SPONSORED BY TEMPLE UNIVERSITY ROME
Whether you’re set on studying abroad but aren’t sure where to go, or you’re still deciding whether to go at all, it’s important to take time to evaluate your options carefully. But with so many programs to choose from, making an informed decision means considering more than just location.
The right study abroad experience can enrich your academic path, expand your cultural perspective, support your personal growth, and ultimately enhance your future career opportunities. It is a path that many students have taken to stand out: According to a 2024 report from Open Doors, more than 280,000 students studied abroad worldwide while 41,840 studied in Italy. Examining Temple University Rome can help you identify the key factors to consider in any study abroad program, including affordability, academics, diversity of perspectives, location, support systems, and immersion opportunities. This program, established in 1966, welcomes students from a variety of academic disciplines and universities to its centrally located campus in Italy’s capital, where classroom learning is integrated with direct cultural engagement.
Top Factors to Consider When Choosing a Study Abroad Program
1. Affordability
Studying abroad often comes with added costs—from travel to housing—so it’s important to find programs that offer resources to help manage those expenses. A strong program will offer transparent tuition structures, financial aid compatibility, and additional scholarship or funding opportunities.
Temple University Rome offers a range of scholarships and funding options for its first-year program (Temple Rome Entry Year) and for its semester or year abroad program to help students offset the cost of studying abroad. Rome Entry Year program students have access to three different scholarships. These and other Temple scholarship opportunities and endowed funds are designed to support students from different financial backgrounds and can be applied toward tuition, housing, or other program expenses.
2. Variety of Academic Offerings
Students benefit most from study abroad when they can earn credit toward their degree while exploring new subjects. Programs that offer a broad selection of courses across multiple disciplines can make it easier to stay on track academically to fulfill requirements for graduation.
Temple Rome offers courses across a range of fields—including liberal arts, sciences, architecture, film and media, and the arts—which may allow students from different majors to find classes relevant to their academic progress.
3. Diversity of Perspectives
Courses aren’t the only thing that provide a fresh perspective: your classmates do as well! Consider whether the program enrolls students from one or several schools; from one country, or multiple countries.
At Temple Rome, you’ll meet students from Temple University as well as students from other U.S. institutions, including Duke, Holy Cross, Harvard, Villanova, Chapman, Penn State, and more, giving you the added benefit of engaging with a mix of diverse perspectives in the classroom.
Students also have the chance to interact with Italian students from a nearby school for Interpreters and Translators, who attend Temple Rome’s events and are available for free individual sessions to help practice conversation, to review class notes, or to reinforce and broaden students’ Italian vocabulary. This is a great opportunity for students to learn about contemporary Rome and its inhabitants and make new friends.
4. Location
Where you study can shape how you learn, so the setting of a study abroad program plays a major role in shaping the overall experience, including whether you want to learn a new language. A central urban location can offer access to museums, cultural landmarks, and vibrant everyday local life—all of which enhance classroom learning.
At Temple Rome, students study just a stone’s throw from the Spanish Steps—a UNESCO World Heritage site. Beyond lectures and textbooks, students enhance their learning by walking through Rome’s ancient streets, analyzing art in world-class museums, and interacting with locals in the city’s piazzas, markets, and cafés. Students also enjoy several weekend academic excursions in cities with deep-rooted history, such as Naples, Milan, Ravenna, Palermo, Venice, and more.
5. Student Support Services (Before and During Your Program)
When you’re thousands of miles from home in a new country where you may not speak the native tongue fluently, reliable support can make all the difference. Look for programs that offer pre-departure preparation, such as providing support in the visa application process, as well as academic advising, mental health services, healthcare access, and peer support while abroad.
As a point of reference when comparing programs, Temple Rome support services include:
- On-campus, English-speaking nurses for walk-in consultations
- Access to a school doctor for medical prescriptions and in-person visits
- Counselors for free consultations
- Academic support, career advising, budget coaching, and more
- Peer support from on-campus Temple Rome alumni assistants and resident advisors
- Social events and community activities
- Italian Help Desk staffed by students from a nearby Italian institution for tutoring and extra practice with conversation and vocabulary
6. Cultural Immersion Opportunities
Some of the lifelong benefits of studying abroad might happen OUTSIDE the classroom. Consider whether the program offers structured opportunities to interact with the local community, learn the local language, and engage with the local culture in meaningful ways.
Temple Rome includes Italian language instruction for all students, as well as a course called Cultural Labs, which integrates real-life language use and cultural interaction into weekly activities. The program also maintains partnerships with local organizations where students may volunteer or intern in areas such as media, nonprofit work, legal studies, and the arts. On campus, students can take part in organized group activities such as cooking classes, sports, and gallery exhibitions that welcome both students and members of the Roman arts community.
“It’s not just about being in a different country. It’s about exiting your bubble—by engaging with students from different institutions, studying new subjects, speaking a new language, and living a new way of life.”
— Emilia Zankina, Temple University Rome Dean, Temple University Vice Provost for Global Engagement
Consider the Personal Growth Opportunities of Study Abroad
If you’re unsure whether studying abroad is the right fit, you’re not alone. Studying abroad can be intimidating. A new country, a new language, new people—it’s a lot to take in. As is often said, the most challenging experiences can also be the most rewarding. Emilia Zankina, Temple Rome’s Dean, encourages students to view this uncertainty as part of the learning process:
“It is daunting to be sitting somewhere across the ocean and thinking of being alone in a city that you don’t know, and where you don’t speak the language. But courage is what moves the world forward… There isn’t a better lesson in courage than taking yourself out of your comfort zone, immersing yourself, and learning about yourself from the outside in. Take the leap. It really pays off.”
Several Temple Rome alumni share their life-changing memories of the experience, now that their professional lives have taken shape.
Rachel Greenberg, Director of Program Development at Our Minds Matter, Temple Rome alum, shares:
“Not only did I get to take some GenEds in a place where I could actually apply the knowledge directly (i.e., art history lesson while looking at the ancient art itself), but I also gained a lot of independence and maturity by living and studying abroad. It helped prepare me for my adult life by reminding me that curiosity is a gift and something we should always strive for--I now make traveling abroad at least once a year a priority so I can experience new cultures and ways of life. I believe this makes me not only a better professional in the mental health nonprofit space, but just a better human and global citizen overall.”
Benjamin Aitoumeziane, Data Analyst for SEPTA, Temple Rome alum offers:
“I was somewhat interested in public transit/urbanism before I came to Rome, but living in Rome for a semester really solidified that interest and helped orient my career path. The city of Rome showed me what classic medium-density urbanism looked like and also showed me that a historic city could have a proper transit network built into it. Studying abroad also allowed me to spend extended time in a few countries with cultures different than my own. There is immense value in stepping out of your comfort zone and learning to navigate new cultural landscapes. This has benefited me in my studies, my career, and my post-grad life.”
Make an Informed Choice When You Study Abroad
Choosing a study abroad program is about more than picking a country—it’s about finding an experience that supports your academic goals, encourages personal growth, and immerses you fully in another culture. Whether you’re planning to study Renaissance art, international law, business, or microbiology, make sure the program you choose reflects your ambitions and opens the door to new perspectives.
Programs like Temple University Rome, with multidisciplinary offerings, high academic quality, and robust student support, can help you pursue these goals in a structured and immersive setting. To explore more about Temple University Rome’s program, visit rome.temple.edu.
If you’re interested in becoming a partner of The Princeton Review and sponsoring educational content, click here for details.
