Summer 3 weeks III 2027
3 - 6 credits
Select a Program
Jump toIntroduction to Management or equivalent. Unofficial transcript submission required.
This course is geared towards students interested in international business ventures and partnerships. Management, leadership, human resource management, organizational skills and strategy will all be analyzed from a cross-cultural business perspective. The class will focus on strategies adapting managerial skills across cultures. Guest lecturers and on-site visits to international business ventures form an integral part of the course.
This course introduces students to the role of marketing within a business context. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, readings and simulations, students will address analytical marketing concepts and techniques developed from economics, psychology, statistics, and finance in order to plan and develop products and services to satisfy the needs of target customers. Topics include product planning, pricing, promotion, advertising, distribution policies, targeting, and market research techniques.
This course introduces contemporary technologies for producing photographic images. Approaching the medium in its current complex and pluralistic state, students explore a variety of photographic concepts and techniques. The fundamentals of using a digital camera including manual exposure and lighting are stressed. The course also introduces seeing, thinking, and creating with a critical mind and eye in a foreign environment (Italy) to provide understanding of the construction and manipulation of photographic form and meaning. During the first half of the course assignments, lectures, readings progressively build on each other to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of camera functions (manual mode) and processing techniques. The second half of the course will focus on weaving the techniques with specific photographic concepts via assignments. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI. NOTE: This course is for beginners. The first half of the course will be devoted to understanding camera functions and basic printing. During this period assignments will emphasize basic camera functions in manual mode.
This course delves into contemporary photographic practices and technologies. By examining the multi-layered nature of photography today, students will develop a strong foundation in both technical and conceptual aspects of the medium. Core camera skills, including manual exposure and working with available light, are emphasized alongside critical thinking and visual literacy. The course also integrates writing exercises to enhance students ability to articulate their visual ideas, analyze the work of others, and engage in critical discourse. The first part of the course focuses on building technical camera proficiency through hands-on practice, lectures, and readings. Students will learn camera functions and image processing techniques. In the second half, these skills will be applied to explore diverse photographic concepts and approaches, towards a culminating project, Tiny Florence, challenges students to create images of the city and fostering creative intimate expression and public engagement. Through writing, students will develop their ability to connect their technical skills with their conceptual understanding and develop a more nuanced and sophisticated approach to photography. NOTE: This course is for beginners. The first half of the course will be devoted to understanding camera functions and basic printing. During this period, assignments will emphasize basic camera functions in manual mode. This course includes 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. In addition to regular lecture hours, 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.
This course examines fashion as a form of communication and culture using a diverse range of readings. Topics include: what fashion means and how it has been valued through history, popular culture and media institutions. Students explore economic and social issues that revolve around fashion’s industrial production and analyze fashion both in terms of its production and consumption, addressing its role in relation to identity and body politics (gender, race, sexuality, class), art and status, nationhood and the global economy.
Through a series of walks and visits through art and design this course intends to show famous and hidden fashion paths in Florence. A journey through time and space to discover the place that marked the birth of Italian fashion and opened the doors to Made in Italy. Back in 1954 Florence was the star of the fashion system, anticipating trends and steeling the exclusive scene from Paris. Italy embraced the “new” in fashion through the talent and genius of Giovanni Battista Giorgini, who staged the first ever Italian fashion shows in Florence. Students will discover a city of exquisite taste, tradition and artistic craftsmanship. Starting from the location of the first Italian cat walk held in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti, they will learn how to map the fashion environment of the city. From Renaissance to modern day inspiration, fashion is kept alive in the products that were designed here and that grace the beautiful city today. Designers, such as Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Emilio Pucci, Stefano Ricci, Ermanno Scervino, and Roberto Cavalli, have all developed and changed through the years and they have all surely blossomed here in Florence. The course is intended to provide academic knowledge through guided field learning activities that include research, on-site involvement, and topic assessment for each fashion themed walk in Florence. The classroom approach of this course is based on experiencing the city as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations.
This course will prepare students to work, run, and manage a retail shop successfully and provides theoretical insights into customer expectations and service delivery. Throughout the course, standard elements of a retail shop will be analyzed and focus on retail management will be given. This class will strengthen decision-making skills regarding expense planning, suppliers, store layout, and promotional strategies. Under the supervision of seasoned professionals, students will spend a portion of the course operating the school retail spaces (fashion retail store, restaurant, pastry shop) that are open to the local community. Here, theoretical knowledge, shop floor management skills, and ability to perform head office functions will all be developed in the context of retail. In order to offer a comprehensive view of retail management, experiential learning activities are scheduled in varying types of retailers, each of them characterized by different competitors, products sold, customers, and style of service required. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
The success of a small fashion retail store implies many skills. The professional in this field has to pay close attention to the types of products offered for sale, how to best present those products to consumers, and determining what is a reasonable retail price for each unit sold. While retailers have traditionally engaged in the task of retail merchandising in a physical location, the Internet has now made it possible to apply these same basic principles in a virtual setting. In order to be successful in retail management, it is necessary to provide consumers with specific key benefits. Firstly, the products must be of high quality; this helps to turn consumers into returning customers. Along with quality, the retailer must also sell products at prices considered reasonable by the consumer. By providing quality products at affordable prices, the retailer has an improved chance of standing out from the competition and of lengthening the lifetime of the business. In this course, students understand the procedures involved in managing a fashion retail enterprise and become aware of the decision-making inherent in successful merchandising for smaller-scale stores. Knowledge will be acquired through the practice gained by running a real enterprise at a laboratory in which students and professionals exchange their knowledge and propose successful solutions to be applied. Course includes site visits to famous luxury brands as Ferragamo, Gucci, and Cavalli (companies may change according to availability), and two special guest lectures from local prominent emerging designers.
Introduces all aspects of the working of an art gallery. Students will be involved in curating and marketing art shows and auctions through a community and on campus promotions.
n this foundational open-air painting course, students will explore and familiarize with the pleasures and challenges of painting outdoors. The students will acquire skills in the techniques of Plein Air painting with watercolor pencils and develop critical skills to evaluate paintings executed in this style. This course will also provide students with a look at the various materials and products for outdoor painting using wet techniques. Students will be introduced to the history and tradition of this genre; the “conceptual” in landscape painting will be emphasized with a specific focus on the Italian context. Sessions will be held at different outdoor venues in and around Florence. The classroom approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyFUA platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study represented by the course, and allows the overall experience to contribute to the students’ academic and personal enrichment.
Baking techniques introduces the functions of baking ingredients (such as yeast, flour, and shortening), mixing methods for dough’s, fermentation techniques, heat transfer methods. Focus on basic elements such as pastry dough, sponge cake, pachoux, puff pastry, plunder, danesi, croissant, egg/butter based basic creams, production and conservation of fruit conserves and meringues. In this course, students taste and test the products they create as well as complete a research assignment.
Baking Techniques I or equivalent. Unofficial transcript submission required.
Students will study the history and background of various national and regional cakes and tarts. The course will cover the origin of classical cakes, variations from classical methods, and customer-driven deviations from traditional preparations. Students will study a variety of doughs, batters, fillings, and glazes, with an emphasis on a thorough understanding of the techniques and proper skill execution for Italian cakes. Special attention will be paid to advanced creaming methods (separated creaming methods, creaming without leavening agents) and combination methods. Piping skills are practiced.
Baking Techniques II: Italian Pastry Techniques or equivalent. Unofficial transcript submission required. *This course includes 150 hours of hands on experiential learning.
Open to culinary arts and baking & pastry majors or students who have taken previous coursework in the above fieldsThis course covers the preparation and service of hot and cold desserts with a focus on individual desserts and the components involved in preparation. Students will learn and improve station organization, timing, and service coordination for restaurant dessert production. Products made will include fried products, tarts, souffles, creams, frozen desserts. Both individual plated desserts, and desserts for banquets will be prepared. Students will develop a dessert menu from the perspective of variety, costs, practicality, and how well it matches the rest of the menu.
Two semesters of Culinary Arts course work or equivalent.
The last 40 years of food service have been characterized by a slow yet constant development of nutritional awareness and a more informed approach to food. The aim of the course is not only to offer students techniques for a healthier approach to cooking: this course will focus on cooking techniques that can be applied in order to reduce fat consumption and at same time become the emblems of contemporary cuisine. Flavor-extraction methods, flavoring methods, pressure cooking and sous vide cooking, marinades and brines and the use of alternative fats are nowadays the base of contemporary Chefs’ creations: students will learn how these techniques can be used to develop a fine dining cuisine that can be healthier yet not necessarily health-fanatic. This course consists of experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI). Prerequisites: Two semesters of Culinary Arts course work or equivalent.
Italy represents longstanding traditions of food culture, wellness, and nutrition through health-oriented practices. Recent decades have represented a dramatic change in the way we approach health through the lens of food principles. Nutritional facts and information that are constantly updated and the ethics of sustainability have deeply influenced a global awareness of a healthy lifestyle. Italys approach to seasonality and nutritional balance is characterized by an abundance of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and a distinct respect for food. This course will provide students with a complete overview of how food can be the basis of wellness, along with the practice of a positive lifestyle through cultural understanding and integration with the local community. Particular emphasis will be placed, through discussions and direct practice, on seasonality and nutritional principles, whole foods, and freshness, traditional customs, and contemporary innovation. Course topics will also reference the aphorism of We are what we eat and how it aligns with the Italian culinary tradition and culture. Students will also complete a survey of the different dietary recommendations that have been researched and developed to examine how the field of dietetics is directly affected by social and cultural implications. Through hands-on experiences and on-site cultural activities, students will experience the fundamentals of wellness-oriented cuisine and lifestyles in Tuscany and Italy. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
Culinary Arts majors only. Unofficial transcript submission required. *This course includes 150 hours of hands on experiential learning.
This course focuses on important foreign cuisines outside the mediterranean area and is meant to teach students how the influence of local cultures affected food preparation techniques and dishes in important geographic macro areas. This course allows students to examine the influence of geography and climate on the people, the features of the land, the production of agriculture, the available natural resources, and the main industries in many different areas. Special emphasis will be put on the relationship of attitudes and practices of food preferences and on how foods of a country show a relationship to the social and cultural development of an area. Students will experience food preparation from several cuisines based on the customs and heritage of these cultures. The ingredients used in the preparation of the dishes, along with their origin and diffusion, will be the highlights of the course, whose aim is to show how the environment, as well as the external cultural influences, is responsible for the characterization of local cuisines. Student will also adapt to various deviations in cooking strategies, develop an understanding of food sources and the availability of these ingredients. During the course students will benefit from practical application of international cooking in a collaborative kitchen environment. This course consists of 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. In addition to regular lecture hours, 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. Prerequisites: Culinary Arts majors only.
Italy represents longstanding traditions of food culture, wellness, and nutrition through health-oriented practices. Recent decades have represented a dramatic change in the way we approach health through the lens of food principles. Nutritional facts and information that are constantly updated and the ethics of sustainability have deeply influenced a global awareness of a healthy lifestyle. Italy’s approach to seasonality and nutritional balance is characterized by an abundance of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and a distinct respect for food. This course will provide students with a complete overview of how food can be the basis of wellness, along with the practice of a positive lifestyle through cultural understanding and integration with the local community. Particular emphasis will be placed, through discussions and direct practice, on seasonality and nutritional principles, whole foods, and freshness, traditional customs, and contemporary innovation. Course topics will also reference the aphorism of We are what we eat and how it aligns with the Italian culinary tradition and culture. Students will also complete a survey of the different dietary recommendations that have been researched and developed to examine how the field of dietetics is directly affected by social and cultural implications. Through hands-on experiences and on-site cultural activities, students will experience the fundamentals of wellness-oriented cuisine and lifestyles in Tuscany and Italy. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
This course offers a comprehensive approach to wellness, nutrition, and fitness from a lifetime perspective. Course topics will examine how healthy lifestyles span across the continuum of lifespans and ages with a focus on how dietary and fitness needs evolve throughout the four main life-stages: childhood, youth, adulthood, and for the elderly. Theoretical core concepts of how dietary and fitness needs are correlated to mental health and adapt according to each life-stage will be addressed along with a comparative focus on the Italian and Mediterranean approach. In addition to in-class lectures, the course features hands-on field experiences in nutrition labs for healthy diets and physical activities held in local Italian fitness facilities. Students will implement course topics and to cultivate student motivation for incorporating them into their own daily lives.
This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. The main focus consists of what is generally defined as made in Italy-culture and style in post-war Italy. Also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and tastings.
Recent decades have represented a dramatic change in the way we approach food. Food facts and information that are constantly updated and the ethics of sustainability have deeply influenced the worldwide awareness of food as the primary source of a healthy lifestyle. Italy has always stood out for its genuine cuisine characterized by fresh seasonal ingredients, an abundance of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and a distinct respect for food. This course will provide students with a complete overview of how food can be the basis of wellness, along with the practice of a positive lifestyle. Particular emphasis will be placed on seasonality, whole foods, and freshness, and contemporary innovations and traditional customs will be analyzed for the production of dishes and snacks that are both tasty and healthy. Course topics will also introduce students to the fundamentals of nutrition in order to better understand the aphorism We are what we eat and how this motto aligns with the Italian culinary tradition. Students will also complete a survey of the different dietary recommendations that have been researched and developed to examine how the field of dietetics is directly affected by social implications. Through hands-on experiences and on-site activities, students will experience the fundamentals of wellness-oriented cuisine and lifestyles. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
The garden is a space traditionally associated with food cultivation and recreational activity, both are known to have an influence on wellbeing. This course explores a culture of wellness based on the fundamentals of horticulture therapy and the use plants and green spaces, as well as horticultural and culinary activities to promote wellbeing. Students will explore the traditions related to garden activities to foster cognitive, social, emotional, and physical wellbeing for individuals and specific groups (i.e. the elderly, children, individuals with special needs) in a variety of settings. Adapting horticultural therapy in diverse site conditions from sowing to cultivation and the preparation of food products from the garden harvest will be a focus of this course. Course topics will include principles of horticulture, soils and soil cultivation, plant propagation, and harvesting, and the therapeutic potential of farm to table practices. Students will experience first-hand the restorative powers of green spaces through garden management and cooking labs to examine the benefits of the natural environment as a fundamental outcome of this course. This course includes an Experiential Learning Project with CEMI.
This course provides the fundamental skills and a technical introduction to wine tasting beginning with the visual, olfactory, and gustatory examination. Students will learn to analyze the organoleptic components of wines, the importance and influences attributed by to territory, and finally how to distinguish as well as create excellent food and wine pairings. Lectures will be supplemented by wine tasting workshops. The objective of this class is for students to be able to recognize quality in wines from around the world and obtain a working knowledge of international wine regions and as well as the wine industry.
The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden ones awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and is aimed to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic architectural and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. Florence only.
One week of on-site field learning in different locations before session start: Rome, Tuscan coast, Cinque Terre (Fall-Summer); Rome, Orvieto, Perugia (Spring). The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This one-week intensive course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden ones awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and aims to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic, architectural, and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.
This course offers a comprehensive approach to wellness, nutrition, and fitness from a lifetime perspective. Course topics will examine how healthy lifestyles span across the continuum of lifespans and ages with a focus on how dietary and fitness needs evolve throughout the four main life-stages: childhood, youth, adulthood, and for the elderly. Theoretical core concepts of how dietary and fitness needs are correlated to mental health and adapt according to each life-stage will be addressed along with a comparative focus on the Italian and Mediterranean approach. In addition to in-class lectures, the course features hands-on field experiences in nutrition labs for healthy diets and physical activities held in local Italian fitness facilities. Students will implement course topics and to cultivate student motivation for incorporating them into their own daily lives.
Through a series of walks and visits through art and design this course intends to show famous and hidden fashion paths in Florence. A journey through time and space to discover the place that marked the birth of Italian fashion and opened the doors to Made in Italy. Back in 1954 Florence was the star of the fashion system, anticipating trends and steeling the exclusive scene from Paris. Italy embraced the new in fashion through the talent and genius of Giovanni Battista Giorgini, who staged the first ever Italian fashion shows in Florence. Students will discover a city of exquisite taste, tradition and artistic craftsmanship. Starting from the location of the first Italian cat walk held in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti, they will learn how to map the fashion environment of the city. From Renaissance to modern day inspiration, fashion is kept alive in the products that were designed here and that grace the beautiful city today. Designers, such as Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Emilio Pucci, Stefano Ricci, Ermanno Scervino, and Roberto Cavalli, have all developed and changed through the years and they have all surely blossomed here in Florence. The course is intended to provide academic knowledge through guided field learning activities that include research, on-site involvement, and topic assessment for each fashion themed walk in Florence. The classroom approach of this course is based on experiencing the city as the academic space for learning and engagement. Classes are not held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations.
The garden is a space traditionally associated with food cultivation and recreational activity, both are known to have an influence on wellbeing. This course explores a culture of wellness based on the fundamentals of horticulture therapy and the use plants and green spaces, as well as horticultural and culinary activities to promote wellbeing. Students will explore the traditions related to garden activities to foster cognitive, social, emotional, and physical wellbeing for individuals and specific groups (i.e. the elderly, children, individuals with special needs) in a variety of settings. Adapting horticultural therapy in diverse site conditions from sowing to cultivation and the preparation of food products from the garden harvest will be a focus of this course. Course topics will include principles of horticulture, soils and soil cultivation, plant propagation, and harvesting, and the therapeutic potential of farm to table practices. Students will experience first-hand the restorative powers of green spaces through garden management and cooking labs to examine the benefits of the natural environment as a fundamental outcome of this course. This course includes an Experiential Learning Project with CEMI.
Italian destination cities immediately conjure up images of the art, food, fashion, wine, and culture in which their fame lies: fashion shows and la Scala in Milan, Renaissance art in Florence, Brunello wine in Montalcino, the Biennale and Carnevale in Venice. This course will explore how creative advertising strategies have been created and implemented, their effect on city identity, the proliferation of creative areas in destination cities, and the future of creativity and creative marketing. Case studies of both well-established metropoli and developing destinations will be examined.
This course will prepare students to work, run, and manage a retail shop successfully and provides theoretical insights into customer expectations and service delivery. Throughout the course, standard elements of a retail shop will be analyzed and focus on retail management will be given. This class will strengthen decision-making skills regarding expense planning, suppliers, store layout, and promotional strategies. Under the supervision of seasoned professionals, students will spend a portion of the course operating the school retail spaces (fashion retail store, restaurant, pastry shop) that are open to the local community. Here, theoretical knowledge, shop floor management skills, and ability to perform head office functions will all be developed in the context of retail. In order to offer a comprehensive view of retail management, experiential learning activities are scheduled in varying types of retailers, each of them characterized by different competitors, products sold, customers, and style of service required. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
This intermediate course examines the various logistic and production elements vital to the planning and success of events. During this course, students will receive an overview of the required equipment needed to execute events. They will learn how to manage time and will be introduced to the principles behind planning, organizing, and implementing programs. The operational functions and main tasks of an event will be examined and the essential phases of negotiation and drafting of contracts will be analyzed. During the course students will gain first-hand experience by participating in a variety of events organized on campus. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
Culinary Arts majors only. Unofficial transcript submission required. *This course includes 150 hours of hands on experiential learning.
This course focuses on important foreign cuisines outside of the Mediterranean area and is meant to teach students how the influence of local cultures affected food preparation techniques and dishes in important cultural macro areas. Students will experience food preparation based on the customs and heritage of diverse cultures. The ingredients used in the preparation of the dishes, along with their origin and diffusion, will be the highlights of the course. The aim is to show how the environment and external cultural influences have a strong impact on local cuisines. This course includes 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. In addition to regular lecture hours, 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.
The front of house area of any restaurant should be carefully planned in order to balance ambiance with function. Restaurant seating, wait stations, and waiting areas are just a few of the areas to consider when planning a restaurant dining room. The course focuses on all aspects that characterize the front of the house experience. Emphasis is placed on the importance of the front of the house to properly reflect the restaurant concept and the necessity of planning front of the house spaces for efficiency. Furthermore, the course considers the pivotal role of excellent customer service and the training methods of front of the house staff.
Interior Design, Environmental Architecture, and Sustainability | Architectural Restoration & History of Architecture
This course explores the principal architects, monuments and themes of fifteenth and sixteenth century Italian architecture. The course includes site visits in the city of Florence. Emphasis will be on Renaissance architecture in Florence, but will also include architectural developments in Rome, Urbino, Mantua, Verona and Vicenza. Special topics will include: architectural theory, Medici and papal patronage, urban planning, and church and palace design. A special focus will be dedicated to architects: Brunelleschi, Alberti, Michelozzo, Giuliano Sangallo, Bramante, Antonio Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo, Giulio Romano and Palladio. Visits to key Renaissance buildings and urban spaces in Florence are included.
The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden ones awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and is aimed to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic architectural and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. Florence only.
One week of on-site field learning in different locations before session start: Rome, Tuscan coast, Cinque Terre (Fall-Summer); Rome, Orvieto, Perugia (Spring). The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This one-week intensive course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden ones awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and aims to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic, architectural, and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.
This course develops basic conversation, reading and writing skills. Equal focus will be given to grammatical structures, vocabulary and conversation skills. Students will develop a vocabulary that will enable them to engage in simple but useful everyday conversations, thus enhancing and supporting their Italian experience. After taking this course, students will be able to express themselves in the Present tense, Passato Prossimo and to use both nouns and adjectives in the correct form with reference to gender and number. Emphasis will be given to oral expression of practical vocabulary and newly acquired grammar structures. This level is for absolute beginner students who have never studied Italian before.
Two semesters of Italian language or equivalent. Unofficial transcript submission required.
This level is for those students who already have an active knowledge of elementary language structures (i.e. the expression of past actions and events, the discussion of future plans), who can communicate simple and routine tasks, discuss familiar and routine topics and describe his/her background and who can understand clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. after taking this course, students will be able to use more complex pronouns both in spoken and written Italian and will have a basic grasp of subjunctive and all four tenses.*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.
Italian destination cities immediately conjure up images of the art, food, fashion, wine, and culture in which their fame lies: fashion shows and la Scala in Milan, Renaissance art in Florence, Brunello wine in Montalcino, the Biennale and Carnevale in Venice. This course will explore how creative advertising strategies have been created and implemented, their effect on city identity, the proliferation of creative areas in destination cities, and the future of creativity and creative marketing. Case studies of both well-established metropoli and developing destinations will be examined.
This course examines the context in which the Italian fashion system was born. Topics begin from the evolution of fashion from the post-WWII period to the present and address the role and influence of media and culture on factors such as economic and social status, the arts, and other issues that influenced fashion. Students explore fashion’s connection to identity, body, politics, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and how fashion and media are interrelated with these aspects of culture.
This course teaches students the basic writing skills necessary for news reporting. Students will perform several in-class writing assignments based on news leads. Topics will progress from short news items to longer stories with more complex issues and topics. Students will learn to gather facts through skillful interviewing techniques, practiced during role-playing exercises in class. Other topics include how to write under pressure for a deadline, develop and verify sources, and structure news stories to capture and retain the attention of the reader. Some exercises such as interviewing and fact gathering will be carried out in the field.
What do we mean by “community?” How do we encourage, discuss, analyze, understand, design, and participate in healthy communities in the age of many-to-many media? With the advent of virtual communities, smart mobs, and online social networks (such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin), old questions about the meaning of human social behavior have taken on renewed significance. although this course is grounded in theory, it is equally rooted in practice, and much of the class discussion takes place in social cyberspaces. This course requires active participation of students and a willingness to immerse in social media practices. Much of the class discussion takes place in a variety of virtual world environments during and between face-to-face class meetings. As a practicum, those who complete this course will know how to chat, blog, tag, wiki, avatar, comment, twitter and flicker productively – and have some notion of how these practices affect self and community.
One week of on-site field learning in different locations before session start: Rome, Tuscan coast, Cinque Terre (Fall-Summer); Rome, Orvieto, Perugia (Spring). The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This one-week intensive course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden ones awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and aims to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic, architectural, and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.
The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden ones awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and is aimed to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic architectural and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. Florence only.
This course explores the principal architects, monuments and themes of fifteenth and sixteenth century Italian architecture. The course includes site visits in the city of Florence. Emphasis will be on Renaissance architecture in Florence, but will also include architectural developments in Rome, Urbino, Mantua, Verona and Vicenza. Special topics will include: architectural theory, Medici and papal patronage, urban planning, and church and palace design. A special focus will be dedicated to architects: Brunelleschi, Alberti, Michelozzo, Giuliano Sangallo, Bramante, Antonio Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo, Giulio Romano and Palladio. Visits to key Renaissance buildings and urban spaces in Florence are included.
This course delves into contemporary photographic practices and technologies. By examining the multi-layered nature of photography today, students will develop a strong foundation in both technical and conceptual aspects of the medium. Core camera skills, including manual exposure and working with available light, are emphasized alongside critical thinking and visual literacy. The course also integrates writing exercises to enhance students ability to articulate their visual ideas, analyze the work of others, and engage in critical discourse. The first part of the course focuses on building technical camera proficiency through hands-on practice, lectures, and readings. Students will learn camera functions and image processing techniques. In the second half, these skills will be applied to explore diverse photographic concepts and approaches, towards a culminating project, Tiny Florence, challenges students to create images of the city and fostering creative intimate expression and public engagement. Through writing, students will develop their ability to connect their technical skills with their conceptual understanding and develop a more nuanced and sophisticated approach to photography. NOTE: This course is for beginners. The first half of the course will be devoted to understanding camera functions and basic printing. During this period, assignments will emphasize basic camera functions in manual mode. This course includes 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. In addition to regular lecture hours, 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.
In this course, students will be guided through a study of the evolution of Western medicine over the centuries, investigating the stories and histories which have framed it. Students will become familiar with the important ideas, instruments, and individuals which shaped the progression of medical traditions, from classical antiquity to modern day. This course will also explore the spaces, often unexpected or unique, in which the scientific art was practiced – such as universities, apothecaries, battlefields, monasteries, and convents. This course will give students the tools needed to analyse the intersection between the field of medicine and those of law, religion, art, and culture. Particular focus will be given to medical practices and advancements made in Italy over the centuries.
This course tackles the puzzling questions raised by the rapid advancements of Artificial Intelligence. The course critically analyzes the theories of relevant philosophers, and it explores notions of consciousness, free will, and the very nature of intelligence itself, while evaluating the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI in warfare, job displacement, and human augmentation. Students will investigate the possibility of AI achieving personhood and ponder the meaning of creativity in an age of machine-generated content. The course comprises debates, thought experiments, and critical analysis of real-world scenarios, with the aim of challenging assumptions and questioning the future of humanity alongside intelligent machines.
The garden is a space traditionally associated with food cultivation and recreational activity, both are known to have an influence on wellbeing. This course explores a culture of wellness based on the fundamentals of horticulture therapy and the use plants and green spaces, as well as horticultural and culinary activities to promote wellbeing. Students will explore the traditions related to garden activities to foster cognitive, social, emotional, and physical wellbeing for individuals and specific groups (i.e. the elderly, children, individuals with special needs) in a variety of settings. Adapting horticultural therapy in diverse site conditions from sowing to cultivation and the preparation of food products from the garden harvest will be a focus of this course. Course topics will include principles of horticulture, soils and soil cultivation, plant propagation, and harvesting, and the therapeutic potential of farm to table practices. Students will experience first-hand the restorative powers of green spaces through garden management and cooking labs to examine the benefits of the natural environment as a fundamental outcome of this course. This course includes an Experiential Learning Project with CEMI.
This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. the main focus consists of what is generally defined as made in Italys culture and style in post-war Italy. also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and tastings.
In this course, students will be guided through a study of the evolution of Western medicine over the centuries, investigating the stories and histories which have framed it. Students will become familiar with the important ideas, instruments, and individuals which shaped the progression of medical traditions, from classical antiquity to modern day. This course will also explore the spaces, often unexpected or unique, in which the scientific art was practiced – such as universities, apothecaries, battlefields, monasteries, and convents. This course will give students the tools needed to analyse the intersection between the field of medicine and those of law, religion, art, and culture. Particular focus will be given to medical practices and advancements made in Italy over the centuries.
This course offers a comprehensive approach to wellness, nutrition, and fitness from a lifetime perspective. Course topics will examine how healthy lifestyles span across the continuum of lifespans and ages with a focus on how dietary and fitness needs evolve throughout the four main life-stages: childhood, youth, adulthood, and for the elderly. Theoretical core concepts of how dietary and fitness needs are correlated to mental health and adapt according to each life-stage will be addressed along with a comparative focus on the Italian and Mediterranean approach. In addition to in-class lectures, the course features hands-on field experiences in nutrition labs for healthy diets and physical activities held in local Italian fitness facilities. Students will implement course topics and to cultivate student motivation for incorporating them into their own daily lives.
This course retraces the historical impact and scientific components of a series of diseases, from the Black Death in Florence and Milan to Influenza, HIV/AIDS, Polio, Ebola, and Covid-19 across the world. It addresses both the distribution and determinants of health-related diseases in specified populations, distinguishing between endemics, epidemics, and pandemics. The course also explores the effects of social mobility on the spread of diseases from antiquity to present-day scenarios. It defines and differentiates across rates, prevalence, and incidence to calculate and predict the spread of diseases.
The lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academically rich understanding of the History art, architecture, and culture of Italy. The course provides additional enrichment through contextual use of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final reflective paper.
One week of on-site field learning in different locations before session start: Rome, Tuscan coast, Cinque Terre (Fall-Summer); Rome, Orvieto, Perugia (Spring). The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This one-week intensive course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden ones awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and aims to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic, architectural, and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.
Baking Techniques II: Italian Pastry Techniques or equivalent. Unofficial transcript submission required. *This course includes 150 hours of hands on experiential learning.
Dessert is the last dish of a meal, mainly eaten for pleasure thus must be tempting, balanced and somehow matching the meal in an appropriate way. This course covers the preparation and service of hot and cold desserts with a focus on individual cakes and restaurant desserts, and the components involved in their preparation. Students will learn and understand the differences between pastry lab and restaurant kitchen organization, the different logic of production and the importance of offering home-made desserts matching special dietary requirements. Emphasis will be placed on station organization, timing, and stations coordination for restaurant dessert production and service. Students will experience fried products, cakes, tarts, souffl, stirred and baked custards, mousses and bavarians and will understand the characteristics of a gourmet dessert. The production will concentrate on individual portion desserts as well as traditional style whole cakes and tortes to be portioned. Special focus will be placed on dessert sauces, decorations and plating styles. Students will learn the history of restaurant desserts and understand the different needs and the organization of a restaurant depending on its style and concept. Students will develop a dessert menu from the perspective of variety in the offer, costs, and practicality. This course consists of 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. In addition to regular lecture hours, 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. Prerequisites: Baking Techniques II: Italian Pastry Techniques or equivalent.
Cover letter, CV, and material pertinent to the chosen area, interview. Portfolio of previous work, web back office experience. *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 FUA-AUF. These community projects are directly linked to the academic divisions of FUA-AUF and open to the general public in order to share academic results with the greater community. EL hours may be distributed from Monday through Friday. The placement may require weekend hours or ongoing research-based activities for remote placements.
 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. Remote option students will gain international community exposure through a virtual setting. 
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. 
 Prerequisites: Cover letter, CV, and material pertinent to the chosen area, interview.
One week of on-site field learning in different locations before session start: Rome, Tuscan coast, Cinque Terre (Fall-Summer); Rome, Orvieto, Perugia (Spring). The study of Italian culture helps the student to acquire a deep awareness of both cultural unity and regional diversity. This one-week intensive course is intended to provide students with an in-depth introduction to Italian culture and to broaden ones awareness and understanding of the role of cultural heritage in customs and lifestyles. Lectures will provide students with an organized, focused, and academic understanding of Italian history, art, architecture, food, religion, and culture. The course provides additional enrichment through basic notions of Italian language and terminology along with assigned readings and a final paper. On-site teaching is a significant part of this course and aims to provide the student with an incomparable experience of studying important sites of artistic, architectural, and social relevance in present-day Italy. Students are encouraged to observe the sites through active participation and to discuss their observations using specific and analytic social assessment skills. This class includes field learning hours. Field learning is a method of educating through first-hand experience. Skills, knowledge, and experience are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting and may include field activities, field research, and service learning projects. The field learning experience is cultural because it is intended to be wide-reaching, field-related content is not limited to the course subject but seeks to supplement and enrich academic topics. Students will have the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while experiencing Italian culture, art, and community within the Italian territory. Faculty will lead students in experiencing Italian culture through guided projects and field experiences as planned for the course. Field learning will be developed through classroom preparation, follow up projects, and guided learning outcomes. Field learning will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills and appreciate the multifold components of Italian Culture through direct experience. Field education will advance student learning as a relationship-centered process.
This course offers a comprehensive approach to wellness, nutrition, and fitness from a lifetime perspective. Course topics will examine how healthy lifestyles span across the continuum of lifespans and ages with a focus on how dietary and fitness needs evolve throughout the four main life-stages: childhood, youth, adulthood, and for the elderly. Theoretical core concepts of how dietary and fitness needs are correlated to mental health and adapt according to each life-stage will be addressed along with a comparative focus on the Italian and Mediterranean approach. In addition to in-class lectures, the course features hands-on field experiences in nutrition labs for healthy diets and physical activities held in local Italian fitness facilities. Students will implement course topics and to cultivate student motivation for incorporating them into their own daily lives.
Florence University of the Arts
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