Study Abroad: Rome Residency Program at the Angelicum

Interested students take advantage of the possibility of spending a spring semester in Rome studying at the Angelicum, the Dominican Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. With the ancient city of Rome as a home base, the student has access by train to all of Italy, a major center for the development of western civilization and Catholicism.

DSPT offers a 12-unit Rome semester residency opportunity for students enrolled in the DSPT Master of Arts (Theology) program. The Angelicum offers master"s level theology course work in both Italian and English. Although Italian is not a prerequisite for completing the residency, some grasp of the Italian language is advised.

How to Apply

Meet with the Academic Dean one semester prior to your planned residency to see if it is appropriate for your academic program. You will need to follow the protocol for the Rome Residency Program . To view the Angelicum website go to www.pust.it .

General Requirements

You must complete 24 units of coursework in the M.A. (Theology) program at the Berkeley campus; the residency is usually taken in the third or fourth semester of full-time work in the program. Students enroll at the Angelicum as an "Extraordinary student," defined by the Angelicum as those who follow the ordinary curriculum but don"t obtain a degree from the Angelicum. The units of study appear on your DSPT transcript to fulfill course requirements for the DSPT M.A. program.

During the Rome Residency Semester tuition should be paid to DSPT as usual and the school is responsible for payment to the Angelicum. Housing is to be arranged by the student. The "Lay Students in Rome" website will be a helpful resource as students plan their semester abroad.

In addition to keeping a file of all papers, exams and syllabi for the course work completed in Rome, the student must submit a ten-page essay to the Academic Dean upon his/her return. The essay is a reflection paper on the overall learning experience in Rome. After the successful evaluation of the student"s file, he/she receives academic credit for his/her Rome experience.