ECU Tuscany Semester Course Offerings

Students can select from a variety of courses offered on the program that satisfy general education requirements in humanities, fine arts, science, social science, foreign language, and kinesiology. Full time enrollment for a full semester is 12-18 credit hours. At least 9 credit hours of courses must be taken through the ECU Tuscany course offerings. Students can take a maximum of 2 online courses outside of the program at their own expense. Course availability is subject to change based on student interest and instructor availability.

Fine Arts:

Digital Photography

  • ART 1250: Digital Photography (for non-art majors, 3 credit hours)
  • ART 2220: Photography (for art majors, 3 credit hours)

This class will introduce students to photography and photo editing software using a smartphone. Together, we will explore the self-expressive possibilities of photography as a visual language through lectures, assignments, and critiques, creating strong visual narratives. Students will make photographs learning to technically control and compose images with their smartphone, as well as digital editing and filing software. The unique opportunity of a Tuscan landscape, culture, and history will be our jumping off point for assignments that will incorporate ALL that we are seeing and learning. In addition to a good smartphone, you will need a laptop computer with digital editing software that you can get from ECU. Details will be sent in the class syllabus.

Art History and Art Appreciation

  • ART 1910: Art Appreciation (3 credit hours)
  • ARTH 3915: Art of the Middle Ages (3 credit hours, not offered as writing intensive)
  • ART 6908: Art History (3 credit hours, graduate level)

Students in this class will take the train to Florence each week to discover works of art in Museums, cathedrals and other sites of interest, meeting OUT OF our classroom as you study the amazing collections of artworks in Tuscany. This onsite class will also take place in: San Gimignano, Siena, Rome, Pompeii, and Venice. The Art 1910 class will count as fine arts foundation credits for non-art majors and ARTH 3915 counts as a required art history credits for art majors or a fine arts foundation required class if you have already taken the Art 1910 class. The goal is to investigate the rich artistic output of Italy from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance.

Book Art or Color and Design

  • ART 1001 (for non-art majors, 3 credit hours)
  • ART 3002 (for art majors, 3 credit hours, art elective credit)

Your semester in Italy is a once in a lifetime experience, and in this hands- on art making class, we will use the idea of journaling and making books to record your memories in unique ways. We will discover traditional book binding fundamentals- pop-ups and dioramas made from a variety of materials. We will learn how to effectively incorporate two-dimensional printed imagery collected from your travels into our structures that explore new ideas for the book as serious play, curiosity and adventure. Our learning will be inspired by the places we go during our travels.

Humanities:

Literature

ITAL 2220: Cultural Crossroads – The Influence of literature on Art from Antiquity to Renaissance (3 credit hours)
Join us for an exciting new course that explores the vibrant interplay of literature and art from Antiquity to the Renaissance. We will go to Florence each week with the Art History tours, and discuss the literature, music, and performing arts that inspire the artworks we will see. Almost all lessons will be on-site in museums, as we discover the relationship between literary texts and the works of art. For example, we will read the passage from Euripides’ Bacchae to discuss Michelangelo’s Bacchus sculpture at the Bargello Museum, or we will read King David’s description in the Old Testament as we look at Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia Museum. This class will help us understand the culture of the Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance periods that inspired all the arts!

Social Science:

History of Ancient Rome (753 BCE – 476 CE)

HIST 3410 (3 credit hours)
The rise and fall of ancient Rome is a story central to understanding the structure of the western world. In this class we will learn about Rome from its beginnings as a monarchy, to its growth and turbulence as a Republic, and finally to its grandiose and sometimes scandalous splendor as an Empire until it’s inevitable collapse. No previous knowledge of Roman history is necessary; this is a lecture-based class with the intention of being accessible, entertaining, and enlightening. All students will be visiting the Roman Coliseum, Palatine Hill, Pompeii and more, so the stories you will hear in this class will help you appreciate those trips with more understanding.

Science:

Dynamic Earth – Geology in Tuscany

GEOL 1500/1501 (3 credit class with a 1 credit lab)
Our Geology teacher makes this class interesting and fun. She will help you understand the importance of geology and how it impacts our everyday lives. Students will cover the fundamental concepts of geology while exploring the beautiful landscapes of Italy and learning about the processes that formed these features. Hike the cliffs of Cinque Terre and the Amalfi coast while you learn about erosion, volcanoes and the geological processes that formed them. Explore caves and cliffs, rivers and oceans during our semester abroad and satisfy your 4 hour science requirement.

Electives:

Jewelry Design/Enameling

ART 2311 (elective credit for non-art majors, survey class for art majors, 3 credit hours)
The goal of this course is to introduce an understanding and appreciation of basic metalsmithing/jewelry skills and how to apply the skills to creative design and visual expression. Students will explore techniques for cutting, forming and fabricating metal sheet and wire, and they will learn how to apply glass to the surface of the metal to create jewelry with imagery or surface color and texture using cloisonne, drawing and painting enamel techniques. This course is for beginners, and no previous experience is needed.

General Education Requirement:

Lifetime Health & Fitness

KINE 1000 (1 credit hour)
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the importance of lifetime physical activity and fitness. We will explore the various aspects of total fitness including physical fitness, diet, weight control, exercise, flexibility, motor skills, and stress reduction. Emphasis will be placed on various exercise platforms as the physical activity component, allowing students to experience multiple workouts and consider how each might fit into their own lifestyle, (such as interval training, yoga, pilates, walking, and running.).