Students interested in taking up the 'European programme' have to take modules in the appropriate modern language in their first and second years (unless they have good previous knowledge of the language e.g. from having taken an A-level). They then spend an 'extra' third year abroad, returning to Leeds to take their final year in the normal way.

Since the courses offered and the teaching systems in our partner institutions are not identical to those at Leeds, we do not formally include marks from the year abroad when calculating a student's final degree, but the year is recognised in the designation of the degree scheme, e.g. Classical Civilisation (Euro).

Informally, of course, it is widely recognised that studying abroad for a year is a very beneficial experience, and this is likely to be taken into account by future employers.

The benefits of the Department's links extend even to those who do not take part in the exchange directly, as members of staff from our partner institutions visit Leeds from time to time and take classes, and of course there are always Greek and Italian students in the Department who are here on their year abroad.

• Visit the University of Leeds Study Abroad Office for more information

The university

The University was founded in 1925, and currently has as many as 70,000 students. Our particular link is with the Classical Studies section of the Department of Philology, a sub-division of the Faculty of Philosophy. For more information, see the Univeristy's website: general information is available in English, more detailed information about the staff and courses is in Greek.

• Visit the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki website

There are several excellent museums in Thessaloniki, including the Archaeological Museum, which contains finds from Thessaloniki itself and from many sites in the surrounding area, dating from prehistoric times through to the Roman period. Especially well displayed are the finds from the sixth/fifth-century BC cemetery at Sindos.

The contents of individual graves are kept together, which gives a fascinating insight into local burial practices, and what people thought it was important for the dead person to take with them.

Finds include gold death masks, painted pottery imported from Athens, jewellery, armour, and miniature waggons pulled by figurines of mules.

You can also get out of the city and visit some ancient sites. Only half an hour's bus-ride away is Pella, capital of ancient Macedonia from about 400 BC and birthplace of Alexander the Great.

The outlines of several house can still be seen in situ, their public rooms laid out with pebble mosaics (right) dating from the late fourth century BC, some simply patterned, others showing scenes from mythology. The small museum at the site contains some of the finest mosaics, including the famous lion-hunt scene and Dionysos riding a leopard.

Or you can escape to Vergina, situated in the foothills of the spectacular range which includes Mount Olympos. Here is the site of the ancient city of Aigai, capital of Macedonia before King Archelaos transferred his seat to Pella at the end of the fifth century BC.

The site of the ancient palace is very tranquil, dominated by the mountains behind but commanding a spectacular view across the plain beneath. Equally impressive is the new museum, which has recreated the earth mound which originally covered the three Royal Tombs unearthed in 1977.

The remains of the tombs can thus be seen in situ, with their contents (such as the silver urn and gold wreath on our homepage) displayed beside them. The largest tomb is thought to belong to Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great.

Further afield is Philippi, named after Philip II when he took it over in 356 BC. It was the site of the momentous battle of 42 BC at which Antony and Octavian roundly defeated the republicans under Cassius and Brutus; the city was refounded with veterans of the battle.

In AD 49 St Paul spent time preaching here, and later wrote his Epistle to the Philippians from his prison in Rome. Among the remains to be seen at the site is the impressive forum and the city's theatre (right), which has been restored to allow modern performances.

The Università degli Studi di Verona started life in 1959 as a part of the older University of Padua, with just a Faculty of Economics and Commerce. 

It was granted autonomous status in 1982, however, and has grown rapidly so that it now has 20,000 students and seven faculties: Economics, Law, Arts and Philosophy, Foreign Languages and Literature, Medicine and Surgery, Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, and Education. 

Our exchange is with the Department of Humanities, part of the Arts and Philosophy faculty, under the direction of Prof. Attilio Mastrocinque, who specialises in Roman history and archaeology.  For more information, see the Verona University website (many pages available in English as well as Italian).

• Visit the Università degli Studi  di Verona website
  • Arts and Philosophy faculty

The university is situated on the edge of the historic city centre.  Apart from the ever-popular "Casa di Giulietta", Verona's most famous tourist attraction is the magnificent Roman amphitheatre, which since 1913 has hosted the city's annual programme of lavishly-staged operas.  

This is, however, just part of the extensive Roman remains which can be seen all over the city.  Several of the ancient city's gates survive, such as the Porta Leone (right), as does the theatre (left), which is sometimes used for modern dramatic performances.  Above the theatre, a former monastery now houses Verona's Museo Archaeologico, which contains finds from the Roman city and the surrounding area, as well as offering a fine view over the Adige River and the Ponte Pietro towards the city centre

Amongst its famous sons Verona boasts the Roman poet Catullus, who is commemorated in the naming of its Aeroporto Valerio Catullo!

As with the Greek exchange, staying at Verona would give you a good base from which to visit ancient sites and museums elsewhere in northern and central Italy. 

For example, just half an hour away by train, Brescia was given a formal city-centre by the Roman emperor Vespasian in the first century AD, with a forum, theatre and temple, of which impressive remains can still be seen, and there is a recently-refurbished Museo Civico Romano nearby. 

Another hour on the train brings you to Milan, fashion capital of Italy and famous for its elaborate cathedral, built on the site of an early Christian church where St Augustine was baptised by St Ambrose and sent on his mission to convert the British in the fourth century. 

There is also an excellent Museo Archaeologico, which has a particularly well-displayed collection of Roman sculpture, Greek vases and Etruscan remains (e.g. the Etruscan sarcophagus, left).