The American University of Rome

I would say that as an artist... I found the totem pole idea too difficult. Many of the professors have agendas that don't really include integrating the students into exhibitions or finally helping them along after they've graduated. That's probably just a personal critique that I experienced. But it's seriously a point to look at once you've graduated and see where other students from other schools have made successes.

The academic life for an independent artist such as myself...it's hard to say how to improve upon it. When I recognized how one must keep quiet rather than speak out and be a bit different, I was a bit discouraged. Yes an improvement would be for the teachers to not hide pertinent information from the students. There's absolutely no room for it. My personal experience would have been that they just set me free in Rome to explore and create a body of work that would have had a guaranteed exhibition where more than just the faculty and staff were to be invited. You can have the most beautiful or meaningful painting...but if no one sees it... hmmm.

They are really relaxed here. Courses I took were really easy. I hated English and Italian, but the film courses I took were Great!!! I learned alot and didnt have to worry about studying and working too hard.

Just to warn you all, the administration is SOOOO unorganized and not so helpfull. Expect everything to be slow paced, and expect to figure everything out for yourself. Problems involved huge headaches trying to get the school to help.

Because i was with a small group that was also teaching at MaryMount University, teaching elementart students, we had trouble working the university classes into our scheudle. We would have perfered more late classes, and more art classes that had us going out to look at the art and everything in Rome.

More classes with field trips, and visiting sites in Rome

none, it goes at a first come, first serve basis...so get their quick adn make sure you haev your name in the first few letters the alphabet. The courses are so-so. Lots of brownosing to get good grades, make sure you play nice or your gpa will suffer

Definetly, but, Im afraid I dont have enough time nor space to cover it all

Take any one of Professor Terry Kirk's classes, his enthusiasm for art and history of italy is like no other!! :)

This university needs more computers. Waiting online for a computer was probably the worst part of the academic life aspect. Over all though it was a nice change for me coming from such a big university.

Best class I took was Roman Baroque Art

I think they could expand the curriculum a little more--then they could get more applicants and students who wish to stay longer than a semester. I was originally staying for a year, but they classes weren't fulfilling enough requirements at my home university.