Rome Connection
Explore the beautiful and captivating corners of Rome through Seton Hall's transformative first year study abroad experience!
Rome Connection is an embedded study abroad experience for first-year, undergraduate Seton Hall students. Participants enroll in special Rome Connection sessions during their first year with the faculty who travel with the students to Rome for the first two weeks of June, 2024. Through Rome Connection, students are brought beyond the postcard picture of the Eternal City and engage in a truly transformative journey.
After learning and connecting with your classmates during your first year, you will be immersed together in daily Roman life while venturing through incredible parts of the Eternal City that few visitors witness. Whether it's exploring medieval treasures buried beneath awe-inspiring basilicas or towering street art in avant-garde districts, Rome Connection is here to help you translate your passions and fall in love with Rome. Through immersive learning students will comprehend the ancient, medieval, baroque and contemporary layers of Rome, Seton Hall's global mission and our university’s special connection to the Eternal City.
Simply put, this program is crafted to be one of your most life-changing Seton Hall experiences. See the sections below to discover the unique advantages of Rome Connection and explore the itinerary (2023 edition).
- Application and Confirmation: The Rome Connection application and confirmation process for the 2023 cohort is now closed. Applications for the incoming Class of 2027 will open in Summer 2023.
- Applicants, Waitlisted and Confirmed Students: Click here to access your Study Abroad Portal.
- Questions: If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the Office of International Programs by emailing studyabroad@shu.edu.
Highlights
Translate your passions and make Rome your home!
Students in Rome Connection don't only witness Rome but experience Rome! Through unique class content and the Andiamo Series, you will be fully prepared for your two weeks abroad before you depart and be ready to fall in love with Rome in your own unique way. Whether it's playing pickup basketball against locals, wandering thru centuries-old basilicas, or discovering off-the-beaten-path music clubs, Rome Connection is here to translate your passions to the local scene!
Learn culture, history and language in a fun, immersive environment!
The entire purpose of Rome Connection is to help you expand your study abroad skills while fully comprehending the culture, faith and language of the Eternal City. With locations from local farmers markets to neighborhood block parties, Rome Connection will provide meaningful settings to engage in the culture and language of Eternal City. Through personalized guidance and immersive excursions, you'll be surprised how fast your intercultural and language skills grow!
And best of all… every day, new adventures and new memories!
Through Rome Connection you'll have exclusive experiences that are far-off the tourist map. From exploring the expansive underground remains of Emperor Nero's golden palace or chowing down on some of the best porchetta at quaint farmer's markets, each day will be filled with new ways to become a local in Rome! Beyond excursions within the Eternal City, your two-week experience will also include two day trips to the picturesque hill town of Orvieto and the scenic lakeside villages of Bracciano. Click here to explore the itinerary and understand all that is included in this two-week journey!
Essential Program Info
Travel Dates: May 17 to June 1 (2023 cohort)
Program Itinerary: Click here to explore the program (2023 cohort)
Total Program Capacity (2024): 45 students (2024 cohort)
Program Fee: $2,900 (2023 cohort)
Air Travel: Round-trip air travel from Newark to Rome is included as part of the program fee.
Housing Accommodation: Casa Santa Lucia Filippini (included as part of the program fee; click here to learn about the location - 2023 cohort)
Excursions: All 15 group excursions are included as part of the program fee (see the itinerary for details - 2023 cohort)
Meals: All breakfasts provided as well as 5 special group meals
Local Transit: An unlimited monthly metro card is provided (as part of the program fee) for unlimited travel on metro lines, trams, buses and rail lines within the municipality of Rome.
Airport Transfers: Private coach provided to all students (as part of the program fee) to transport group upon arrival and departure from Rome between Fiumicino Airport and Casa Santa Lucia Filippini as well as between Seton Hall University and John F. Kennedy International Airport. (2023 cohort)
Health Insurance: International Health Insurance included for all students as part of the program fee, click here to see that policy thru GeoBlue
Eligibility: Every first year student who maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA and is not on disciplinary probation level 2 or higher is eligible for Rome Connection. (2024 cohort)
The Andiamo Series
Participating students have the opportunity to mix and mingle with classmates at special sessions during their first year and learn even more about the city they'll be exploring with the Andiamo Series! The following is just a sampling of some of the sessions that students will experience.
Eat and Drink Like the Romans Do: Students learn about the fundamentals of Roman cuisine, the cultures surrounding it and how to best navigate some of the tourist pitfalls while experiencing the best of what the Eternal City has to offer.
Rome on a Budget: Students gain the essential skills on how to manage their money abroad and make their euros go farther while have amazing, quality free-time experiences on the cheap.
Survival Italian: The best way to be a temporary local in Rome and immerse yourself in the culture of the Eternal City is to learn some essential Italian before you depart. This engaging workshop is designed especially for students who don't have any experience with the Italian language.
Bishop Bayley's Rome: Before he became the founder of Seton Hall, in 1842 the person who would eventually be known as Bishop Bayley took a transformative journey to Rome. Students will retrace the fascinating mid-19th century version of Rome that he experienced and explore ways they can elevate their own Rome journey.
The Other Side of Rome: When Rome became the capital of a united Italy in 1871, nearly all Romans lived within the Aurelian Walls. Today that number is only six percent. Students will delve into the captivating neighborhoods where most of today’s Romans live.
Translate Your Passion: Every student has a passion for an aspect of Rome not yet fully realized. In this collaborative session, students will be provided a roadmap to experience their own personal Rome and translate their own passions into transformative free time experiences.
Rome Connection Scholarship
At Seton Hall we believe that transformational study abroad opportunities should be open to all our students regardless of circumstance. That is why, as part of Rome Connection, we are announcing a special scholarship will be available to high financial need students that will cover the entire program fee cost. If you are a high financial need student, please select that status in your Rome Connection application. After selecting that status, answer the short-answer prompts about the impact this award would have on your Seton Hall journey and what you'll do after the program concludes to uniquely share your passion for Rome with the next generation of incoming first year students.
All Rome Connection Scholarship recipients will be required to:
1. Maintain a 3.0 GPA through program departure.
2. Produce photos and videos of time abroad that can be used to inspire future generations.
3. Once back from Rome, attend the scholarship reception and the Rome Connection Ambassador Orientation.
4. Be a mentor for future Rome Connection students by presenting at: EOP, RISE and GEN 1 Rome Connection summer workshops, at least two fall semester info sessions, at least three spring semester Andiamo Series workshops along with Pirate Preview and Open House.
5. Host an engaging project alongside fellow scholarship recipients that connect and support the next generation of incoming first year students with Rome Connection.
The Rome Connection application, which includes the scholarship application, will be open for Rome Connection in Summer 2023 for the Class of 2027.
