SU Abroad: Florence

» General Information

Location:

Florence, Italy (Population: 425,000)

Description:

SU Abroad in Florence is a large program--like most of the many US study abroad programs in Florence--but has a number of components that provide students with opportunities to immerse themselves in Italian culture. These include required homestays, access to the local university library and classes, a conversation exchange club for Italian and American students, and assistance with getting involved in various clubs and organizations (e.g., chorus, sports, etc.).

The program accepts students at all levels of Italian, including beginners (who make up approximately 50% of the student body), and almost all courses are taught in English.  Northwestern students, however, are required to have completed at least 1 year or the equivalent of college-level Italian (except for McCormick and Music students). This program is run like a top-quality, small college, with full-time staff and faculty who do their own research and participate in teaching development workshops as well as scholarly organizations in Florence, around Italy, and in other countries. Academically, it is particularly strong in Italian language, art history, and studio arts. Courses in all departments involve interesting field study trips, and the program also regularly organizes excursions led by faculty or teaching assistants to various places throughout Italy.

A small number of students participate in the program's "Option II," which involves taking some courses offered by Syracuse plus Italian language courses at the Centro di Cultura per Stranieri of the University of Florence, which draws students from around the world. The program also has "Option III," which allows students with at least two years of Italian to enroll in regular courses at the University of Florence.  Students participating in the fall semester Option III must be prepared to study abroad for both fall and winter quarters, as Option III typically extends into late January.

Please note that Northwestern recommends this program for students who have just 1 year of Italian. Students with 2 or more years of Italian are strongly encouraged to participate in the BU-Padova or BCSP-Bologna affiliated study abroad programs.

Terms:

Fall Semester (Fall Quarter), Extended Fall Semester for Advanced Students in Option III only (Fall-Winter Quarters), Spring Semester (Winter-Spring Quarters), Full Year

Sponsor:

Syracuse University

Website:

SU Abroad in Florence


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Northwestern Requirements

  • Northwestern students must have completed 1 year or equivalent of college-level Italian to participate in this program. This requirement does not apply to McCormick or Music students.
  • All Northwestern students are required to live in homestays arranged by Syracuse University.
  • Syracuse Florence Option III: Students who take regular university courses during Fall Semester will need to stay until mid-January to finish the courses, and so would be gone from NU both fall and winter quarters.  Northwestern requires that you complete the program on site in order to receive any credits for your term abroad. Again, this means that you will not be able to return to the Northwestern campus or enroll in NU courses during Winter quarter.
  • During the Fall Semester, students who only enroll in Syracuse program can return to NU for the Winter quarter.
  • As with all semester-based study abroad programs, NU students must enroll in a minimum of 15 semester credits during SU Abroad's fall and spring semesters.  
  • NU does not accept credit in transfer for courses worth 1-semester credit. 
  • Students must ensure that courses are considered transferable by NU, i.e. that the subject matter is taught at the undergraduate level at NU.  The "Mediterranean Diet" course, for example, is not considered transferable because NU does not offer Nutrition Science at the undergraduate level.

Academic Specialties

Architecture, Art History/Fine Arts, Humanities, Italian Language, Studio Arts, and Women’s and Gender Studies.

Course Type

  • Most students (Options I and II) take courses only at the Syracuse University Program Center, the "Villa Rossa." It is located on historic Piazza Savonarola and contains classrooms and lounges, a renowned library (the largest English-language collection in the city), a garden, a café bar, and computer cluster with Internet capability.
  • Syracuse art studios are located nearby at Piazzale Donatello.
  • More advanced students (Option III) take a combination of Syracuse University Program Center courses and direct enrollment courses at the University of Florence, or direct enrollment courses only.

Housing

Homestays
  • Exception: Students in the studio art and pre-architecture tracks are housed in apartments with each other. This will apply to very few, if any, Northwestern students.

Program Costs

Estimated Costs:  Fall 2011
For the most updated program cost information, please refer to your program provider’s website.

  • Tuition:  $18,150
  • Room & Board:  $9,650
  • SAAF:  $2,355
  • Transportation:  $2,200
  • Books & Supplies:  $820
  • Personal Expenses:  $1,000
  • HTH:  $134
  • Total Estimated Costs:  $29,509

Additional Information:

For more information on billing and financial aid, visit the Financial Considerations section of the website.

Approximate Program Size

250-350 students, depending on the term.

Application Requirements

Northwestern students must complete two applications for this program:
  1. A Syracuse program application, submitted directly to SU Abroad and available on the SU Abroad website.
  2. The Northwestern University Application for Permission to Study Abroad, submitted directly to the Study Abroad Office.

Contact Returnees

Northwestern students may enter this section of the site for a list of students who participated in this program.