Florence University of the Arts
Summer 3 weeks I 2025
3 - 6 credits

Experience a Tuscan summer like no other, in the heart of the Renaissance. Students in FUA’s 3 week summer programs select 1 or 2 courses for an intensive 3 week program. SAI offers four Summer 3 week sessions at FUA, each with different start dates and course options: Summer I, Summer II, Summer III, and Summer IV. Students in the 3 week summer program can choose to add the 1 week program add-on course, Cultural Introduction to Italy, extending their program to 4 weeks.


Application open until: February 18, 2025

Application Requirements
Complete online application
Personal statement (300-500 words)
Official transcript
Passport scan (photo page)
Italian privacy consent form

Highlights

  • Enroll in a broad range of courses including Italian language, history, fashion, fine arts, and literature. 
  • Enjoy a variety of interesting SAI activities!

Program Dates
May 19, 2025 – June 6, 2025
dates may differ as a result of add-ons


Eligibility Requirements

Age: 18+

Academic Year: High school graduate or above

* Contact SAI if you don’t meet requirements

Cumulative GPA:* 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale)

English Language:* Non-native English language speakers must submit TOEFL: 500+ (paper-based), IELTS: 5+, OOPT: 50+, or equivalent.



Digital Imaging and Visual Arts | Photography
Digital Imaging and Visual Arts | Visual Communication
Food and Wine Studies | Food & Culture
Global Studies | Anthropology
Global Studies | Urban Studies
Italian Studies and Linguistics | Italian Cultural Studies
Italian Studies and Linguistics | Italian Language
Liberal Arts | Art History
Liberal Arts | History
Life Studies and Human Sciences | Sociology
Professional Studies and Experiential Learning | Experiential Learning

Digital Imaging and Visual Arts | Photography

3 Credits
| Course #: DIPHLA300 | Section: 3-Week Session I
This is an intermediate course. Working knowledge of manual setting is required. Portfolio submission recommended.

The city of Florence, with its backdrop of Medieval and Renaissance buildings coupled with the varied beauty of the Tuscan countryside, will offer students a stimulating range of opportunities for landscape and architectural photography. The course will be divided between outdoor field practice and the exploration of several camera format techniques, lenses as well as printing. By studying influential photographers com-positional and artistic issues of parallax, distortion and perspective will be addressed and executed through assignments. A personal vision will be nurtured and guided by the instructor for the final project in a series of landscape/naturalistic/architectural visual context. The print lab will provide students with the tools for elaborating and printing their own images. This is a specialized course which requires at least one specialized lens. A DSLR camera and a lens with a focal length of 55mm or wider is required for this course.

Contact Hours: 45

Digital Imaging and Visual Arts | Visual Communication

3 Credits
| Course #: DIVCGI210 | Section: 3-Week Session I
Knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator highly recommended.

The course explores illustration as an instrument of communication (i.e. in advertising) and narration (i.e. in comic books). It aims to improve drawing and design skills by teaching image making, with an emphasis on edge, shape, color and value. The student will learn to apply composition and design, and color and conceptualization, to a wide range of materials and techniques. Students use Adobe Photoshop to enhance traditional work and acquire important knowledge in the digital domain. Idea development within real-world parameters, originality, aesthetics and technical proficiency are emphasized.

Contact Hours: 45

Food and Wine Studies | Food & Culture

3 Credits
| Course #: FWFCRP300 | Section: 3-Week Session I

This course focuses on different aspects of regional food in Italy. Emphasis is placed on how food relates to the local lifestyle. Regional economy and local resources are analyzed and compared. Students are introduced to a diversity of local products. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.

Contact Hours: 45

Global Studies | Anthropology

3 Credits
| Course #: GSANAC240 | Section: 3-Week Session I | Closed

The course explores the secret facets of Florence from an artistic, historical, and social perspective through thematic walks and visits. Embracing the city as an unrestricted classroom, the course unveils artworks, parks, streets, and spaces such as workshops and laboratories that keep the earliest Florentine traditions alive. These traditions include carpentry, music, marble carving, papermaking, and gastronomy. Furthermore, walks and visits will investigate the changing aspects of the city from an architectural and socio-ethnic point of view. Course sessions start in the city center and transition to the areas beyond the ancient walls. This progression allows students to visualize, assess, and comprehend hidden spatial narratives of Florence from the well-known to less-frequented areas. As a result, students discover the significance of the city in its entirety, explore the relationship between the Florentine community and the arts, and develop a new way of city-gazing that generates knowledge through walking.

Contact Hours: 45

Global Studies | Urban Studies

3 Credits
| Course #: GSUSAC240 | Section: 3-Week Session I | Closed

The course explores the secret facets of Florence from an artistic, historical, and social perspective through thematic walks and visits. Embracing the city as an unrestricted classroom, the course unveils artworks, parks, streets, and spaces such as workshops and laboratories that keep the earliest Florentine traditions alive. These traditions include carpentry, music, marble carving, papermaking, and gastronomy. Furthermore, walks and visits will investigate the changing aspects of the city from an architectural and socio-ethnic point of view. Course sessions start in the city center and transition to the areas beyond the ancient walls. This progression allows students to visualize, assess, and comprehend hidden spatial narratives of Florence from the well-known to less-frequented areas. As a result, students discover the significance of the city in its entirety, explore the relationship between the Florentine community and the arts, and develop a new way of city-gazing that generates knowledge through walking.

Contact Hours: 45

Italian Studies and Linguistics | Italian Cultural Studies

3 Credits
| Course #: ISISAC240 | Section: 3-Week Session I | Closed

The course explores the secret facets of Florence from an artistic, historical, and social perspective through thematic walks and visits. Embracing the city as an unrestricted classroom, the course unveils artworks, parks, streets, and spaces such as workshops and laboratories that keep the earliest Florentine traditions alive. These traditions include carpentry, music, marble carving, papermaking, and gastronomy. Furthermore, walks and visits will investigate the changing aspects of the city from an architectural and socio-ethnic point of view. Course sessions start in the city center and transition to the areas beyond the ancient walls. This progression allows students to visualize, assess, and comprehend hidden spatial narratives of Florence from the well-known to less-frequented areas. As a result, students discover the significance of the city in its entirety, explore the relationship between the Florentine community and the arts, and develop a new way of city-gazing that generates knowledge through walking.

Contact Hours: 45

Italian Studies and Linguistics | Italian Language

3 Credits
| Course #: ISITII201 | Section: 3-Week Session I

One semester of Italian language or equivalent. Unofficial transcript submission required.

This course builds on and extends fundamental skills developed in the beginner course. Emphasis is placed on developing fluency skills and integration of language and culture through more extensive reading and writing. After taking this course, students will be able to express polite requests using the Present conditional, making future plans using the Future tense and develop their language ability by using direct and indirect object pronouns. This course is aimed at students who already have a basic vocabulary of Italian and some knowledge of elementary language structures. *FUA policy requires that when less than 4 students enroll in an Italian language class, the class will be taught at reduced contact hours. With less students the instructor is able to cover the same program in less time, while also providing more individualized attention.

Contact Hours: 45

Liberal Arts | Art History

3 Credits
| Course #: LAAHAC240 | Section: 3-Week Session I | Closed

The course explores the secret facets of Florence from an artistic, historical, and social perspective through thematic walks and visits. Embracing the city as an unrestricted classroom, the course unveils artworks, parks, streets, and spaces such as workshops and laboratories that keep the earliest Florentine traditions alive. These traditions include carpentry, music, marble carving, papermaking, and gastronomy. Furthermore, walks and visits will investigate the changing aspects of the city from an architectural and socio-ethnic point of view. Course sessions start in the city center and transition to the areas beyond the ancient walls. This progression allows students to visualize, assess, and comprehend hidden spatial narratives of Florence from the well-known to less-frequented areas. As a result, students discover the significance of the city in its entirety, explore the relationship between the Florentine community and the arts, and develop a new way of city-gazing that generates knowledge through walking.

Contact Hours: 45

Liberal Arts | History

3 Credits
| Course #: LAHSAC240 | Section: 3-Week Session I | Closed

The course explores the secret facets of Florence from an artistic, historical, and social perspective through thematic walks and visits. Embracing the city as an unrestricted classroom, the course unveils artworks, parks, streets, and spaces such as workshops and laboratories that keep the earliest Florentine traditions alive. These traditions include carpentry, music, marble carving, papermaking, and gastronomy. Furthermore, walks and visits will investigate the changing aspects of the city from an architectural and socio-ethnic point of view. Course sessions start in the city center and transition to the areas beyond the ancient walls. This progression allows students to visualize, assess, and comprehend hidden spatial narratives of Florence from the well-known to less-frequented areas. As a result, students discover the significance of the city in its entirety, explore the relationship between the Florentine community and the arts, and develop a new way of city-gazing that generates knowledge through walking.

Contact Hours: 45

Life Studies and Human Sciences | Sociology

3 Credits
| Course #: LSSOAC240 | Section: 3-Week Session I | Closed

The course explores the secret facets of Florence from an artistic, historical, and social perspective through thematic walks and visits. Embracing the city as an unrestricted classroom, the course unveils artworks, parks, streets, and spaces such as workshops and laboratories that keep the earliest Florentine traditions alive. These traditions include carpentry, music, marble carving, papermaking, and gastronomy. Furthermore, walks and visits will investigate the changing aspects of the city from an architectural and socio-ethnic point of view. Course sessions start in the city center and transition to the areas beyond the ancient walls. This progression allows students to visualize, assess, and comprehend hidden spatial narratives of Florence from the well-known to less-frequented areas. As a result, students discover the significance of the city in its entirety, explore the relationship between the Florentine community and the arts, and develop a new way of city-gazing that generates knowledge through walking.

Contact Hours: 45
3 Credits
| Course #: LSSORP300 | Section: 3-Week Session I

This course focuses on different aspects of regional food in Italy. Emphasis is placed on how food relates to the local lifestyle. Regional economy and local resources are analyzed and compared. Students are introduced to a diversity of local products. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.

Contact Hours: 45

Professional Studies and Experiential Learning | Experiential Learning

3 Credits
| Course #: PSSPGR350 | Section: 3-Week Session I
Cover letter, CV, and material pertinent to the chosen area, interview. *This course includes 150 hours of hands on experiential learning.

This special project allows students to interact with the local community in Florence through experiential learning in collaboration with the Community Engagement Member Institutions affiliated with Florence University of the Arts. These community projects are directly linked to the academic divisions of FUA and open to the general public in order to share academic results with the greater community. This special project course features experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI). CEMI are dynamic learning environments created to foster learning through a structured interaction with the community. Students will be involved in learning by doing through real projects and integration with the local population and territory in order to remove cultural and learning barriers as well as to develop a strong likelihood for success in life. The experiential learning hours are fully supervised by instructors who track students step by step during their learning experience, monitor and advise according to student needs, and support student initiative. This unique learning model allows students to benefit from an all-encompassing educational experience based on theory and practice in real enterprises, learning of comprehensive operational processes, problem-solving, leadership, and management.

Contact Hours: 150

Experiential Learning
Many FUA courses incorporate experiential learning components, involving hands-on projects. Courses which include experiential learning components will include this information in the course details & syllabus. Students will work & collaborate within the FUA Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI) to fulfill various projects & tasks as part of their coursework. These practical assignments take place on-site and will occur outside of the regular class sessions, with varying shifts assigned from Monday to Friday (occasional weekend shifts possible), including the possibility of later evening hours.

Course Registration
SAI students complete their course registration directly with FUA through the FUA student portal. Upon confirming enrollment in the SAI program at FUA, students receive information for creating their FUA student portal and selecting their classes. Note: All courses must meet the minimum enrollment of 12 students to run; therefore, all registrations require selection of an alternate course for each primary course choice.

FUA registration begins months ahead of the application deadline. Courses will fill on a rolling basis.

Program Add-on Course
SAI students enrolled in FUA’s Summer I term are able to add one of the following 1 week Program Add-on courses to the start of their term, to extend their programs by 1 week:

  • Cultural Introduction to Italy (1 week / 3 credits) – This traveling course gives students the opportunity to delve into Italian culture through lectures, visits to cultural sites, and food tastings. Please note that students enrolled in this program add-on course arrive in Rome on May 12, 2025.
  • Cultural Introduction to Florence (1 week / 3 credits) – This field learning course provides students an in-depth introduction to Florentine culture. Please note that students enrolled in this 1 week course arrive in Florence on May 12, 2025.

Students can also choose to pair this add-on course with a corresponding regular summer course to earn 6 credits on the same topic. For more information and full course descriptions see Courses.


Pre-Departure Calendar
February 18 2025
Application Closes
Applications accepted after closing as space permits.
Within 1 week of acceptance
SAI Deposits Due
$500 Enrollment Deposit (applied toward program fee)
$300 Security Deposit (refundable)
February 18 2025
50% of Total Program Fee Due
Students who are accepted and submit SAI deposits after this date will have an amended pay schedule. 50% of the Program Fee will be due within 5 business days, based on the deposit payment date.
February 18 2024
Financial Aid Agreement & Financial Aid Program Deposit Deadline
Students wishing to utilize SAI financial aid payment deferment must complete the Financial Aid Agreement form and submit the Financial Aid Program Deposit by this date. Students whose deposit payment date is on or after this date will have a deadline of 5 days after the deposit.
March 4 2025
Enrollment Closes
Students must complete their enrollment, including paying deposits, by this date.
March 4 2025
SAI Financial Aid Verification Deadline
Students wishing to defer payment until financial aid disbursement must submit the financial aid verification form to SAI by this date.
March 15 2025
SAI Scholarship Application Deadline
Students wishing to apply for a SAI scholarship must have all application items submitted by 11:59pm Pacific Time on this date.
March 20 2025
Balance of Total Program Fee Due
(For students utilizing SAI financial aid payment deferment, any balance not covered by aid is due)

On-Site Calendar
May 19 2025
Arrival & Housing Check-in
Students arrive at Aeroporto di Firenze-Peretola (FLR). SAI airport pickup is provided between 9:00am and 6:00pm, and students are transferred to SAI housing.
May 20 2025
Orientation Events
Students are welcomed to the program with an orientation that introduces them to their program while covering safety, policies, academics, housing, and culture.
May 20 2025
FUA Final Registration
Course changes are not allowed after this date.
May 21 2025
FUA Classes Begin
June 5 2025
Final Exams
June 6 2025
Program End & Housing Check-out
Students must move out of SAI housing by 10:00am to return home or pursue independent travel.

Pre-Departure Calendar
February 18 2025
Application Closes
Applications accepted after closing as space permits.
Within 1 week of acceptance
SAI Deposits Due
$500 Enrollment Deposit (applied toward program fee)
$300 Security Deposit (refundable)
February 18 2025
50% of Total Program Fee Due
Students who are accepted and submit SAI deposits after this date will have an amended pay schedule. 50% of the Program Fee will be due within 5 business days, based on the deposit payment date.
February 18 2024
Financial Aid Agreement & Financial Aid Program Deposit Deadline
Students wishing to utilize SAI financial aid payment deferment must complete the Financial Aid Agreement form and submit the Financial Aid Program Deposit by this date. Students whose deposit payment date is on or after this date will have a deadline of 5 days after the deposit.
March 4 2025
Enrollment Closes
Students must complete their enrollment, including paying deposits, by this date.
March 4 2025
SAI Financial Aid Verification Deadline
Students wishing to defer payment until financial aid disbursement must submit the financial aid verification form to SAI by this date.
March 15 2025
SAI Scholarship Application Deadline
Students wishing to apply for a SAI scholarship must have all application items submitted by 11:59pm Pacific Time on this date.
March 20 2025
Balance of Total Program Fee Due
(For students utilizing SAI financial aid payment deferment, any balance not covered by aid is due)

On-Site Calendar
May 12 2025
Arrival & Housing Check-in
Students arrive at the designated airport location for the start of their 1-week course. SAI airport pickup is provided during the designated times, and students are transferred to SAI housing.
May 12 2025
Orientation
Mandatory orientation introduces students to their field learning course and the city while covering safety, policies, housing, and culture.
May 12 2025
FUA 1-week Class Begins
May 19 2025
FUA 1-week Class Ends
May 20 2025
Orientation Events
Students are welcomed to the program with an orientation that introduces them to their program while covering safety, policies, academics, housing, and culture.
May 20 2025
FUA Final Registration
Course changes are not allowed after this date.
May 21 2025
FUA 3-week Classes Begin
June 5 2025
Final Exams
June 6 2025
Program End & Housing Check-out
Students must move out of SAI housing by 10:00am to return home or pursue independent travel.
SAI Program Fees* USD
Application Fee $120
Security Deposit
Refundable at the end of the term.
$300
Program Fee: 3 credits
Includes tuition, standard housing and SAI 360° Services (see What’s Included).
$5,300
Program Fee: 6 credits
Includes tuition, standard housing and SAI 360° Services (see What’s Included).
$6,800
Optional / Additional Fees:  
Optional Add-on Course (3 credits)
1 week course prior to regular program, includes housing.
$2,725
Optional Private Room Housing Supplement
Private room in a shared apartment, with a shared bathroom.
$1,000
Optional Homestay Housing Supplement
Homestay housing in private occupancy room. Includes daily breakfast and weekday dinner.
contact SAI
Add-on Course Credits
Fee for enrollment over 3 or 6 credits.
$550 / credit
Add-on Non-Credit and Field Learning Courses
Fees vary and are paid directly to FUA.
contact SAI
International Mailing Supplement
When applicable, students are charged an international mailing supplement to ensure visa paperwork arrives in a timely manner.
$90

*prices are subject to change

Please see SAI Policies for SAI cancellation & withdrawal deadlines.

Note: certain SAI-affiliated US universities require specific payment arrangements. These may require that some fees are paid by the student directly to SAI, and other fees are paid to SAI by the affiliated university on behalf of the student. If you attend a SAI-affiliated university please contact your study abroad office or speak with your SAI Admissions Counselor for details.

Budget Low Est. High Est.
Airfare to/from Florence
$900 $2,200
Books, Supplies & Course Fees
$50 / course $300 / course
Meals
Includes groceries and eating out.
$650 / month $850 / month
Personal Expenses $300 / month $400 / month
Transportation within Florence
Public transportation with some taxi rides.
$100 / month $175 / month
Weekend Travel
Cost varies greatly by student.
$300 / month $1,000 / month

This is a SAI 360° Services Program; it includes our full services!

  • Program tuition and U.S. academic credit
  • Accommodation in carefully selected student housing
  • Airport pickup on arrival day
  • Welcome reception and events
  • Orientation to the host city and school
  • On-site staff who foster a welcoming community for you and provide assistance when needed
  • SAI Viva Experience: cultural engagement, excursions & wellness activities
  • Student health insurance providing full coverage and medical emergency evacuation
  • 24-hour on-site emergency support
  • Farewell event

Pre-departure and Re-entry services

  • Knowledgeable Admissions Counselor dedicated to you, providing friendly assistance
  • Helpful pre-departure tools and resources
  • Parent & family resources
  • Online student groups to acquaint you with other SAI students
  • Student visa advising
  • Assistance with financial aid processing
  • Need-based SAI scholarships
  • Alumni Ambassador Program, with paid internship opportunities
  • SAI alumni network

SAI offers all students the Viva Experience: frequent cultural activities, at no extra cost, for participants to get to know their community, city and country. Following is a sample of the activities included in this program. Please note that actual activities may differ.

Welcome Dinner
SAI welcomes you to Florence with a buffet of traditional Italian delights. Join us for your first real taste of Italy where you’ll get to know your fellow program participants and meet the SAI staff.

Scavenger Hunt
Join SAI for a practical walking tour of the historic city center. You’ll see the sites and find where to get daily essentials in your backyard.

Wine Tasting
Spend the afternoon in a charming, local wine cellar with your SAI cohort. Your tasting will be guided by a sommelier, leading you through the history and cultivation of three different wines, balsamic vinegar, and Tuscan olive oil. Sample and imbibe these curated sips alongside perfectly paired Tuscan antipasti.

Pizza Making
SAI offers Italian pizza making lessons throughout the semester taught by a local expert pizzaiolo. Each lesson teaches you how to make authentic Italian pizza from scratch. Enjoy the fruits of your labor at the end of the lesson! Gather with fellow SAI students to eat your own homemade pizzas!

Florentine Street Food Tour
Spend the evening tasting authentic local bites in a neighborhood beloved by Florentines. We’ll spend the evening in the heart of Sant’Ambrogio hopping from place to place. Start with a mix of classic Florentine street food before moving on to a local mainstay for an array of pastas. Next we’ll travel to southern Italy for some Pugliese street food before grabbing the most amazing pizza you’ll ever try. The cherry on top will be a scoop or two of gelato.

Hike to Piazzale Michelangelo
Start your adventure in the little town of Fiesole, just a short bus ride away into the hills protecting Florence. Here, we can mingle with the ancients, retracing Etruscan and Roman footsteps throughout the town. Fiesole’s clean, cool breezes have long been a welcome escape from the sweltering summer heat of the Arno Valley. On this hike we’ll get a bird’s eye view of the city below, which has inspired local and visiting artists, writers and thinkers. After a trek through the trees, learning about the natural history and the people who have long inhabited these hills, your efforts will be rewarded with a fantastic lunch paired with a bit of vino.

The following housing options apply to the regular summer program. Please note that add-on pre-session courses have different housing arrangements during the pre-session time only. 

Standard Housing: Student apartment
SAI student apartments are convenient and well equipped, with shared occupancy bedrooms (option to upgrade to private bedroom, if available). Typical residences house 2 – 8 students and contain a combination of private and shared bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and living areas. Furnishings, a washing machine, basic kitchen supplies, bed linens and towels are provided. All apartments are equipped with wireless Internet. Housing configurations are designated as female, male, and in some locations, gender-inclusive. SAI on-site staff is available to respond to any maintenance needs that may arise.

Optional Housing: Family homestay (additional fee applies)
SAI homestay families are thoroughly screened and are accustomed to welcoming visiting students into their homes. Homestays provide a private bedroom, with a shared bathroom, in the family home with basic furnishings. Daily breakfast and weekday dinner are included (no dinner on weekends). Please note that some homestays may be outside of the city center and require a commute to reach school.

Passports
Passports should be valid for 3 months after planned departure from Italy.

Student Visas
In accordance with Italian law, U.S. students studying in Italy for 90 days or less are not required to obtain a student visa. Therefore all U.S. students do not require a student visa for this program. Non-US nationals should consult their local Consulate for information on student visa requirements.