Open to juniors and seniors from Sarah Lawrence and other colleges, the Florence program offers a remarkable opportunity for academic enrichment. Through the experience of studying in seminars with Italian faculty, working with artists in Florentine studios, studying music in Florentine conservatories, attending a class at the University of Florence (for those with more advanced language skills) and living with Italian families, our students achieve the goal of living much like Italian students.

Students take a full course load—three courses per semester—for which they receive full academic credit (15 credits per semester). All language courses, seminars and University courses are supplemented by individual tutorials. One course consists of intensive study of Italian, matched to each student's level of proficiency. One course must be an academic seminar. The third can be a second seminar or a studio course in art or music—or, for those with proficiency in Italian, a course at the University of Florence. The fall semester and full year program are open to students who have not studied Italian as well as those with all levels of Italian proficiency. Those with at least one year of Italian may choose to enroll for the spring semester only.

Much of the program's curricular strength comes from the focus study in small seminars and individual tutorials. Our seminars will gradually transition from English to Italian over the course of the year, and individual tutorials foster new directions and further understanding. Field trips in all courses bring students firsthand experience related to the subject matter.