Classical Summer School

Color photo of ancient architectural ruins and floor mosaics with umbrella pines

Ancient Roman baths in Ostia (photograph © William Perry and licensed through Dreamstime.com)

The deadline for the 2024 Classical Summer School has passed. Please check back for information about the 2025 Classical Summer School.

Overview

This five-week program is designed to provide qualified graduate students, and middle school, high school, and college/university teachers with a well-founded understanding of the growth and development of the city of Rome through a careful study of material remains and literary sources.

Rome began as a cluster of Iron Age huts on a hill overlooking the Tiber River. This tiny settlement eventually grew to become the capital of an empire that stretched across the entire Mediterranean basin. The city’s development reflects its long and complex relationships with the other peoples of the Italian peninsula, in particular the Etruscans and Greeks, as well as multiple influences from individuals and groups who came to the city as slaves, merchants, or immigrants. Continuously inhabited since its foundation, the city has been frequently rebuilt, with layer rising upon layer. This course aims to provide participants with a deep understanding of ancient Rome as an urban setting (from the Etruscan/early Roman period through late antiquity) through close attention to sources and evidence for ancient topography, art, and architecture, as well as the reconstruction of diverse identity experiences in the ancient city.

Dates

June 16–July 19, 2024

Application Deadline

February 23, 2024
Notification of acceptance: March 2024
Notification of AAR scholarships: end of March 2024

Costs & Lodging

The program fee of $5,000 includes tuition, housing, some meals and the cost of trips to sites in and around Rome. All participants are eligible for an American Academy in Rome scholarship (a minimum of $1,500). While we work to provide scholarship support for all participants, high school teachers will receive priority. Participants will be housed near the Academy and be provided with five lunches and three dinners per week. The program fee does not include airfare, personal expenses (or additional, unplanned expenditures), some lunches/dinners, any travel not directly related to the program of the Summer School, nor expenses such as laundry, tips, amusements, or shopping.

Application Materials

An application consists of a completed online application form, personal essay (up to 500 words), curriculum vitae, two letters of recommendation, and, for undergraduate applicants only, academic transcripts. Please thoroughly read the 2024 Program Guidelines (link below) before completing the Classical Summer School application.

Scholarships & Payment

All participants are eligible for an American Academy in Rome scholarship (a minimum of $1,500). Several other larger scholarships are offered through the American Academy in Rome and can be applied for as part of the program application. Please download the list of 2024 AAR Scholarships (link below) for more information and eligibility.

Applicants are also strongly encouraged to apply for funding and scholarships offered through their home institution, regional and state classical organizations, however, these applications are submitted independently from the Classical Summer School application. Please see list of 2024 Awards for Study (link below) for more information and eligibility.

The deadline for receipt of full payment of program costs is May 1, 2024. Payment instructions will be provided upon confirmation of program participation.