Villanova Department of Computing Sciences

Vatican Internship

Villanova's Computing Sciences and Communication departments have a special agreement with the Vatican in Rome to provide student interns who will enhance the Vatican's presence on the World Wide Web. Participating students spend one semester working within the Vatican while continuing to take University approved courses through St. Mary's College plus receiving 3 CSC internship course credits for their experience. While in Rome, students reside at the Hotel Tiziano, a four-star hotel located within easy distance to classrooms and work sites.

Study and Work in Rome

photo of St. Peter's at night time by Dr. Frank Klassner The Vatican program is an experience for select students who are interested in not only studying in Rome, but also immersing themselves in the culture of Vatican City/State (the smallest sovereign state in the world), home of the Pope and the central administration of the Roman Catholic Church.

Students learn about Italian culture while conducting specific projects on Catholic life, teachings, and history as determined by their supervisor. Most interns will visit the Scavi, (excavations under St.Peter's Basilica that takes you to the tomb of Saint Peter) and Vatican Museum as a part of their cultural enrichment in addition to their experiences through the Saint Mary's program.

Interns work Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (approximately 16 - 20 hours each week). In the afternoons, students take courses through the Saint Mary's College program. Additionally, all interns are tutored in Italian with sessions taking place during the morning work hours.

Computing Sciences Internships

At the present time, the Department of Computer Sciences is placing interns with three offices in the Vatican: the Vatican Internet Office of the Holy See, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and the Vatican Radio Office. Projects vary and might include development of the Vatican website, security, online registration, compatibility modifications, network modeling, and working with Java.

${img2.altText} To participate, students must have a junior standing at the time of the internship and must have an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher. We encourage you to talk to your academic advisor and Dr. Robert Beck, Chair of the CSC Department, about this opportunity.

The Internship offers the opportunity to spend a semester in Rome, Italy, gain first-hand experience in working in the Computing Sciences field, and discover the natural wonder associated with the Vatican. The experience is something that the participants will remember for the rest of their lives.

Important Links

Check out the following links for more information and to see examples of previous projects: