Eligibility

3.0 cumulative GPA with minimum grades of B in Italian courses. 4 semesters of college level Italian or equivalent. Penn students may apply only to the Advanced Language and University Studies (Padova Level II). Italian 215 is a prerequisite for upper level Italian credit.

The City of Padova

Referred to as Padua in English, the city is located in the hill country twenty miles west of Venice. It is the capital of the Padova province and the economic and communication hub of the region. Padova juxtaposes the historic and the chic, the traditional and the cutting-edge. A typical Padovano has one foot planted in the past and the other firmly rooted in contemporary Italy. Padova celebrates more than seven hundred years as a center for medical studies. It has preserved its long tradition of local food and wine, song and dance, language and humor, yet openly embraces fast food and the latest slang from America. Padova has always taken pains to protect and preserve its heritage, in order to exchange it with the world.

Padua stands on the Bacchiglione River, and Brenta river (which once passed inside the city) still touches northern districts, 40 km west of Venice and 29km southeast of Vicenza. Its agricultural setting is the Pianura Veneta, the "Venetian plain," To the city's south west lies the Euganaean Hills, praised by Lucan and Martial, Petrarch, Ugo Foscolo, and Shelley. The city is also picturesque, with a dense network of arcaded streets opening into large communal piazze, and many bridges crossing the various branches of the Bacchiglione, which once surrounded the ancient walls like a moat.

The city is believed to be the oldest in northern Italy and has played an important role in the nation’s history; it was one of Italy’s primary military headquarters during World War I. Padova has long been famous for its university, which has helped to attract world famous philosophers, scientists, and artists. Men like Galileo, Copernicus, and Vesalius are just a few of the long list of professors and alumni of the University. The place of Padua in the history of art is nearly as important as its place in the history of learning. The Scrovegni Chapel is the city’s most famous and most visited attraction, housing several frescoes by Giotto.

L'Università Degli Studi di Padova

Founded in 1222, the Università degli Studi di Padova is one of Europe’s oldest universities and the second oldest in Italy. It was formed by a group of students and professors who left Bologna in search of more academic freedom, and it is currently housed in a number of buildings scattered across the town. From the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, the university was renowned for its research, particularly in the areas of medicine, astronomy, philosophy and law. This was thanks in part to the protection of the Republic of Venice, which enabled the university to maintain some freedom and independence from the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. It was during this time that the University made great advances in the Scientific Revolution. The Botanical Garden of Padova, established by the university in 1545, was the second such garden in the world, and is the oldest which remains to this day on its original site.

The University has a student body of approximately 65,000, one of the largest in Italy, and like most Italian universities, it is organized in schools (called facoltà) according to the various disciplines. The Università degli Studi di Padova is particularly strong in classical studies, art history, the natural sciences, philosophy, history, Italian literature, and political science.

Program website: http://www.unipd.it

Penn Students at Padova

The Boston University program in Padova is offered at two levels: Intensive Language and Italian Studies (Level I) for students at the intermediate level, and Advanced Language and University Studies (Level II) for students already proficient in Italian. Penn students must achieve proficiency as determined by the department (Italian 140) prior to study abroad and therefore may not apply for the Level 1 program. Students in Level II combine Centro Studi courses with courses taken directly at the Università degli Studi di Padova. During the first month of the program, students enroll in a four-credit course which includes intensive language preparation for university coursework and an introduction to the Italian university system. Upon successful completion of this course, students are able to take one or two university courses (four credits each). The remaining one or two courses are chosen from Centro Studi offerings, including Italian language and literature, history, art and culture. Full-year students have a wide variety of courses from which they may choose at both the Centro Studi and the Università degli Studi di Padova.

Program website: http://www.bu.edu/abroad/programs/italy/

Course Load

The full course load for the Padova program is four to five classes per semester. Penn Abroad participants must maintain a full course load for their period of study abroad. The Center staff advises students about the appropriateness of courses for their level of Italian proficiency and their preparation in different areas of study. Final university course selection takes place at the beginning of the term, as course availability and scheduling are not known fully in advance.

Grading

Italian university grades are awarded on a thirty point scale (i.e., 18 is considered passing, optimal grades are in the upper 20s). The scale is not based on an equal distribution of points nor on a percentage. In the Italian system, a perfect exam or paper may not always be awarded a grade of 30 depending on individual professors' practices. Students are frequently assessed on solely on the results of a final oral exam. Grades are reported to Penn on the Italian scale, and then converted to Penn grades according to standard Italian - U.S. grade equivalencies: A = 29-30, A- = 28, B+ = 27, B = 26, B- = 25, C+ = 24, C = 23, C- = 22, D+ = 21, D = 20, D- = 18-19, F = below 18. As on all Penn Abroad programs, grades are recorded on the Penn transcript and are calculated in the cumulative grade point average. The pass/fail option can be exercised according to the Penn on-campus policy.

Academic Calendar

Fall semester: early September – mid-December

Spring semester: late January – late May

Living Arrangements

Participants must be willing to live under local conditions for students. Many amenities to which students become accustomed at Penn may not be available during the period of study abroad. Students live with local Italian families. Households chosen to participate in the program represent a wide range of incomes and situations, from an elderly woman living alone to a couple living in the city to a suburban family with several young children. Living and interacting with an Italian family greatly improves students’ language skills and knowledge of Italian culture. Students are given a monthly allowance which covers the cost of local transportation and meals. They are encouraged to eat at the university cafeterias (mense) where meals are available at nominal cost. Students in households eat three evening meals per week with their hosts.

Student Life

Penn has selected Padova as a study abroad site in which to encourage cultural immersion and the development of cross-cultural competence. Each student is encouraged to become involved in university-based or community-based activities as early as possible in the semester, and remain involved in the activity for the duration of the stay in Padova. Penn’s on-site coordinator coordinates weekly activities and arranges regular presentations and discussions about Italian culture to help students in their cultural integration. Because developing cross-cultural competence takes effort and time, students should be willing to devote several hours per week to community and university activities, and they must be willing to speak Italian at all times.

International Travel

Students may participate in the group transportation arranged by BU or may arrange transportation independently. BU provides more information in its pre-departure materials.