded as tuition waivers or tuition exemptions might not apply so you will need to verify that these funds are eligible for use with study abroad by contacting the funding office.
Financial aid and most scholarships are disbursed according to the UW academic calendar (at the beginning of the quarter). If your program starts before the start of the UW quarter, your financial aid will not be available to you prior to your departure. If your program starts after the first day of the quarter, your financial aid will be disbursed at the start of the program. In either of these cases, you will have to finance any upfront costs such as airfare, health insurance and the start of your time abroad on your own. Please take this into consideration when you are making plans.
Revision Request:
In some instances you may qualify for an increase in your financial aid award (typically in loan funds). Check with the Financial Aid Office about your options. To request a revision in your aid, you will need to submit the following paperwork to the Financial Aid Office:
2. Budget of student expenses for your program: available under the "documents" tab on participants' study abroad accounts after a payment contract has been submitted to the Study Abroad Office.
Disbursement:
Please remember that financial aid and most scholarships will be disbursed according to the UW academic calendar (beginning of the quarter). If your program starts before the start of the UW quarter, your financial aid award will not be disbursed until after the start of the program. If your program begins after the start of the UW quarter, your financial aid award will be delayed until the start of the program. In either of these cases, you will have to finance any upfront costs such as airfare and health insurance and the start of your time abroad on your own. Please take this into consideration when you plan your foreign study.
Short-term Loans:
The Financial Aid Office does have a Short-Term Loan Program to assist students with temporary cash flow problems. To be eligible, students must be currently enrolled in regular classes in the UW Student Database. Students studying abroad during Summer quarter will need to apply for a short term loan before the end of Spring Quarter.
Scholarships:
Fritz Undergraduate Scholarships provide competitive funding to undergraduate students in the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Washington through the Chester Fritz Endowment.
GO! Scholarships are funded by the Washington State Legislature and provide students with significant financial need access to international learning opportunities. The scholarship is limited to UW students who are Washington State residents.
The UW Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards is an excellent resource for additional undergraduate scholarship advice and options.
Health Insurance
The University of Washington has a mandatory comprehensive health insurance plan that is specifically for students studying abroad on UW programs like the Department of English Summer Creative Writing in Rome Program. It has a very low premium: it costs approximately $62 per month for the duration of the program.
Please visit the webpage or contact the Study Abroad Office for more information.
Withdrawal Policy
$350 of the total program fee and the $325 Study Abroad Office Fee are non-refundable once a payment contract has been submitted. Students withdrawing from the program will be responsible for paying a percentage of the program fee, determined by the date of withdrawal. More details about the withdrawal policy will be included in participants' payment contracts. No part of the program fee is refundable once the program has begun. The date of withdrawal is considered the date (business day) a withdrawal form is received by the Study Abroad Office.
Notice of withdrawal from the program must be made in writing, according to the following steps:
1. Provide notice in writing to the program director that you will no longer be participating in the program for which you have signed a contract and accepted a slot.
2. Submit a signed withdrawal form to the Study Abroad Office, 459 Schmitz Hall.
Dates & Deadlines
Application Deadline: January 29, 2016
Information Session: Friday, December 4, 3:30-4:30pm in Thompson Hall, room 135
Pre-Departure Orientations
Participants will be required to attend a total of three pre-departure orientations in Seattle during Spring quarter. Two of which will be offered by the UW English Department.
Program participants are also required attend a general in-person pre-departure orientation facilitated by the UW Study Abroad Office. Students must register for this orientation through their online study abroad accounts in order to attend scheduled orientations. For more information, visit the Orientation section of the Study Abroad website to view the current orientation schedule.
Any problems or financial losses that occur as as a result of not attending the orientations are entirely the responsibility of individual students.
Travel
Passports/Visas
Participants will need a passport to travel to Italy. It can take time for your passport application to be processed and your passport issued, so it's a good idea to get the wheels turning as early as possible. As of September 2015, according to the U.S. government's passport services website, the total cost is $135 for a 10-year passport, and the University Neighborhood Service Center, 4534 University Way NE, is the passport acceptance facility closest to campus. The most extensive passport information, including application procedures, fees, office locations, and even printable application forms you can download, is available from the State Department's passport services website. Some general information on applying for passports is also available by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free number: 1-877-487-2778. An automated appointment line and some general information is available at the Seattle Passport Agency: (206) 808-5700.
As of September 1, 2010, students from countries with short-term visa exemption may enter Italy for academic purposes, for periods of up to 90 days, without a study visa. Citizens of the U.S., Canada, and EU countries fall into this category. Program participants from other countries should consult the Italian Consulate website to determine if they need visas in order to study in Italy. If a visa is required, students should review the application requirements on the Italian Consulate's website and contact Karleigh Koster in the Study Abroad Office if they have questions and to receive an enrollment letter.
Important: Participants who need a visa to travel to Italy must apply in-person. Participants will need to make an appointment at the nearest Italian Consulate, which is in San Francisco, CA. The earliest you may submit your application to the consulate is 60 days from the start of the program (April 20).
**Please note that, regardless of citizenship, the 90 day period includes any travel before or after the study program within the entire Schengen area of the EU. Students who stay in the Schengen area beyond 90 days will be in violation of the 90-day visa waiver and risk being fined and/or detained and even banned from travel in the Schengen area for significant periods of time.**
Bridget Norquist
Academic Adviser
(206)543-2634
email
Johnny Horton
Program Co-director
email
Rebecca Hoogs
Program Co-director
email