Pursuing Interdisciplinary Mediterranean Studies at MADE means exploring the humanities through the unique perspective of Sicily, bolstered by the region’s compelling history, captivating current socio-political climate, interesting geological traits, and fascinating cultures of literature, art, and architecture.
Interdisciplinary Mediterranean Studies Track
This multidisciplinary track is designed to present the essence of this island civilization and allows students to trace the historical narrative of Italy, and Sicily, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the 21st century as well as to satisfy important major-specific and core requirements.
Mediterranean Studies Courses｜Spring 2026
| Documenting Sicily: A Multimedia Approach COM / ARTS 250 | This course examines photography as a narrative tool for documenting landscape transformation in Sicily, with a focus on Siracusa and its socio-political context. Through walking, creative writing, and drawing, students will develop photography projects culminating in a collective publication or exhibition. |
| Environmental Art: Unraveling Cartographies ARTS / ENV 257 | Unraveling Cartographies is a field research-based course combining art and alternative mapping methods to explore human impact on the environment. Focusing on the Augusta-Priolo-Melilli area, students will use sensory art and participatory cartography to map landscapes, memories, and socio-political dynamics, culminating in a collective publication or multimedia installation. |
| Sustainable Food Systems in Sicily ARTS / ENV 261 | Food serves as a link between the body and the landscape, shaping our connection to the environment. This site-based course explores sustainable food practices in contemporary Sicily, including local production, zero waste, and organic agriculture. Students analyze sustainability from multiple perspectives and develop a personal creative narrative, contributing to a collective experiential dinner design. |
| Decolonizing Iconography ARTS / HIST 306 | This course explores visual culture through decolonial and postcolonial theory, focusing on iconography to interrogate contemporary imagery. It includes visits to key historical and cultural sites in Siracusa, adopting a multipolar approach to understanding its role in modern history. Students will analyze and challenge dominant visual narratives, exploring their role in collective memory and identity. |
| History of Migration in Sicily HIST / ANTH 300 | This interdisciplinary course introduces Sicily's history and people through the lens of Migration Studies, examining its geographic, historical, philosophical, and political contexts. Through lectures and experiential workshops, students will critically analyze Sicily's role as a contested space, its migration legacy, and its relevance in shaping global dynamics. |
| Mediterranean Anthropology: Environment, Population, Art and Tradition HIST / ANTH 250 | This course blends anthropology and art, focusing on the relationship between humans, the environment, and future imaginaries. It explores Mediterranean anthropology, fieldwork methods, and the impact of civilizations on the environment. Students will engage in a creative workshop, using their chosen medium to envision the Mediterranean of tomorrow, blending history and imagination. |
| Mafia Narratives in Cinema, Art, and Literature HIST / SOC 251 | This course explores the history of the Mafia, focusing on its cultural representations in cinema, art, and literature. Students will critically analyze historical events, figures, and narratives, examining how they’ve been mythologized in media. The course includes research on a specific Mafia figure and culminates in a creative "Impossible Interview" to reinterpret historical narratives and perspectives. |
| Volcanology: Environment, Geology, and Culture + 1 credit Lab GEOL 350 | This interdisciplinary course blends volcanology, geology, and landscape photography to explore Sicily's active volcanoes: Mount Etna, Stromboli, and Vulcano. Students will engage in field expeditions, scientific observation, and artistic documentation, developing a photographic series that combines geological analysis with visual storytelling. |
| Volcanology: Environment, Geology, and Culture + 3 credits Lab GEOL 351 | This interdisciplinary course merges volcanology, geology, and photography to explore Sicily’s active volcanoes: Etna, Stromboli, and Vulcano. Through field expeditions and scientific observation, students will engage in an extensive photography lab, experimenting with techniques to develop a visual narrative that blends geological analysis with artistic expression. |
| Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management: MADE in Sicily BUS 350 | The course invites students to explore Sicily's dynamic entrepreneurial landscape, focusing on the development of small businesses within local creative industries. Through readings, discussions, and field visits, students will examine how Sicily’s unique geographic, historical, and cultural context shapes innovation, addressing sustainability and business growth. |
| Directed Undergraduate Research RES 250 | The Directed Undergraduate Research course provides MADE students with a foundation in interdisciplinary research methodologies and theoretical frameworks. Through ethical data collection, qualitative and quantitative methods, and literary reviews, students develop research skills. With mentorship from industry experts, they pursue individual projects, integrating Sicily’s unique resources. |
International Migration Studies Certificate: The Mediterranean in Context
Housed within the Interdisciplinary Studies Track (Contemporary Mediterranean Studies option) is the MADE certificate-in-one-semester in International Migration Studies for study abroad students. This certificate requires that students take five (5) classes during the semester, including four (4) required courses, and one (1) elective course to choose from. The additional required classes are "Documenting Sicily: A Multimedia Approach" and “History of Migration in Sicily.” The coursework and co-curriculum provide students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of migration studies as an interdisciplinary field of inquiry, and to then apply these methodologies and theoretical frameworks to the particular case of the Southern Mediterranean, namely Sicily, today and throughout millennia.