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In continuity with our founding mission to prepare young people for leadership in the service of truth, our Rome campus seeks to offer our students a unique opportunity for academic growth and personal development. Whether you're studying a medical profession, education, business, or biology, in Rome, you will work toward fulfilling courses from the university's core curriculum in a dynamic international setting created especially for you.

In the classroom, you'll be invited into an engaging environment that pays particular attention to the way the lessons of history, the great achievements of human reason, and the light of Divine revelation allows us to see more clearly how we might respond to the pressing questions facing humanity today.

But the classroom is only the beginning. When in Rome, the ideas and ideals introduced in class are brought to life outside the classroom in an encounter with the world of the Italian people and culture. It's this encounter, so different from any other experience, that offers the context for students to examine their own hearts and minds, so they might hear with greater clarity their own calling in life.

Where is the campus located?

Managed by the Handmaids of Charity, Al Casaletto, a historic casa de ferie (“holiday house”) in the quiet neighborhood of Monteverde Nuovo, houses our Rome campus. You will live a short bus ride from Vatican City and downtown Rome. 

All rooms have a private bathroom and shower. There is High-Speed Wi-Fi in campus common areas. Our campus encompasses study areas, a library, classroom spaces, outdoor recreation grounds, vibrant flower gardens, and a chapel.

How long can I study abroad?

Students may go for a semester or a month-long summer program called the Rome Maymester.

Who gets to go?

Students are eligible to study in Italy after a semester at Mary and must be in attendance at least one semester immediately prior to participating.

Participation is a privilege, and approval by the University of Mary is required. Only students in good academic and behavioral standing are eligible to apply.

Students should have a lively interest in the liberal arts and the intellectual tradition of Western civilization. Preference is given to sophomores and students who have a declared major or minor in the Catholic studies program. Space is limited and 35 students are accepted each semester.

What is the cost?

During the fall and spring semesters, the cost of room, board, and tuition is the same as our Bismarck campus. All scholarships and financial aid apply to the cost of these programs. Students are responsible for round-trip airfare, a program fee for academic excursions, and spending money for personal travel and meals on the weekends.

The costs are managed differently for the Rome Maymester. Be sure to talk to the global studies coordinator to understand pricing.

What happens when I'm there?

The program features specialized courses from the core curriculum. They'll cover topics such as history, theology, art history, Italian, and philosophy. Classroom days are coupled with excursions into the center of Rome where students will have special access to the hidden excavations under St. Peter's Basilica, the treasures of the Vatican Museum, and even an audience with Pope Francis. But beyond the city of Rome, students will also venture out into the Italian countryside where they will encounter those places shaped more directly by the life of Saint Benedict himself. Truly, students who study have a first-hand encounter with everything that makes the University of Mary "joyfully Christian, faithfully Catholic, and gratefully Benedictine."

Will I be free to travel?

Classes are during the week, leaving many weekends free for travel. Student travel in Europe, if carefully planned, can be exciting and relatively inexpensive.

Are there special occasions to build community?

On Wednesdays, students gather together with the campus chaplains and seminarians from the North American College, for an experience that is the heart of the University of Mary Rome Campus, Convivium. Students come together first around the Lord's Table for a joyful celebration of the Mass, and afterward, swap stories and reconnect with one another over a traditional Italian meal.

Why study abroad?

The University of Mary is committed to ever-higher levels of intellectual and cultural engagement for its students and advocates for leadership development in a global environment. The goal is for students to have a rich experience of other cultures and ways of life. This is a unique opportunity for them to experience great beauty and wonder firsthand in the cradle of the Christian faith and our Benedictine values. Students who take this opportunity seriously will return home with an entirely new vision for life and its purpose.

A Day in the Life of a Rome Campus Student 

Di mattina 

In the morning, you and your classmates meet at Al Casaletto’s breakfast room for hot cappuccinos and a light colazione of bread, butter, jam, and fruit.  

Studiamo! 

After breakfast, you head downstairs for a traditional class meeting, ride the 870 bus to the Galleria Borghese or the Capitoline Museums for a walking art history lecture, or take the #8 tram into the heart of the city for an educational tour of one or more of Rome’s countless historical landmarks. 

A mezzogiorno 

You enjoy a plate of pasta al pesto or roasted chicken and potatoes at noon, savoring the rich flavors and aromas of authentic Italian cuisine.  

Del pomeriggio 

You spend the afternoon roaming the Eternal City with three friends. After taking in the dazzling interior of the Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, you and your group explore the Roman Forum, the Circus Maximus, and the Colosseum. The four of you settle at the edge of the Villa Borghese to relax and catch up on a philosophy assignment as the sun begins to sink.  

Di sera 

Your entire cohort converges on Al Casaletto for this week’s Convivium dinner and dialogue. Taking place every Wednesday evening, Convivium brings together seminarians from the Pontifical North American College and Rome campus students, faculty, and staff for a community feast and an evening of lively fellowship.  

Di notte 

Before retiring for the night, you and your roommate join a pair of acquaintances in the student lounge to plan a weekend trip to Athens and the Cyclades. The day comes to a close, and you fall into bed content and eager to start another in the morning.  

Courses Available

Fall and Spring Semester

• 100-level Italian Language and Culture course (3 credits, liberal arts core elective)
• ART 121 Art of Italy (3 credits, Art core)
• CTH/PHI 210 Search for Happiness (3 credits, Ethics core)
• THE/CTH 234 Benedict: Yesterday and Today (3 credits, Theology core or “THE 200-level or above” core elective)
•  HIS/CLA 311 Grandeur of Rome (3 credits, liberal arts core elective) 

May Term

• THE/CTH 234 – Benedict: Yesterday and Today (3 credits)