John Cabot University is a small American liberal arts university in the Trastevere district of Rome, Italy. It is named for the Venetian explorer Giovanni Caboto, better known by the English form of his name, John Cabot. it has more than 1,000 students, around half being study abroads, in fields like Art History, Business Administration and International Affairs. The university has three campuses in central Rome. It was founded in 1972 as a small affiliate program with Hiram College, before becoming its own independent university in 1991 and earning accreditation in 2003. Until about 1991 it was known as John Cabot International College.
History
The college was founded in 1972 and originally located within a religious school called Pro Deo University. It was named after 15th century explorer Giovanni Caboto, also known as John Cabot. As of 1978, most students at John Cabot were business majors, though some were getting an Associate of Arts degree. From 1985 to 1991, the university expanded or created programs in Art History, International Affairs and English Literature. It was formerly academically associated with Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio. In 1991, the school became an independent university under the name John Cabot University and became accredited in 2003, thus endings its affiliation program with Hiram. The library moved, expanded, and was named after Frohring in 1999.
Campuses
The university has three campuses in the Trastevere neighborhood of central Rome called the Frank J. Guarini Campus, the Tiber Campus, and the Caroline Critelli Guarini Campus on the banks of the Tiber river. The three locations are about five minutes from each other and near both the Vatican and the Roman Forum. The Frank J. Guarini campus is a former convent with a main three-story building surrounded by terraces and courtyards. The prior chapel now serves as a student lounge. There is also a computer lab, student housing buildings, and the Frohring library. The largest building on-campus is the Aula Magna Regina auditorium. Some classes are held at the Sacchetti Building on the other side of the Tiber River and many art classes are conducted at monuments or at other notable landmarks. A student dormitory, the Gianicolo Residence is located two minutes away from the main Guarini campus, but the university also offers off-campus dormitories on Viale di Trastevere and external apartments around the area.
Programs
John Cabot University has academic programs in areas like Political Science, English Literature, Economics and Communications. According to Study Away: The Unauthorized Guide to College Abroad, its "especially strong" programs are Art History, Business Administration, and International Affairs. According to Cool Colleges 101, the University "follows the American system of education with a distinctive European character." The university offers associate and BA degrees in humanities subjects and in business administration. Classes are taught in English. In Fall 2017, John Cabot University launched a Master of Arts in Art History. The Guarini Institute for Public Affairs provides lectures and events on world political and human rights themes.
