When in Rome, do as university students do.

For the first time, the university will launch its own Maryland-in-Rome program beginning next fall. While university students have been able to study in Rome through a Towson University program in the past, next year students will be able to get university credit through a partnership with the American University of Rome, according to Michael Ulrich, the associate director of international studies.

More than 50 students from the university already study in Rome annually. Because of the response from students to that program, the university decided to start its own, said Ulrich.

“Study Abroad at University of Maryland is committed to expanding our own offering of Study Abroad programs to students,” Ulrich wrote in an e-mail message. “A Maryland-in-Rome program is a logical next step in that direction. University students request that we sponsor more of our own programs, and they are more likely to enroll in these when a more direct level of administration and advising by our office is realized.”

In the resident program, students will be billed directly to their student account, receive university credit and take university courses, said Catherine Donohoe, the coordinator of the Maryland-in-Rome program. The program is the university’s fifth resident program, after ones in London, Nice, Alcala and Berlin.

The program somewhat simplifies the process for university students who previously had to go through Towson. Students will also no longer have to pay fees to both Towson and the university Study Abroad Office, said Shoshana Griffith, a program assistant and adviser in the office. The program will offer courses that can fulfill major, minor, CORE and honors requirements.

Griffith said the program doesn’t have an Italian language requirement, which makes it more welcoming for students from all majors, but the program is aimed toward students studying business, anthropology, classics and government and politics.

While students will receive university credit, university faculty won’t be teaching courses, according to Robert Marino, the president of AUR, although the two schools may exchange faculty.

AUR has partnerships with almost two dozen institutions, according to Marino, including Boston College, schools in the State University of New York system and Northeastern University. Programs at the university allow students to stay with a core group of people from their university while also meeting international students. Half of resident students are American, a quarter are European, and a quarter are from the rest of the world, Marino said.

Lauren Grossman, a university alumna who studied in Rome in spring 2005, said the international school’s English flavor made it easier to fit in.

Grossman said that as a Jew who lived in Maryland it was “mind-blowing” to experience Catholicism in Rome. She was especially thankful to witness the ascension of the new pope, she said.

The deadline for the program isn’t until March 25, but the university has already received more applicants than the number of students who participated in the Towson trip last year, Griffith said.

“While the campus itself is intimate and fosters a sense of community, students can also consider all of Rome their classroom, and are encouraged to make the most of their time in one of the world’s oldest and most culturally rich cities,” Ulrich wrote in the e-mail. “Ancient history, architectural wonders, dazzling art, exquisite cuisine, world class opera and theater – Rome has something for everyone and provides students studying abroad with an unforgettable experience.”

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