Reggio Emilia Courses – 2025 Spring

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Studying abroad can be a more meaningful and invigorating learning experience than at home—both inside and outside of the classroom. You may be more curious and alert than you usually are so use this heightened energy to enhance your studies as well as your cultural and geographical explorations. You may also encounter different teaching styles and course processes; be prepared to adapt and to learn.

Academics

You will enroll in 12 to 18 credits per semester comprised of language study plus electives in education, communications, health and nutrition, and Italian studies. At least one Italian language course is required. Course availability is contingent upon student enrollment and is subject to change.

Click the course title to view course details, description, and availability.

Italian Language Studies

All students must enroll in an intensive six-week Italian language course at the start of each semester, which allows for rapid acquisition of language and culture. The course is offered at three different levels with a maximum class size of 15 and focuses on the skills of speaking, reading, writing, and listening.

Intensive Language Period

• Elementary Italian I

  Fall

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 100-level 4 credits Taught in Italian

  Spring

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 100-level 4 credits Taught in Italian

  Introduction to the Italian language through the development of language skills and structural analysis. It includes an introduction to the Italian culture. This course is designed to develop students’ linguistic skills in communicating in Italian, learning, and using the basic structural patterns of the language. Intensive study will encourage students in a quicker immersion in Italian life and in a deeper understanding of it.

  Taught during the intensive language period.

• Intermediate Italian I

  Fall

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 200-level 3 credits Taught in Italian

  Spring

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 200-level 3 credits Taught in Italian

  Intended to further develop Italian language skills, both oral and written. Conversation, reading, and writing focus on culture and modern literature. Particular emphasis on oral skills.

  Taught during the intensive language period.

  Prerequisite: two semesters of college-level Italian, or equivalent

After the intensive period, you have the option to enroll in the following language courses and/or a conversation course for further practice.

• Elementary Italian II

  Fall

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 100-level 4 credits Taught in Italian

  Spring

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 100-level 4 credits Taught in Italian

  Introduction to the Italian language through the development of language skills and structural analysis. It includes an introduction to the Italian culture. This course is designed to develop students’ linguistic skills in communicating in Italian, learning, and using the basic structural patterns of the language. Intensive study will encourage students in a quicker immersion in Italian life and in a deeper understanding of it.

  Prerequisite: one semester of college-level Italian, or equivalent

• Intermediate Italian II

  Fall

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 200-level 3 credits Taught in Italian

  Spring

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 200-level 3 credits Taught in Italian

  Intended to further develop Italian language skills, both oral and written. Conversation, reading, and writing focus on culture and modern literature. Emphasis on oral skills.

  Prerequisite: three semesters of college-level Italian, or equivalent

Fall Semester

Education, Communications, Health/Nutrition, and Italian Studies

• Child Psychology

  Fall

  Psychology 200-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The course will focus on the psychological aspects of the development of children through preadolescence. Examination of behavioral, social, cognitive, affective, and cultural factors. Theory and research on developmental stages.

  Course Objectives:

  • Distinguish among significant theoretical perspectives on the development of children.

  • Examine the brain structures, intellectual growth, perceptual processes, memory, and language development of the child in infancy, childhood, and adolescent years.

  • Examine the development of the affective and social dimensions across the first years of life.

  • Describe how environmental factors (family, school, society…) influence the development of the child.

  • Discuss the influence of parenting styles, siblings, peer interactions, and gender roles in the early childhood years.

  • Examine the Reggio Emilia Approach to education and how it relates to child development.

• Comparative Global Health Issues and Systems

  Fall

  General Health Sciences 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course examines global health issues and health systems from a comparative view. It will explore the health care systems and structures relative to their success in addressing health care delivery, quality, and costs. Students will acquire tools and concepts for analyzing health care systems and will apply them to various global examples. Important global health issues, such as healthy lifestyle, prevention programs, and ethic medical issues will be analyzed, and we will also look at the role of the media.

• Early Childhood Education

  Fall

  Early Childhood Education General Education Human Development and Family Studies 200-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course introduces students to main principles of working with young children, ranging from newborns to eight years old, in childcare and other group settings. The course covers philosophies, theories, history, program models, practices and resources, environment, curriculum, guidance, and emerging issues in the field.

• Education for a Changing World

  Fall

  General Education 400-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The course will address education's role in society by examining some major philosophical and sociological foundations related to educational theory and practice. It will include the evolution of US education systems and practices and the role of society in shaping those systems. Topics may include issues such increasing global influences, multiculturalism, language, culture, geography, immigration, environment, and government as they connect to education in a changing world.

• Foundations for Personal Health and Wellness

  Fall

  Community Health Sciences 100-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The course explores health attitudes, knowledge and behaviors of self and others with a goal of understanding the value and personal responsibility for a healthful lifestyle. It includes a wide range of personal health topics such as the physical, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual and environmental influences on personal health.

• Gender, Race and Identity

  Fall

  Gender, Race, and Identity 400-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course will analyze historical, cultural, and institutional constructions of identities by looking at intersections of class inequalities, race, and gender. Students will explore the nature and dynamics of social relations in the contemporary world. The course will also examine historical and modern social movements addressing gender, race, and other social identities in Italy and the United States and from a transnational perspective.

  Prerequisite: one semester of college sociology, race, or gender studies

• General Psychology

  Fall

  Psychology 100-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The course will present an overview of the main topics related to the study of the mind and behavior. It will first provide a historical background of general psychology, describing the origin and evolution of the most important theoretical paradigms and illustrating how they have differently defined the objects and methods of scientific psychology. The discipline’s main areas of inquiry will then be examined: sensation and perception; learning; memory; thinking, reasoning and problem solving; language; motivation; emotions; and personality. Special attention will be devoted to the developmental aspects of some of the subject areas addressed and to an introduction to clinical psychology.

• Intercultural Communication

  Fall

  Speech Communications 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Spring

  Speech Communications 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The purpose of this course is to develop the skills necessary to build and maintain positive communication and relationships across cultures. Students will explore the definition, nature and manifestation of culture while examining their own values, traditions and beliefs. Through active in-class and out-of-class activities, students will learn about the similarities and differences in communication behaviors and explore language usage, nonverbal style, and perceptions in order to see how they influence face-to-face communication between individuals of different cultures in the United States, Europe and the rest of the world. Knowledge about diverse communication and observation practices will enhance the ability to work and to live in a global marketplace.

• Italian Cuisine

  Fall

  Nutrition 200-level 1 credit Taught in English

  Spring

  Nutrition 200-level 1 credit Taught in English

  In each class meeting, after the lecture, discussion, and introduction to new material and topics of the day, we will start our food preparation and cooking. We will learn how to prepare Italian meals: antipasti, first courses, second courses with vegetable side dishes, and desserts. We will learn how to make a good espresso, as well as how to accompany each dish with the right wine. Attention to detail is of the utmost importance. Attention will also be given to traditional Italian tableware, setting of table, etiquette, and general eating behaviour. Having dinner together will be one of the pleasures of the class.

  Not recommended for students on a gluten-free diet.

  Maximum enrollment is 20 students.

  This course has an additional fee

• Italian Culture

  Fall

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 200-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Spring

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 200-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course analyzes various aspects of Italian culture through lectures, readings, discussions, and observation research projects. The main course objectives are to develop an understanding of contemporary Italy, encompassing its recent history, regional differences, social institutions, and contemporary issues. Students will be asked to reflect on their cultural upbringings and beliefs, and to share their Italian culture experiences in class. Particular attention will be given to breaking down commonly held stereotypes and revealing the realities of contemporary Italian life.

• Nutrition Across the Lifespan

  Fall

  Nutrition 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course addresses nutrition from both social and biological perspectives and will challenge students to conceptualize its effects at each stage of the human life cycle. Students will analyze how nutrition is influenced by cultural, environmental, psychosocial, physical, and economic factors. Students will also develop skills to identify the needs of people in in various age groups. This course is designed to engage unique perspectives to build upon theoretical concepts within the field and provide students with a unique experience to study how nutritional needs vary among people of different cultures.

• Psychology of Aging

  Fall

  Psychology 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course is designed to provide student a detailed understanding the aging process from a psychological perspective by examining topics including the major theories of aging, stereotypes about aging and older adults, changes in physical and mental health, cognition, personal transitions in later life, social relationships and sexuality during later life, and death and dying.

• Social Media and Intercultural Media Topics

  Fall

  Speech Communications 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  In this course, students will analyze the use of social media and how it influences a variety of intercultural issues in Italy and across the world. Students will evaluate how social media became a tool to enhance educational opportunities, integration and reciprocal comprehension, and digital storytelling.

Spring Semester

Education, Communications, Health/Nutrition, and Italian Studies

• Aging: An Interdisciplinary Approach

  Spring

  General Health Sciences Sociology 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The course introduces the study of aging, its implications for individuals, families, and society, and the background for health policy related to older persons. It presents an overview on aging from different perspectives, such as demography, biology, epidemiology of diseases, physical and mental disorders, functional capacity and disability, health services, federal and state health policies, social aspects of aging, and ethical issues in the care of older individuals. Students will develop an understanding of aging from an interdisciplinary perspective and will understand the importance of prevention and healthy and active lifestyles in order to gain and promote successful wellbeing in aging.

• Cognitive Psychology

  Spring

  Psychology 400-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course will explore core topics in cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology, including language, memory, attention, action planning, problem solving, imagery and comprehension. Students will be expected to evaluate and analyze issues such as motor control, embodied cognition, problem solving, abstraction, and comprehension. This course will also cover subjects within cognitive sciences through discussions of neuroethics and artificial intelligence research.

  Prerequisite: introductory coursework in college-level psychology

• Comparative Education

  Spring

  General Education 400-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The goal of this course is to introduce students to the origins and development of the field of comparative and international education and to explore how both scholars and educational policymakers have engaged some of the debates that characterize policy and research in education around the world. Special attention is devoted to similarities and differences in educational policy and practice between advanced and developing capitalist, socialist, and “transitional” societies. Other basic purposes of the course are to introduce students to the broad topic of comparative education and to develop understanding of different theoretical approaches for understanding formal and non-formal educational issues in comparative perspective. Attention is also devoted to similarities and differences in educational policy and practice between “emerging” societies and others. Students will gain first-hand understanding of an alternative systems of education through theoretical knowledge and observation of practice in Italian local schools.

• Food and Culture

  Spring

  Anthropology Nutrition 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Food is a topic with which every student of every ethnicity has personal experience; it is so common that its cultural connotations tend to be overlooked. Food is often an area related to strong identity, whether positive or negative, of one’s ancestry. Cuisines are not just about sustenance, but also about cultural symbols that bind together people in ritual and as a community. How one participates in the act of eating (when/how) and why certain foods are to be prepared are learned and understood at the table.

  Food is of wide-ranging anthropological interest because, in eating, humans incorporate into our bodies the products of nature transformed into culture. This course explores connections between what we eat and who we are through cross-cultural study of how personal identities and social groups are formed via food production, preparation, and consumption.

  The course will initially explore the general topic of food and culture to present a background in which to discuss the specifics of identity and meaning. The role of food will be examined in several different communities. Several films will be used to discuss specific topics, such as festivals/rituals and food as family/community. Moreover, our topics and readings will be eclectic: food taboos; gender and kinship, voice and identity, symbolic and expressive culture, feasts, festivals, fasts, famine, religion and spirituality, race and ethnicity, nationalism, class and social stratification, politics of globalization, among others. Then, we will focus on foodways in Italy, using the tools of anthropology, history, geography, sociology, journalism, and marketing. Furthermore, we will use food as a lens through which to deepen understanding of your new home and neighbors for this term in Reggio Emilia.

  An additional element of the course will look at food and culture through film. Films viewed in class represent different cultures and practices and give us a wider view of the complex and fascinating topic of food and culture. Students will reflect on films we watch together and in independent research for a class project.

• Foundations of Abnormal Psychology

  Spring

  Psychology 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course will provide students with the foundations of abnormal psychology (psychopathology), the science of studying mental disorders, their causes, symptoms, and treatment. Students will learn about the symptoms, clinical assessment, potential causes, and treatments of many psychological disorders, including neurodevelopmental disorders, depression, anxiety disorders and phobias, and personality disorders. Students will be encouraged to use critical thinking in relation to clinical, social and research issues in psychopathology. Psychiatric disorders (etiology, symptoms, and scientific classifications) will be discussed based on a neuro-psycho-social theoretical framework, as well as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM; currently DSM-5).

• Gender and Communication

  Spring

  Speech Communications 400-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Students will approach issues of gender and communication, both verbal and non-verbal, through critical analysis of stereotypes, socialization, and male/female interactions using theoretical perspectives. Various social interaction environments such as workplaces, families, media, and friendships will be explored. A special look at the host culture will also be considered.

• Health and Wellness Communication

  Spring

  General Health Sciences Speech Communications 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Students will explore the theory and practice of health communication and the areas where small group and organizational communication occurs. Students will also analyze how mass media influences engagement in these forms of communication. This course covers topics including the history of health communication, the complexity of patient-caregiver communication, social and cultural issues associated with health communication, and public health and its relationship with media. Students will develop skills in analytical and critical thinking through discussions and debates.

• Intercultural Communication

  Fall

  Speech Communications 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Spring

  Speech Communications 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The purpose of this course is to develop the skills necessary to build and maintain positive communication and relationships across cultures. Students will explore the definition, nature and manifestation of culture while examining their own values, traditions and beliefs. Through active in-class and out-of-class activities, students will learn about the similarities and differences in communication behaviors and explore language usage, nonverbal style, and perceptions in order to see how they influence face-to-face communication between individuals of different cultures in the United States, Europe and the rest of the world. Knowledge about diverse communication and observation practices will enhance the ability to work and to live in a global marketplace.

• Italian Cuisine

  Fall

  Nutrition 200-level 1 credit Taught in English

  Spring

  Nutrition 200-level 1 credit Taught in English

  In each class meeting, after the lecture, discussion, and introduction to new material and topics of the day, we will start our food preparation and cooking. We will learn how to prepare Italian meals: antipasti, first courses, second courses with vegetable side dishes, and desserts. We will learn how to make a good espresso, as well as how to accompany each dish with the right wine. Attention to detail is of the utmost importance. Attention will also be given to traditional Italian tableware, setting of table, etiquette, and general eating behaviour. Having dinner together will be one of the pleasures of the class.

  Not recommended for students on a gluten-free diet.

  Maximum enrollment is 20 students.

  This course has an additional fee

• Italian Culture

  Fall

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 200-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Spring

  Italian World Languages and Literatures 200-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course analyzes various aspects of Italian culture through lectures, readings, discussions, and observation research projects. The main course objectives are to develop an understanding of contemporary Italy, encompassing its recent history, regional differences, social institutions, and contemporary issues. Students will be asked to reflect on their cultural upbringings and beliefs, and to share their Italian culture experiences in class. Particular attention will be given to breaking down commonly held stereotypes and revealing the realities of contemporary Italian life.

• Italian/International Educational Approaches Field Study

  Spring

  General Education Human Development and Family Studies 200-level 1 credit Taught in English

  The field study aims to allow students to learn, discuss, and compare unconventional educational approaches, focusing on childhood education (pre-K, K, elementary). Some of these approaches are internationally known, spread, and established, while others are new and experimental.

  The field study will include lectures, guest speaker presentations and discussions, critical thinking activities, projects, and numerous field trips. The additional fee will cover the cost of field trips, activities, and guest speakers.

  This course has an additional fee

• Models of Teaching

  Spring

  General Education 400-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course is the study of various models of instruction with an emphasis on application in classrooms. This course provides students with the theoretical and practical understandings of how to use models of teaching to both meet and exceed the growing expectations for instructional practices and student achievement. This course employs the use of the following teaching methods: in-class discussions, technology application, group work, and class presentations.

• Multicultural Education Issues

  Spring

  General Education 400-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course seeks to address and delve into curriculum and pedagogy issues relevant to race, religion, primary language, gender, and socioeconomic class differences. The course helps to address and fine-tune curriculum and teaching strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners. The course provides a structured approach for understanding contemporary education issues, addressing curriculum and education materials paying attention to diversity, and developing teaching and assessment strategies targeting the achievement gap and diverse student needs.

  The course aims to help students understand the complexity of multicultural education in the U.S., and with examples from abroad, particularly from Italy and Europe, and to develop knowledge of curriculum and teaching strategies related to the topics of multicultural education. We aim to analyze the basic curricular, pedagogical, and personal components of multicultural education; to discuss differing ideologies and paradigms that guide multicultural education; to evaluate our own identities, biases, and position in the curricula and schooling experience; to discuss a new knowledge base and skills in the creation of multicultural curricula and practice; to discuss and analyze effective strategies, methods and materials for teaching English language learners. This course seeks to introduce prospective teachers to curriculum and pedagogy issues relevant to race, religion, primary language, gender, and socio-economic class differences.

To request a course syllabus: syllabus@usac.edu

Internship

For eligibility requirements and application information, see the USAC internship page.

For more information about placement options, see the Reggio Emilia internship page.

• Internship

  Fall

  Internships 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Spring

  Internships 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  USAC skills-based internships abroad are designed to complement a student’s program of study while providing a structured work or field experience under the direction of a professional supervisor and with the oversight and support of an on-site USAC internship coordinator.

  USAC internships facilitate the academic and professional development of students through:

  1) the practical application of knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to a professional work environment.

  2) the further development of practical competencies essential to the ongoing work of the placement site.

  3) the cultivation of a network of professional contacts.

  USAC internships will expose students to the workplace culture, norms, and expectations of their respective placement site and host country, deepening cross-cultural understanding and helping students develop intercultural communication and language skills in an internationally focused organization or other professional work setting.

  Through the consistent participation in the processes and practices of a professional field, students will acquire a working knowledge of that field and will apply that learning to their own career and academic choices and goals.

  This course has an additional fee

Host University Courses

Field Studies

Optional field studies are an excellent way to deepen your academic experience abroad. During your 1-credit field study course, you will participate in carefully planned excursions that allow you to explore the cultural, historical, and natural features of Italy. These overnight field experiences, combined with required academic components such as readings, research, and written assignments, will increase your understanding of the sites and locales visited.