Welcome to the homepage of AUR’s Department of Business Studies! This is your jumping-off point for finding out about our program, our students, our faculty and how we make a difference at AUR and in our community. In the heart of the “Eternal City”, AUR offers business- and economics-minded students a rich and rigorous academic experience, coupled with a diverse social and cultural life. The focus is on providing students with the theoretical foundations and practical skills they will need to successfully live and work across cultures.

As Chair of this very active department, I have the opportunity to work with some of the most dynamic students on campus and some of the most creative colleagues. Our students pursue their BSBA degree with opportunities to specialize in Marketing, Economics, The Business of Art or Social Marketing. They intern at some of the most important private and non-profit organizations in Rome (link), and they study abroad in countries as diverse as China and Ecuador (Aura link). Through the student-run Business Club (link), which operates AUR’s merchandise business, they gain real-life experience. Many minor in International Relations, Art History, Italian or Communication.

Our faculty (a.k.a. the BizFac) come from diverse educational, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and parts of the world (U.S., Italy, Greece, Britain, Ireland, India). Some are life-long scholars and researchers, others are businesspeople who leave their offices to come into the classroom to share their real-world warrior experience with our students, and still others are managers who have become full-time academics. Take a look at the faculty pages to get a sense of the cultural, research and experiential diversity of the professors. From a leader in Italy’s construction industry to a painter, to U.N. economists, to an All-American swimming champ, to a certified group therapist, to a specialist in non-profit marketing to a former student of Phil Kotler (the guru of marketing) to Disney-Italy’s former finance director to a former labor negotiator… our faculty brings enthusiasm, experience, energy and rigor to the classroom.

Take a tour of our Department by following the links. You will discover the latest BizFac Events and Trips (link), including recent visits to Benetton, GEOX and IKEA and plans for a field trip to Sicily. You will see the line-up of Business leaders and economists scheduled to talk with our students. You can explore study abroad opportunities in China, Ecuador, Greece and the U.S. (aura link), check out internships (link) or find out how to get involved in the BizClub (link)

Feel free to contact me at k.fitzsimmons@aur.edu if you have any questions about the BSBA degree, our program, upcoming events, or would like further information on the various opportunities the department provides at

Happy surfing!

Prof. Kathleen Fitzsimmons
Chair, Department of Business Studies