Student Life

The Rome Center is dedicated not only to the academic offerings, but also to providing students with a high level of support for their everyday life overseas. Studies show that students who are able to integrate with the host country, and its culture, have a more engaging study abroad experience.

Imagine learning Italian in a sala adorned with frescos and a crystal chandelier, studying the finer points of macroeconomics in a gelateria I got hazelnut and pistachio and hazelnut and chocolate and finessing your photography skills in basilicas, piazzas and palaces.

At the University of Arkansas Rome Center, that is exactly what you get: an up-close insider's view of one of the world's great cities. In this classic study abroad experience, you'll find ancient ruins and art at every turn – even underground. I was really excited to take this opportunity to take my electives while abroad, because it's one of the best ways you can study, especially the art lecture courses, because you actually get to see the painting that you're learning about, and so that was a really great opportunity as an engineer, being able to change it up a little bit in my academic career. Rome offers plenty of surprises for students who are open to exploring. You know you're walking from your apartment to the Rome Center and you pass these beautiful churches on the way and then one day you decide 'I'm gonna go check it out,' and then they have a painting of the Calling of Saint Matthew inside, one of the super famous paintings that I've seen in art history classes, and it's just really cool to see and be living in it. The best surprise may be the Rome Center itself. Ranked among the top 50 study abroad programs by Best College Reviews, it's located in the historic Palazzo Taverna, home to Roman aristocrats, popes, and cardinals, and now, students who are eager to engage with Rome's cultural riches.

Palazzo Taverna is one of the most important palaces and sites in Rome, which is of course then, the additional value is to be centrally located in a very safe place, right in the heart of the city, not far from Piazza Navona, from St. Peter's Square. So, really, walking 500 yards in every direction means to meet works of art from Caravaggio to Michelangelo to Bernini, and you name it they're all here, around us. And let's not forget the food. Great, always.

If you come to Italy and you don't try any sort of pasta or pizza or any product with caffeine, like you are not in Italy. In Rome, count on learning a lot, especially about yourself. I grew up in Arkansas my whole life, which is great. One thing I've really learned is just like how people function in a different city and just being able to open up and realize that people aren't all like me, and that's okay. Then being able to cope with that has really helped me grow as a person. It's an experience you'll always remember, and a great investment in your future! Study abroad definitely adds value to the degree; because you really get to know the world and it is important in today's globalized competitive environment to have an international culture, because the world changes in a moment, and to be ready, flexible, and alert, which is something that study abroad can give you, is an extra value that you can always use in your life. Are you in?


Our student office boasts the following programs to help students:

  • Weekly Student Activities
  • Community Engagement Groups
  • Mental Health Meetings
  • Optional Tours

Promoting student success is the main goal of the UofA Rome Center Student Service Team, and the proven way to ensure that is to offer a strong pre-departure package where students expectations are set early, and they can understand the unique opportunities that will be during their semester abroad.

Students will complete pre-departure orientations presented by both the study abroad office in Fayetteville and the student life team in Rome.