Semester in Florence
New for Spring 2024!
Unique Experiences
Test Your Gastronomic Skills
in a cooking or wine-tasting class
Go On Guided Tours
of Florence’s iconic monuments, like the Duomo or the Palazzo Vecchio
Revisit the Renaissance
at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery or Accademia Gallery
709 K
Population of Florence
7
Unesco World Heritage Sites
140
Years To Build the Duomo Di Firenze
Your Destination
Home to a treasure trove of Renaissance jewels and a rich cultural heritage, Florence is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance and is rooted in artistic tradition. The city’s historic and artistic richness makes Florence an appealing choice for study abroad students from all backgrounds. From its renowned art galleries and museums, such as the Uffizi Gallery, to its unrivaled architecture, like the Duomo, Florence is a student-friendly city boasting endless opportunities to immerse yourself in the local language and culture.
When you study abroad in Florence, you’ll call central Italy home. Here, in the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, you’ll enjoy views of stunning rolling hills, explore farms and vineyards, appreciate timeless art by the likes of Michaelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, and enjoy the local rustic Tuscan cuisine. With mesmerizing views at every turn, your time studying abroad in Florence will be nothing short of spectacular!
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Florence.
The Culture
Excursions & Activities
- Enjoy excursions to significant Florence locations, such as the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio and many more
- Visit smaller historical cities in Tuscany such as Lucca, Siena or Volterra
- Learn to prepare typical, seasonal Florentine dishes
- Visit a traditional working vineyard and olive grove, with an in-depth description of wine and oil production, promotion, and distribution
Projects
Internship: A for-credit internship in English or Italian allows students the opportunity to gain practical real-world work experience in a company within a variety of industry sectors. In addition to the on-site business experience, students participating in an internship program receive academic support in a weekly classroom component. Placements in English are limited, and Italian language skills may be necessary for some placements.
Directed Independent Research: Qualified students who have demonstrated academic rigor and curiosity toward a particular research topic can take on a Directed Independent Research project. Independent research topics will be approved by the CIEE Florence Director and home institution and must reflect a topic that is relevant to Florence or Italy. To be accepted into this course, students must submit a structured proposal with the topic of exploration and the significance of the research topic as it relates to Florence/Italy, methodology, a literature review, and a schedule of research milestones. Upon research completion, students will present their findings to a panel of academics.
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Housing & Meals
Housing
CIEE Florence offers exciting housing options to ensure you're comfortable in your home away from home. All housing options are located in neighborhoods with convenient access to public transportation, shops, cafés, and eateries.
Standard Housing: Includes a double room at a shared apartment located under 40 minutes from CIEE Florence. Apartments boast kitchens, common areas, and laundry facilities shared with other students.
Select Housing: Includes a single room at a shared apartment located under 40 minutes from CIEE Florence. Apartments boast kitchens, common areas, and laundry facilities shared with other students. Select housing requires an additional fee.
A note: Housing is on a first-come, first-served basis. If we cannot accommodate your first housing choice, we’ll let you know before you arrive.
Meals
Apartments: Meals are not included
Academics
The ‘Semester in’ Florence program offers a full range of courses at Florence University of the Arts (FUA) in English or Italian with international students, and courses with CIEE. Courses at CIEE and at FUA will include lectures, discussions, case studies, and field trips, and require active participation from students.
Students can also enroll in a for-credit internship in English and/or Italian and gain hands-on work experience in a local organization or propose a direct independent research project to explore topics about Florence/Italy abroad.
Florence University of the Arts (FUA-AUF): The American University of Florence is an Italian Institute of Higher Education accredited and authorized by the Region of Tuscany to conduct approved formative educational courses. FUA-AUF is a free-standing, private, non-denominational institution.
FUA-AUF is organized along the lines of a US-style higher education institution with instruction in English and Italian. It is comprised of multiple colleges or schools of study as typically implemented in the United States. FUA’s colleges are located in important historic palaces throughout Florence’s city center.
Course Information
To see a list of possible courses, visit the FUA Academic Schedule and from the Study Abroad menu select the “15-Week Semester” option that matches the appropriate semester and year. Credits listed are U.S. credits. FUA courses are typically 3-6 U.S. semester credits and 45 contact hours, unless otherwise indicated. 6 U.S. credit courses, experiential/field learning courses, and/or lab courses typically require additional student work hours and close attention should be paid to the online course description when choosing courses.
Academic Projects
Business, Economics, Management, and Marketing
Languages and Cultural Studies
Social Sciences
Visual and Performing Arts
Architecture
Agriculture
Communication, Journalism, and Media
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.
Scholarships & Grants
CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.
Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:
- Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
- CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant
- MSI Grant
- Trailblazer Grant
To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application.
Dates & Fees
You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.
*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.
- To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via CIEE's School of Record, which carries an additional fee of $500.
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Participation Confirmation = $300*
Educational Costs = $12,956**
Housing = $6,500
Insurance = $194
Total Fees = $19,950Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Meals not included in program fee = $1,088†
International Airfare = $1,250††
Local Transportation = $240
Books & Supplies = $150
Visa Fees = $60†††
Potential travel to consulate for visa = $500††††
Personal expenses = $300†††††
Total Costs = $3,588Optional Housing
CIEE accommodation options are detailed in the Housing section. Based on availability, Select or Select Plus Housing can be chosen during the application process for an additional fee:
Select Housing Fee = $750^
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
*non-refundable
**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
†For groceries if you plan on making your own meals, budget more money if you plan on eating out regularly.
††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
†††Full-semester students only. To be paid at Italian consulate in US
††††If no consulate in your home area
†††††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries
^first-come, first serve, based on availability
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Participation Confirmation = $300*
Educational Costs = $12,956**
Housing = $6,500
Insurance = $194
Total Fees = $19,950Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Meals not included in program fee = $1,160†
International Airfare = $1,250††
Local Transportation = $240
Books & Supplies = $150
Visa Fees = $60†††
Potential travel to consulate for visa = $500††††
Personal expenses = $300†††††
Total Costs = $3,660Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
*non-refundable
**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
†For groceries if you plan on making your own meals, budget more money if you plan on eating out regularly.
††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
†††Full-semester students only. To be paid at Italian consulate in US
††††If no consulate in your home area
†††††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries
What's Included
Tuition
Housing
Pre-departure Advising
Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions
Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet
Orientation
Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city
On-site Staff
Full-time program leadership and support in your city
Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities
Excursions and/or Study Tours
Travel Protection
CIEE iNext travel protection
24/7 emergency on-site support
Our Staff
Tina Marisa Rocchio
CENTER DIRECTOR
Tina grew up between the mountains of Vermont and the coastline of Rhode Island and has spent her adult life between Tuscany and Rome. Mastering Italian in high school, she...
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