Syracuse University in Florence

» General Information

Location:

Florence, Italy (Population: 425,000)

Description:

Syracuse-Florence is a large program--like most of the programs in Florence--but has a number of components that provide students with opportunities to immerse themselves in Italian culture. These include required home stays, access to the local university library and classes, a conversation exchange club for Italian and American students, and assistance in 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 at least one year or the equivalent of college Italian. 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 taught 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 two or more years or the equivalent of college-level 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 only for students who have just one year of Italian language. Students with two or more years of Italian are strongly encouraged to participate in the BU-Padova, BCSP-Bologna, or Arcadia-Lecce 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:

Syracuse Abroad - Florence


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Northwestern Requirements

  • Students must have 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 home stays 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.
  • Students who take only Syracuse program courses in the fall can return to NU for the winter quarter.

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 and architecture studios are located nearby at Piazzale Donatello.
  • The more advanced students (Option III) will take a combination of Syracuse University Program Center courses and direct enrollment courses at the University of Florence, or direct enrollment courses only.

Housing

Home stays
  • Eexception: 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

Fall 2009: $27,590

  • This includes the estimated cost of tuition, room, board, books, transportation, personal expenses and SAAF. The sample costs provided are for the fall term; for other terms and for the most current cost, contact the sponsoring organization.

Approximate Program Size

Several hundred students, depending on the term.

Application Requirements

Prior to receiving an application, all Northwestern students must complete the following steps:

  1. Complete the mandatory Study Abroad 101 Quiz on Blackboard.  Call 847-467-6400 or e-mail studyabroad@northwestern.edu (include your name and netID) to register for this quiz.
  2. After receiving a score of 90% or above, students can pick up the Northwestern University Application for Permission to Study Abroad at the Study Abroad Office. This application it is not available online.
Northwestern students must complete two applications for this program:
  1. A Syracuse program application, available on the Syracuse University web site.
  2. The Northwestern University Application for Permission to Study Abroad.

Contact Returnees

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