Study Abroad in Florence: Courses
With the exception of Italian language (which all students must take), courses are taught in English. A minimum enrollment of 10 is required for each course. Classes are held Monday to Friday. Semester credits are in parentheses after each course title.
Prior to the start of each semester, students participate in a 3-week language and orientation program in Viareggio-Lido di Camaiore (fall semester) or Siena (spring semester).
Semester courses
ITL 105 (1)
Conversational Italian
Meets two and a half hours per week. Basic vocabulary to deal with everyday situations. Designed for students who prefer the communicative approach with less intensive emphasis on language structure.
ITL 112 (4)
Elementary Italian II
For students with one or two semesters of Italian. Starts with basic grammar structures. Meets five hours a week. Conversation is central to every lesson.
ITL 211 (4)
Intermediate Italian I
This continuation of Italian 104 in orientation meets five hours a week. Students reach a solid level of linguistic competence.
ITL 212 (4)
Intermediate Italian II
This continuation of Italian 203 in orientation meets five hours a week. Use of the language is perfected and a solid level of expression is attained through the choice of the most appropriate vocabulary and the use of complex tenses.
ITL 303 (3)
Advanced Italian
Only students completing Italian 204 at orientation are admitted to this level. Based on textual analysis of readings from contemporary authors, newspapers and magazines, this course concentrates on the revision of complex syntactic structures and use of synonyms and idiomatic expressions. Meets four hours per week.
ARH 317 fall/spring (3)
Italian Fashion
The birth, evolution, decline, revival and most recent developments of Italian fashion from the late gothic period to current “made in Italy” design. Italian fashion styles in relation to art history in an international, social and economic context. Fashion and its relation to culture, subculture, gender and communication. On-site visits illustrate Florence’s dominant role in fashion.
ARH 323 fall/spring (3)
Masters of the Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci
Examines the extraordinary variety and complexity of the work of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo’s work as a lens whereby students can explore aspects of science, anatomy and the human body, portraiture, perspective and religious painting in the 15th and early 16th centuries.Taught largely on-site, in and around Florence. Includes a day trip to Vinci (Leonardo’s birthplace) and to Milan to view the Last Supper. Course related field trips are held on Fridays. Pre-requisites: two 100 or 200 level Art History courses or advisor’s permission.
ARH 352 spring only (3)
Art in Context
Open only to students who have not previously taken art history. Concepts underlying Italy’s Renaissance art—visual representation of space in painting, sculpture and portraiture, harmony and space in architecture, disguised symbolism in Christian art and the language of allegories. Students visit churches, galleries and museums.
ARH 358 fall/spring (3)
Museums and Galleries of Florence: The Cultures of Display
Focuses on visual culture and specifically on the purpose, role and practice of museums and galleries in Italy by exploring the organization and functioning of its most important museums. Florence offers particularly good examples of active and responsive local, regional and national museums covering a wide range of collections: the Uffizi, the Pitti Palace, the Bargello, Accademia, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure and other great art sites. Through on-site writvisits to local museums and art institutions, students gain direct knowledge of administrative structures and ideological directions of a wide range of public foundations and institutions dedicated to preserve and propagate culture. This course is designed for students with a major in Art History or for those interested in museum or gallery work.
ARH 359 fall only (3)
Modern Italian Art I
Movements from the mid 19th century to the futurist period including Italian divisionism and avant garde futurists. Students visit the Gallery of Modern Art at the Palazzo Pitti, local galleries and exhibitions.
ARH 360 spring only (3)
Modern Italian Art II
The most important Italian art movements of the 20th century in relation to European and American modern and contemporary art. Modigliani, Morandi, Vedova, Marini, Burri, Fontana, Guttuso and Cucchi in their social and cultural context. Visits to studios, galleries and exhibitions.
ARH 378 fall only (3)
Central Italian Romanesque and Gothic Art
Revolutionary achievements of the early Renaissance in Romanesque and Gothic architecture, sculpture and painting in major central Italian cities between 1000 and 1400. Artists are Pisano, di Cambio, Cavallini, Duccio, Giotto and Lorenzetti. During orientation, an optional field trip visits Pisa, Lucca and Siena.
ARH 380 fall/spring (3)
Central Italian Early Renaissance Art
Covers the Quattrocento in Florence and central Italy and focuses on Lorenzo the Magnificent Medici, focal personality in the "golden age" of Florentine art and culture. Mostly taught on-site, it also include a Friday trip to Arezzo and San Sepolcro to admire Piero della Francesca.
ARH 381 spring only (3)
Central and North Italian High and Late Renaissance Art
High Renaissance style in Florence and Rome. Development of this style in northern Italy, especially Venice. Works studied include Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael in Florence and Rome. Development of the ideal in classic high Renaissance style evidenced in works by Giorgione, Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto and Palladio are studied. Often taught on-site.
COM 315 fall/spring (3)
History of Italian Cinema and Society
The history of Italian cinema and Italian society as represented in film. Post-war Italian cinema offers a valuable range of films to study. Italian cinema within the context of world cinema to gain an understanding of realism as an aesthetic convention as well as insight into Italian culture and ways of thinking.
ECN 357 fall only (3)
International Economic Relations
Economic relations between nations and groups of countries. How institutional, political and historical factors shape the economic environment. International cooperation toward development, regional integration, dispute settlement and the steady growth of world trade as well as multilateral trade negotiations, the European Economic Community and the legal framework for world trade.
HST 318 spring only (3)
Renaissance and Baroque Itay
The history of high Renaissance and Baroque Italy, particularly Florence and the Medici family in the 16th and 17th centuries—its evolution and decline, relationship between court and town, the mythology of the prince, social and economic organization of urban life, the counter reformation as well as Galileo and his contemporaries.
HST 310 fall only (3)
Medieval and Early Renaissance Italy
Structure and evolution of political, social and cultural life in Italy emphasizing Florence and Tuscany. The church’s political and spiritual role. Activities of the citystates—Florence, Venice, Milan, Rome and Naples—against the background of the peninsula as a whole.
HST 326 fall/spring (3)
History of the Italian Mafia
Provides a detailed analysis of the history of the Italian mafia from the national unification of Italy until the present day.Topics studied include the relationships within the organization, between the Mafia and Italian Politics, and between the Italian and the American mafia.
HST 350 fall/spring (3)
History of Florence
The history of Florence from the Roman foundation to the Renaissance. Florence as a model to understand the evolution of the Italian city-republics. Comparison with other Renaissance cities within Italy and throughout Northern Europe to point out the uniqueness of Florence. Features writings of Dante Alighieri, Dino Compagni, Giovanni Villani and Franco Sacchetti, used for the descriptions of urban topography. Some lessons are scheduled on-site to visit selected monuments. Prerequisites: Two 100 or 200 level history courses or advisor's permission.
ECN 483 spring only (3)
Internship in Economics
Students work part-time as volunteers in local companies or small businesses in or near Florence for a minimum of 130 hours. Placement is determined after application, interviews and competitive selection by the Director and faculty. Students must have a good working knowledge of Italian; preference is given to full year students.To receive credit, students report to the supervising instructor regularly and submit an analytical paper. Interns may take only Italian language plus one other course.
INR/SCL 313 fall/spring (3)
Globalization: A European Perspective
The new millennium is witnessing a world that is developing into a single place. Students explore the complex social, economic, political cultural and environmental dynamics of the global society and become familiar with the causes and implications of the globalization process.
LIT 326 spring only (3)
English and American Writers in Italy
Based on a selection of English and American authors who traveled and resided in Italy, wrote about Italy and were influenced by Italian images and culture. Readings define how contact with Italian life and culture affected their work. Authors include Hawthorne, Byron, Ruskin, Mark Twain, Henry James and Mary McCarthy.
LIT 327 fall only (3)
Italian Literature in Translation
This seminar-format course samples great Italian authors of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well as the fictional prose of contemporary Italian literature. Readings in translation are chosen from Dante, Boccaccio, Machiavelli and modern authors.
LIT 328 spring only (3)
Dante in Translation: Texts and Contexts
The Divine Comedy and other major works. The poet’s philosophy, his development of the medieval concept of love, use of Italian language and the role of Florence in The Divine Comedy. Students approach Dante’s work from a variety of perspectives so as to remain flexible in interpretations.
MKT 315 fall/spring (3)
Fashion Marketing and Merchandising
This course covers the fundamentals of fashion and the basic principles that govern all fashion movement and change. It examines the history, development, organization and operation of merchandising and marketing activities, trends in industries engaged in producing fashion, purchasing of fashion merchandise, foreign and domestic markets, and the distribution and promotion of fashion.
MSC 305 spring only (3)
Italian Opera
Introduces non-musicians to the riches of Italian opera—its plots, melodies and rhythms—through leading composers and their most famous works. Lessons include excerpts of recorded material and videotapes as well as attending live performances (when available).
MSC 311 fall only (3)
Puccini and His Opera
Puccini displays the four great features of Italian opera—humanity, sincerity, passion and effect. Renowned for his gift as melodist, he was a new force in musical drama, possessing a great sense of theater. Understanding of his work is sought by studying the man, the artist and his most significant operas. Lessons include excerpts of recorded material, videos and slides.
PHL/RLG 310 fall/spring (3)
Mysticism and Magic in Medieval and Renaissance Italy
This course considers the role of Medieval mysticism and Renaissance magic in the genesis of the modern world. It examines key topics such as: the function of magic in archaic societies; and the representation of Hell and demonization in the late Middle Ages together with the Medieval ideal of perfection represented in Dante’s Divine Comedy and reflected in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. By the end of the 15th century, Florence had became the irradiating center for the new doctrine on the magus ideal, formulated by Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola. This new direction in European thought was further developed into modern science by the contribution of Leonardo, Galileo and Giordano Bruno.
PLT 302 spring only (3)
Italian Society: From Fascism to the Present
Italian political life from the rise of fascism to the present. Institutional developments since Mussolini, analysis of political parties, the Red Brigades, Italy and the EEC and church-state relations.
PLT 359 spring only (3)
The European Union in the New International System
The beginnings of the EU, its institutions and economic performance. The Single European Act, European monetary system, foreign policy cooperation and social, political and economic aspects of integration. Prerequisite: Junior status.
SCL 302 fall only (3)
Modern Italy: A Social Analysis
Characteristics of contemporary Italian society. Within a sociological framework, modern Italy can be compared with other western nations. A brief historical and geographical overview and key issues in present day Italy such as religion, social and economic inequality, the Mafia, the condition of women and the family.
SCL 308 fall/spring (3)
Women in Italian Society
Social factors influencing Italian women’s lives, perspectives and desires. The historical process through which they reached their present position. Their current condition in relation to economic, social, geographic and political environments.
SSC 483 fall/spring (3)
Internship in Social Science
Students with a serious interest in and a strong commitment to social work or social sciences may obtain part-time placement (minimum 130 hours) in elementary education, assistance to the elderly, work with handicapped or healthcare assistance. The student is placed as a volunteer and is graded. Interns may take only Italian language and one other course.
Studio Art
Courses require 25 hours per academic credit. Students purchase their own materials; in some cases, there may be a studio fee. All studio art courses require a minimum of 10 students. Students should budget $100-$150 for supplies.
Final grades and evaluations are based on student progress, technical ability, attendance, attitude and adherence of the final product to the material as well as projects given in class. Students enrolling for intermediate or advanced courses must supply evidence of previous study at the college level. Students should bring slides of their work to show the instructor. Painting courses use only water-based paints. Photography courses use only black and white film (125 or 400 ASA).
ADM 103 fall/spring (3)
Introduction to Drawing
Topics include:
(1) figure drawing: the study of the figure and form, the human body, its range of movement and importance in perceptions of art and nature. A model is provided and students are encouraged to work in a variety of media; (2) structure and object: the world of visual analysis as well as a definition of technique. Still life and objects provide examples for understanding perspective, planning and rendering as well as line, form, shape, space, value and texture; and (3) materials and methods of drawing: a thorough study of materials available and papers best suited to each medium. Students experiment with lead, charcoal, pastels, pen and ink, hot and cold pressed papers and collage.
ADM 215 fall/spring (3)
Introduction to Painting
This course includes inside assignments and outside painting (from the Boboli gardens, hills around Florence, etc.) The inside assignments are still related to the city of Florence and students work with (their) photographic material. In all paintings students will develop the ability to distinguish the essential qualities of natural form in order to produce the illusion of volume, space and movement on a two dimensional surface. Students are assisted in developing knowledge of color and a sense of structure and composition and experiment with different ways of applying the paint imitating some important painters (Caravaggio, Monet, Seurat, Van Gogh and Picasso)
ADM 306 fall/spring (3)
Intermediate Drawing
This is a continuation of ADM 103 and includes figure drawing, still-life drawing and landscape drawing. Students will be stimulated to go more in-depth into the problematics related to the human figure (anatomy), perspective (several vanishing points) and object drawing (higher complexity, more varied tonality). This course also includes an introduction into a more individual handling of traditional drawing techniques.
ADM 311 fall/spring (3)
Intermediate Painting
Students build on the foundations laid in ADM 215.This course includes open air painting and work in the studio. Particular problems associated with tone and light are studied (side lighting, candle lighting, artificial lighting etc.) This class combines studio practice with discussion, critique and demonstration. Students are encouraged to talk about their work with the instructor and fellow students to clarify their objectives and problems.
ADM 312 fall/spring (3)
Painting II
An extension of ADM 311 structured around specific painting projects to develop the range and technical competence of the student. Professional painting techniques are demonstrated. There are discussions of topics such as style and composition.
ADM 341 fall/spring (3)
Photography for the Media
Recommended for Communications and Journalism majors as well as photographers, this course develops knowledge and experience in photojournalism by studying work of major practitioners and designing and shooting projects. Students need to provide a 35mm camera with manual controls, slide film and processing fees. There is a $100 fee for developing. Students do not use a darkroom. Held on Fridays.
