ILS students tour St Peter's Basilica in Rome.

October 27, 2010. Rome, Italy. Next semester could just be the usual grind… or it could be an extraordinary opportunity to meet other students from all over the world while living in a city rich in history and culture.

The International Leadership Semester (ILS), based in Rome, is an 89-day integral experience of academics, culture, leadership training, and fellowship. It is, in the words of one ILS alum, a “fast-paced, exhilarating, fulfilling experience.”

The ILS academic program is built around a curriculum of three core classes plus two electives on topics ranging from business to culture.

The academic side of the program is guaranteed by the European University of Rome in collaboration with the Swiss School of Management (SSM), and classes are given on the same campus as the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum College.  More details about the academic program, staff, and coursework are available on the ILS web site at this link.

In addition to the academics, students also have the opportunity to delve more deeply into their Catholic faith, develop new friendships with other students from around the world, tour Rome and other European cities with their friends, and benefit from leadership training opportunities, from public speaking workshops and grassroots projects to optional faith activities.

The program is now accepting applications for the spring semester (the deadline is December 31st) and for the one-month summer honors program (deadline is May 1st). The cost for the spring semester is 15,000 Euros; the summer course is 3,000 Euros. More practical information is posted on the web site at this link.

Get a more complete view of the program at the ILS Rome web site (www.ilsrome.org).