Classics in Rome
This program runs every other year and will be offered again during Spring Break 2026.
- This program runs every other year and will be offered again during Spring Break 2026
- Students will learn about the texts and artifacts of Ancient Rome during the spring semester and through travel to Rome over spring break
- Students will come face to face with Italian culture through guided excursions, site visits, and lectures from experts
- Upon return, students will develop a research paper focusing on an aspect of Ancient Roman Culture
This course offers a unique insight to the literature and civilization of ancient Rome, combining in-class study of ancient texts and artifacts with an embedded trip to Italy over spring break, visiting the ancient sites of Rome and Pompeii.
Students will spend the weeks in the semester before Spring Break learning about the texts and artifacts of Ancient Rome in class in Lawrence, exploring topics such as Roman attitudes to religion, oratory, slavery, gender, political propaganda, athletic competition, art, and empire. Our trip over Spring Break will allow students to come face-to-face with the culture we have been studying. Participants will be able to see the cities the Romans lived in, the technologies they employed, and the art that surrounded them, thus gaining a new perspective on the Roman world.
While in Rome, students will be responsible for producing a short report on two of the museums and sites that we visit, which we will compile into a group travel guide (and souvenir of our trip!) on our return. For the second part of the semester, participants will use their experiences in Rome to develop a research paper focusing on an aspect of Ancient Roman culture.
Students will receive three credit hours for one of the following courses:
CLSX 240 or CLSX 340 (Honors)
There are no prerequisites for enrolment in CLSX 240.
Enrollment in CLSX 340 requires membership in the KU Honors Program or permission of the instructor. 3 hours of academic credit. Students will enroll themselves in this course for the spring semester.
Participants will stay in hotels in the city-center.
Itinerary:
- March 10: Depart the U.S.
- March 11 : Arrival in Rome
- March 19: Departure for the U.S.
Before Spring Break we will meet during our regular class times in Lawrence.
The group will depart together for our spring break trip to Italy on Friday, March 10 and return on Sunday, March 19. For most of the week, we will be based in Rome, where we will be able to explore ancient archaeological sites such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Nero’s Golden Palace, as well as world-class museums including the Capitoline Museums and the Vatican Museums. In addition to our time in Rome, we will also visit the Bay of Naples and the archaeological site of Pompeii, where you will be able to see the remarkably preserved remains of a 1st century AD Roman town.
When we return to Lawrence there will be no regular class meetings. Instead, you will be working on a research project emerging from our trip, and we will meet only for informal research support sessions.
Funding:
The Department of Classics may be able to provide partial travel grants to majors who enroll in this course. Please contact gfwhite@ku.edu for more details.
SAGE is dedicated to creating international engagement opportunities that meet the needs of all our students and providing resources to support you through the process of studying abroad. Study abroad is achievable for students of all identities including our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, and students with religious/non-religious viewpoints. Before selecting a program, consider how your identities may impact your experience abroad in unique ways and talk with your Program Coordinator about any program-specific concerns. Students with documented disabilities should discuss any accommodation needs with their Program Coordinator early in the planning process.
Check our Identity Abroad page and resources listed below for information specific to you and other students who may be on your program.
This program will be led in Spring 2023 by Dr. Gina White, Assistant Professor of Classics at KU.
Gina White has been an Assistant Professor in the KU Department of Classics since 2018. She has degrees from Oxford University (B.A/M.A.), the University of Pennsylvania (M.A.), and Princeton University (PhD), where she wrote her dissertation on Cicero’s translations of Greek in his philosophical works. Her research focuses on the development of Greek philosophy in the Roman world, and its presence in Latin literature. At KU, she has taught courses in Latin language and literature, as well as Ancient Politics and Roman culture.
Dr. Gina White
Assistant Professor
Department of Classics
University of Kansas
Wescoe Hall, Room 1035
gfwhite@ku.edu