Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: Sophomore or above
Location: Europe, Italy
GPA: 2.5

Program Overview

During this 14-day journey, you will experience the best of the Dolomite Mountains of northeastern Italy, just south of the Alps. Enjoy conscious hiking, environmental and historical education, and documenting the experience through digital storytelling. The adventure of hut-to-hut hiking through tunnels created during WWI will acquaint students with the magnificent natural landscape, the contrast of the gentle curves of flowery meadows with the extraordinarily varied sculptural shapes of bare, pale-colored towering peaks. You will also encounter the diverse cultures and enjoy the various cuisines of the Dolomites. In the course of the journey, we will study two areas: 1) Landscape, History and Literature; 2) Geology, Ecology and Landscape. All the students will learn to read the ecology and the history of the Dolomites written in the landscape through open air museums and thematic trails. You will have the option of concentrating on one of the two areas listed above.

To see the experience through students' eyes, check out these videos from our alumni. Next year's video could come from you!

 
For additional information see:

Scholarships

Applicants to this program have the option to apply for a program-specific scholarship. Award recipients are chosen based on academic merit, financial need, and overall quality of their essay. Individual awards range from $500-$1,500. To be considered, the Scholarship Essay must be completed by the program application deadline. Please refer to the Scholarship Essay instructions in the program application or speak with your GEO advisor for more details.

Students are also encouraged to apply for additional scholarships. Please see below for more information:

GEO Planning Scholarships: deadline December 15

Department of Romance Languages Scholarships: deadline February 22

GEO General Scholarships: deadline March 10 (summer programs)

Italian Study Abroad Scholarship: deadline March 10

Additional Scholarships

Dates and Deadlines

 
TermYearDeadlineArrival DateDeparture Date
Summer20251/15/20258/31/20259/13/2025

Italian Visas:

This program is less than 90 days. Students with a US passport will be traveling to Italy under the Schengen Visa waiver program and do not require a travel visa for this program, and GEO is unable to assist U.S. citizens in obtaining a visa. If you are not a U.S. Citizen: Notify your GEO Advisor. Students who are not U.S. citizens should contact the Italian consulate in their country of residence about visa requirements, no matter the duration of the program of study.

Important note: it is not uncommon for students to combine this program with another GEO study abroad program. If you are traveling with a US passport and planning on staying in Europe longer than the program dates, you must check your total travel time. If your travel time is longer than 90 days, you will need to apply for a visa. Please contact your GEO Program Coordinator for more information.

Hear from Our Students

Mountains, Memories, and Lifelong Friendships

Four college-aged males posing in front of a mountain background.
The Exploring the Dolomites program was one of the best experiences of my life. Learning about the world firsthand, rather than in a classroom, proved to be more beneficial than I ever imagined. My… read more

Discount for Pell Recipients

To expand access to study abroad, GEO is offering a $500 discount for this program to UO students who currently have the Pell Grant as part of their federal financial aid (FAFSA).

Academic Details

Students will earn 6 credits through experiential learning during the 14-day program plus mandatory and required pre-departure sessions before departing for Italy. This is an interdisciplinary course, with upper-division UO credit applicable toward a variety of majors. Students should speak with the relevant academic advisor in their major/minor for specific details. The following list of majors/minors have approved the program to count towards degree requirements: 

  • Core Education - Arts & Letters and Global Perspectives
  • German and Scandinavian Studies
  • Romance Languages (Italian, French, and Spanish)
  • Environmental Studies and Environmental Science under Area 4 Environmental Issues course requirement and as an option for the ENVS minor.
  • History under upper-division Europe field credit
  • Global Studies as Block B (Professional Concentration) if a student’s concentration is Environmental Issues. Block C (Geographic Focus) if a student’s concentration is Europe. Credits can also fulfill specific language goals for GLBL students.
  • Philosophy (general elective credits)
  • Comparative Literature

 
The program begins with two days in the city of Bolzano for orientation and visits to local museums. The next eight days will be spent on the trail and moving through the mountains. The planned route may change before or during the program due to scheduling changes, inclement weather, or other factors. See a tentative map of the route this program will follow. 

A note about supplies: students will need to bring a tablet and/or a smartphone with good camera resolution to complete assignments during the program.

Course Equivalencies

UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.

Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.

Additional Requirements

All students participating in this program must meet and agree to the following requirements:

  • Ability to carry a 15-pound day pack while hiking up to 6 hours per day on mountain trails at high elevations.
  • Ability to carry own luggage in the form of a backpack weighing no more than 50 lbs. (This will be transported daily by van to the next destination while students are hiking).
  • Mandatory participation in pre-departure meetings, which will introduce students to and prepare students for the program and logistics through readings and discussion.

Faculty and Staff

Massimo Lollini is a Professor Emeritus of Italian at the University of Oregon. His research addresses in different ways the problem of Humanism in our time, and reflects on the crisis of traditional notions of human subjectivity and the emergence of Digital Humanities. He is particularly interested in exploring the idea of poetic geography and how human consciousness relates to and is influenced by the natural environment. His most recent publications include articles and essays on ecocritical approaches to culture and literature. He has written widely on eighteenth‐and twentieth-century literature.

You can contact Professor Lollini via email at: maxiloll@uoregon.edu

Housing Description

You will stay in youth hostels and hotels in cities, and in rustic Dolomites mountain cabins along the trail. The cabins offer the traditional atmosphere of the area and taste of the local cuisine, a mix of Italian, German and Ladin. Each cabin has small rooms of 4, 6, or 8 beds, with bedding and towels included. Rooms may be shared with students of all genders. Private showers are available in all cabins; some are coin-operated. Laundry is available at extra cost.
    
You will only need to carry a day pack during the hikes. Your belongings will be transported by van between sites to each cabin.