As Temple University Rome prepares to launch its first full four year bachelor’s degree programs in fall 2026, Dean Emilia Zankina explains how the expansion will reshape student life, academic identity, and Rome’s role in global higher education.
Temple Rome is launching its first full four-year bachelor’s degree programs in fall 2026. What does this expansion mean for the long-term identity and mission of the campus?
This marks a new and very exciting stage for Temple Rome, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead it. The new programs will significantly expand opportunities for Temple students from Philadelphia, for American students across the United States, and, most importantly, for European students and students from the surrounding regions, including Northern Africa and the Middle East. We also very much hope to welcome many Italian students.
This expansion strengthens Temple Rome’s identity and mission by allowing us to serve a broader and more diverse student population. The affordable flat tuition rate we offer in Rome makes a top-quality American education accessible to students who might otherwise be unable, or unwilling, to spend four full years in the United States. By introducing full bachelor’s degree programs, we are creating meaningful new pathways for students seeking a truly international education.
How do you see the four-year degree offerings transforming the student experience compared to Temple Rome’s traditional study-abroad or Entry Year model?
Having students on campus for a full course of study will make Temple Rome even more vibrant than it already is. Long-term students can establish clubs and organizations that endure from one cohort to the next—something that is naturally limited when most students are here for only one year.
I expect these students to take the lead in developing new initiatives, programming, and student organizations, while also integrating study-abroad students into these activities. This will enrich both the degree-seeking and study-abroad experiences and create a stronger sense of continuity and community on campus.
What were the biggest challenges or opportunities in transitioning from a semester-based program to a full undergraduate campus?
In many ways, the decision was clear, even if the process itself was complex. We already have a strong foundation, with rigorous programs across a wide range of disciplines. The first and most important step was ensuring that the curriculum met Temple University’s high academic standards.
Our Academic Dean, Mary Conran, worked closely with colleagues in Philadelphia to ensure that the degree earned in Rome is fully equivalent to one earned on Main Campus, in terms of coursework, content, and learning outcomes.
Beyond curriculum, this transition requires a shift in mindset. We must think of ourselves not just as a study-abroad site, but as a fully-fledged campus, comparable to Temple’s campuses in Philadelphia and Tokyo. That means being prepared to do more: providing enhanced academic support, expanding student life programming and comprehensive services to meet students’ needs and aspirations.
How will the new four-year structure reflect your philosophy of combining U.S. and European educational approaches?
We are offering an American curriculum that is fully embedded in the Roman context. Students will benefit not only from Rome and Italy’s extraordinary cultural resources, such as museums, historic sites, and cities, but also from our partnerships with local universities and organizations.
These collaborations bring perspectives that students studying the same degree in Philadelphia would not encounter. The program combines the flexibility of the American system, which allows students to shape their academic pathways, with the grounding influence of European educational, business, and social context.
How will Temple Rome maintain its multidisciplinary and culturally immersive strengths while scaling up?
We are scaling up without creating disciplinary silos. Interdisciplinarity, multiculturalism, and diversity remain central to our identity. In fact, we expect the student body to become even more diverse with the introduction of these degree programs.
We are building on six decades of successful programming and applying that experience at the degree level. I am confident that this will allow us to deepen, rather than dilute, what makes Temple Rome unique.
What academic partnerships or curriculum innovations do you envision as part of the new degree programs?
We are introducing programs that we do not currently offer in Rome but that we believe will be highly attractive to Italian, international, and American students. These include new tracks in hospitality and tourism management, cybersecurity, and global studies.
At the same time, we are expanding on established strengths such as business, marketing, and communications. Some programs, such as Italian studies and certain natural sciences, are likely to be particularly appealing to American students. There is no better way to study Italian language and culture than by earning a full degree while living in Rome.
With more students staying in Rome for four years, how will housing and community life be supported?
As our student population grows, we are expanding our physical footprint. This includes new facilities, such as our recently opened Art Studios across the street, developed in collaboration with Fondazione Micol Fontana Roma.
We are also working with partners to increase housing options and plan for additional academic spaces on campus. At the same time, we are expanding our Academic and Student Life teams to support academic work, cultural programming, counseling, and community engagement.
The four-year structure also creates opportunities for peer mentoring, with older students supporting younger ones and Seniors serving as residence assistants or advisors. Student-to-student support is often the most effective form of community building.
How will experiential learning be integrated into the new degree pathways?
Experiential learning is already a core component of our programs, and it will remain so. The difference is that students will now have more time to engage deeply. Internships may extend over a full year rather than a single semester, and volunteer or community-based work can continue across multiple years.
Students will be able to see the long-term impact of their involvement with organizations such as refugee centers and community partners, making these experiences more meaningful and transformative.
What feedback have you received from prospective students and families?
One of the strongest indicators of demand is that many students who come for their first year do not want to leave. Even at this early stage, while promotional campaigns and application portals are just launching, we are already hearing from interested students and families.
How does Temple Rome’s location enhance the value of a full bachelor’s degree?
Temple’s main campus in the United States offers an exceptional environment, with extensive facilities and resources. In Rome, however, we are embedded directly in the city itself.
Located at the Spanish Steps, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, our campus does not need to replicate a city, it is part of one. Students may not have an on-campus cafeteria or gym, but they have neighborhood bakeries, cafés, and partnerships with adjacent schools, athletic facilities, galleries and stores, and more. Rome becomes an extension of the campus.
What advantages does Rome offer for fields beyond the humanities?
There is a misconception that Rome is only about art and history. In reality, it is the capital of one of the world’s largest economies and a center for research, technology and innovation.
We already offer degrees in business, biology, and computer science, and we collaborate with laboratories, hospitals, universities, and international organizations such as the FAO. Students benefit from living in a vibrant, modern city that encompasses every dimension of contemporary life.
How does this expansion align with Temple University’s broader global strategy?
Our international campuses allow students to move fluidly across continents while completing their degrees, and they enable us to integrate global perspectives into everything we do.
A strong example is our Adult Study Abroad program, which began in Rome and has since expanded to Japan. Ideas, models, and innovations move constantly between campuses, keeping our programs dynamic and forward-looking.
How has your own international background shaped this growth at Temple Rome?
I have always lived internationally and across cultures. That perspective did not emerge from this role; rather, I sought a role that would allow me to continue exploring different cultures, languages, and global perspectives.
This position aligns naturally with my lifelong commitment to international education and helping young people find their path.
What is your biggest priority in the coming years?
The priority is execution. While the idea is straightforward, the details are complex: aligning curriculum, faculty, staff, support services, facilities, marketing, and recruitment. This work is already underway, and it will intensify as the program grows.
Is there a student story that captures the mission of these new programs?
One student from Afghanistan had planned to study in Philadelphia but was unable to do so due to travel restrictions. We were fortunate to welcome her to Rome, even before the four-year program was formally approved.
She will be our first degree-seeking student to progress through the full program here. We look forward to seeing her graduate and to witnessing the impact she will have, both personally and professionally, wherever her future takes her. She represents the kind of global education and opportunity that Temple Rome hopes to provide for many students in the years ahead.
For more information: https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/interview-with-dean-emilia-zankina-on-temple-romes-shift-to-four-year-degrees.html