Internships in Florence: Academics

Richmond, The American International University in London – Florence Campus–draws on the rich resources of the city for its academic expertise. Many courses are taught by those working directly in the field, such as art historians, education experts and journalists.

Course load Students participating in the Internship Program earn up to 16 credits. It consists of intensive study of the Italian language, internship seminars and 12 weeks on an unpaid internship. Students continue to study Italian language for the duration of the semester.

In addition, students choose one semester-long, 3-credit course related to the internship chosen, taught weekdays by Richmond faculty, many of whom are practicing experts in their fields. Check online at www.richmond.it for details.

No AIFS participant is permitted to take a course without receiving a letter grade. Pass/Fail grade options are not available.

Student advising In addition to the internship staff who supports students on an individual basis throughout the program in the seminars, internship faculty advisors are assigned from Richmond, The American International University in London faculty to monitor the internship. They are in regular contact with the student and the workplace supervisor and contribute to the academic component of the internship program grade.

Attendance and participation in classes are required. For each course students cannot accumulate more than four absences regardless of the reason. Failure to account for absences will automatically result in an F grade for the course.

Grades For each course, a mid-term, research paper, quizzes or oral reports, and a final test are required. In the Richmond system, grades are numerically calculated on a grade point average (GPA) scale. No AIFS participant is permitted to take a course without receiving a letter grade. Pass/Fail grade options are not available.

Excellent work	A, 4.0	A-, 3.7
Above satisfactory work	B+, 3.3	B, 3.0	B-, 2.7
Satisfactory work	C+, 2.3	C, 2.0	C-, 1.7
Below satisfactory work	D+, 1.3	D, 1.0	D-, 0.7
Fail	F, 0

Libraries The Richmond Study Center has a reading room with a selected library containing texts relevant to research paper topics. Students may also use the extensive collections available to them in Florence. The British Institute Library has more than 60,000 volumes—the largest English language library in continental Europe. Its comfortable reading room overlooks the Arno River. The Italian National Library at the Piazza dei Cavalleggeri also has an extensive collection.

Richmond Study Center Located in the Palazzo Michelozzi, a 16th century palace between the Arno River and the Pitti Palace, the Richmond Study Center is a few minutes walk from the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi Gallery, the Duomo and many of the great Florentine museums. Via Maggio is a famous street for antique shops in the historic center of town. The Center occupies the piano nobile or first floor above ground level. With its elegant, gracious rooms, the Center serves as a convenient, attractive, welcoming environment for students and teachers. The Center in Florence is equipped with classrooms, offices, a library, a computer lab and a student lounge. Wireless internet is also available during office hours.

Transcripts and credits for program courses are issued by Richmond, The American International University in London, a U.S. accredited University.

Please visit www.richmond.ac.uk/content/academic-programs/registrar/request-a-transcript.aspx for more information about transcript requests.