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The program cost is $TBD plus University fees of $345, totaling $TBD. After you have applied for your desired program, you must make a deposit of $500 via ULINK. The $500 deposit is applied towards the cost of the program. The initial deadline to apply and pay the deposit is December 16. A $100 late fee will be charged after December 16. View Payment Policies & Instructions. 
Program cost includes tuition for 9 credit hours, lodging for four weeks in furnished apartments with kitchens located in the city center of Florence, the field trips in Tuscany mentioned above, transportation to and from Rome, lodging in Rome, admission to Florence’s state museums (such as the Uffizi, Pitti and Academia) as well as many of the city’s palaces and churches. Çàɬֱ²¥s will be responsible for their own meals during the program (an additional meal voucher program is available). Round-trip airfare on the group flight which includes transportation to and from the airport is $TBD. 

This language and culture course is mandated for all students participating in the Italy Study Abroad program.

This course provides an introduction to the conversational Italian language and will expose students to various aspects of the Italian culture. The language component is held three (3) hours per week. The additional components are held at various times (day and evenings) throughout the six-week period. This course will include:

• Pre-Departure Orientation – Preparation for travel and life in Italy
• Italian Language – Conversational Italian taught by a local language school
• Cooking Italian – Hands-on cooking experience preparing authentic Italian cuisine      
• Wine Tasting – Seminar on Italian wine and proper tasting techniques
• Culture – Guided tours and visits to cultural sites and activities

All course meetings (except the orientation) are led by certified and qualified Italian-based teachers or guides and are arranged by the American Institute of Foreign Studies (AIFS). There is no need to list this course as an option because ALL participants will automatically be scheduled to take this course.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: This goal emphasizes protecting cultural heritage and fostering resilient, inclusive communities. Çàɬֱ²¥s explore Florence’s rich tradition of metalwork and jewelry, learning how Renaissance craftsmanship shaped the city’s artistic identity and continues to influence culture today.

Metalwork and jewelry have a rich history rooted in the Renaissance era, with Florence, Italy, as a vibrant hub of artistic and intellectual rebirth. This period saw an extraordinary boom in craftsmanship across many disciplines, with renowned artists like Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Donatello, and Luca della Robbia mastering metalsmithing techniques.

Throughout the course, we’ll visit iconic locations to witness these masterpieces firsthand, including Palazzo Pitti, Bargello National Museum, Uffizi Gallery, Opera del Duomo Museum, Gucci Garden and Museum, and Palazzo Strozzi.

You’ll also learn the processes of Renaissance metalsmithing and get hands-on opportunities to try these techniques yourself. No prior art experience is needed—just curiosity and a willingness to create!

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: This course examines Florence’s artistic innovation from the Renaissance to the present, helping students understand how preserving and engaging with cultural heritage supports vibrant, sustainable communities.

In this course, you will uncover the layers of history that made Florence a hub of cultural and artistic innovation. What factors propelled Italy to the forefront of the Renaissance? Which artistic monuments in Florence and nearby cities have become enduring symbols of this extraordinary era?

We’ll explore iconic sites including Palazzo Pitti, Bargello National Museum, Uffizi Gallery, Opera del Duomo Museum, Gucci Gardens and Museum, Palazzo Strozzi, and many other nearby locations that showcase the lasting impact of Renaissance artists.

This course gives you the unique opportunity to experience these masterworks in person—not just to learn about their historical importance, but to appreciate their scale, beauty, and the environments that made them so influential.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: This goal emphasizes protecting cultural and architectural heritage while fostering inclusive, resilient communities. In this course, students explore Florence and nearby cities, analyzing historic architecture and design to understand how Italy’s built environment reflects cultural legacy and inspires contemporary creativity.

Inspired by the tradition of the Grand Tour as an educational journey, this course transforms Florence—and its surrounding cities—into an open-air classroom for exploring the rich legacy of Italian design. Open to students of all levels, the course emphasizes field sketching and visual analysis, offering daily opportunities to draw, observe, and reflect on some of the world’s most influential architectural and artistic achievements.

Florence’s buildings, piazzas, gardens, museums, and studios will serve as our primary sites of investigation. Through guided tours, daily sketching assignments, photography, and site-specific readings, you’ll engage directly with the built environment, strengthening both your technical drawing skills and your understanding of design principles. Together, we’ll closely examine interior and exterior spaces, historic landmarks, and design details to uncover the elements that make great design endure.

Using both sketchbooks and cameras as tools for documentation and analysis, you’ll participate in group discussions and critiques that encourage reflection and growth. To broaden your perspective, the course also includes excursions to nearby cities such as Pisa, Siena, Venice, Verona, San Gimignano, and Lucca—revealing how regional traditions shaped Italy’s cultural and design legacy from Roman times to the present.

Join us to study and experience the works of Italian masters such as Brunelleschi, Alberti, Michelangelo, and da Vinci, while developing your own creative eye in the very landscapes that inspired them.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities: This course explores Florence, Rome, Venice, and other cities, examining architecture, public spaces, and art to understand how design preserves cultural heritage and shapes urban identity.

Step into the captivating world of Italian design, where history and modernity converge. In this course, you will immerse yourself in the exploration of public spaces, interiors, and objects across Italy’s most iconic cities. Through guided excursions, curated readings, and lively discussions, you’ll discover the multilayered fabric of Florence, Rome, Venice, and beyond—where Roman, medieval, Renaissance, 19th-century, modern, and contemporary influences coexist and shape the present.

These extraordinary locations will become your open-air classrooms, offering firsthand insight into the legacies of Italian design and the ongoing dialogue between nature, architecture, and art. Projected sites include Venice’s Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco, Rome’s Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and St. Peter’s Basilica, and Florence’s San Lorenzo, Uffizi Galleries, Boboli Gardens, and Piazza San Michelangelo.

By exploring these historically and culturally significant sites, you’ll witness how the city itself is woven into its architecture, gardens, and artworks—revealing the seamless fusion of urban life and cultural expression.