Ready to Study Abroad?
Our admissions counselors can’t wait to help you!
Sant'Anna Institute
Spring Semester Elective 2023
12 - 15 credits
SAI students at Sant’Anna Institute spend a semester integrating themselves into the small beachside town for an unforgettable experience. Semester students enroll 4 to 5 elective courses from the variety of course offerings, for a total of 12 - 15 credits. Students can also choose to complete a part-time 3 or 6 credit internship alongside regular coursework. Motivated students also have the option of enrolling in the Honors Research Semester, for a deeper dive into a particular subject.
Application: closed
Apps accepted on a rolling basis, and after closing as space permits
Application Requirements
Complete online application
Personal statement (300-500 words)
Official transcript
Passport scan (photo page)
Italian privacy consent form
Updates
- Complete an internship alongside coursework
- Join various service-learning opportunities
- Family homestay or apartment housing available
Program Dates
January 15, 2023 – May 6, 2023
Eligibility Requirements
Age: 18+
Academic Year: High school graduate or above.
Cumulative GPA:* 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale)
* contact SAI if you don’t meet requirements
Arts and Humanities
Business & Administration Studies
Classical Studies
Italian Studies
Natural and Health Sciences
Social Sciences
Business & Administration Studies
Classical Studies
Italian Studies
Natural and Health Sciences
Social Sciences
Archaeology studies past cultures and societies through their material remains. This course provides a basic introduction to the discipline, focusing on the study of some major Roman cities destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. The program combines the archaeological study with the analysis of the historical, economic, and social aspects of the Roman culture of the era. Students participate in several site visits to examine the remains and reconstruction of the ancient cities.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Creative Writing | Course #: ENG 306WI | Open
Pre-requisite: course requires a minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
This course will introduce students to the process and techniques of creative writing (focusing on travel experiences). Students will experiment with various types of writing, including the writing of fiction and poetry. Class readings will expose students to various writing styles and provide examples of the successes and strategies of other writers. Class time will be spent discussing the writer's craft, the assigned readings, and student writing.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Cultural Studies | Course #: ENGL/WGS 221 | Open
coming soon
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Fine Art | Course #: ART 376 | Open
Pre-requisite: course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
This course is offered to students enrolled at Sant'Anna Institute as part of the study abroad program based in Sorrento, Italy. Lectures and field sketching sessions are centered on drawing on location as the best way we have to increase our capacity to observe and to understand reality. An object, a tree, a person, cities or landscapes: during everyday life or while traveling, journaling and sketching from real is a profound and lasting experience. While drawing we learn to see and we can select information and highlight details better than we could with a camera.
Students will discover Sorrento, visiting Naples or surrounding archaeological sites while recording their observations in a travel sketchbook. Tips and examples will be given about sketching on location techniques as introduction to pen and ink drawings and to watercolors. Freehand drawing and location drawing as basic and complementary skills are recommended not only among architects, visual artists, animators and graphic designers, but also in disciplines such as archaeology, history, zoology, botany and geology.
Classic drawing warm up exercises, as suggested by authors such as Kimon Nicolaides or Betty Edwards, will also help beginners to break the ice with life drawing and get the most out of the experience. Final assignment will be a sketched reportage where each student will describe his/her life and experiences in Sorrento with images and words.
Students will discover Sorrento, visiting Naples or surrounding archaeological sites while recording their observations in a travel sketchbook. Tips and examples will be given about sketching on location techniques as introduction to pen and ink drawings and to watercolors. Freehand drawing and location drawing as basic and complementary skills are recommended not only among architects, visual artists, animators and graphic designers, but also in disciplines such as archaeology, history, zoology, botany and geology.
Classic drawing warm up exercises, as suggested by authors such as Kimon Nicolaides or Betty Edwards, will also help beginners to break the ice with life drawing and get the most out of the experience. Final assignment will be a sketched reportage where each student will describe his/her life and experiences in Sorrento with images and words.
Contact Hours: 45
The course introduces the student to the world of Italian Cinema. In the first part the class will be analysing Neorealism, a cinematic phenomenon that deeply influenced the ideological and aesthetic rules of film art. In the second part we will concentrate on the films that mark the decline of Neorealism and the talent of "new" auteurs such as Fellini and Visconti. The last part of the course will be devoted to the cinema from 1970's to the present in order to pay attention to the latest developments of the Italian industry. The course is a general analysis of post-war cinema and a parallel social history of this period using films as "decoded historical evidence". Together with masterpieces such as "Open City" and "The Bicycle Thief" the screenings will include films of the Italian directors of the "cinema d'autore" including "The Conformist", "Life is Beautiful", "Le conseguenze dell'amore".
Students express their opinions and make their own criticisms and written assignments.
Students express their opinions and make their own criticisms and written assignments.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Philosophy | Course #: PHIL 101 | Open
Pre-requisite: Course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
An introduction to the discipline of philosophy. This course will cover a representative selection of texts and problems in the history of philosophy. The course will address the nature of philosophical inquiry and the methods it employs. Topics to be discussed include the foundations of ethics, the sources and limits of knowledge and historical approaches to metaphysical speculation.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Philosophy | Course #: PHIL 375/RELG 350 | Open
Pre-requisite: Course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
This course explores the religions of ancient Greek and Roman society from their earliest beginnings to the end of paganism and the emergence of Christianity. We will try to ask questions like how did Greeks and Romans conceptualize the divine and their relationship to it? How was ancient religion actually practiced? How does religion relate to myth and ritual? How did religion and politics interrelate? What exactly were the alternatives to civically practiced religion we call “mystery cults”? Who were the critics of ancient religions, and what was the substance of their criticisms? What was the distinction between magic and religion? These fundamental questions (and many others) will concern us in this course. While the course follows a broadly chronological outline, individual lectures concentrate on specific themes, such as forms and places of worship, philosophy and religion, death and afterlife, magic and the concept of conversion. The course is designed to introduce the tenets, beliefs, and certain spiritual practices of Classical antiquity and to investigate the social, cultural, and political background of which ancient religion was part. Students will benefit from attending their study abroad program in Sorrento, in the middle of ancient Magna Graecia.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Business | Course #: ENT 481 | Open
Pre-requisite: Course requires a minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
The focus is the study of the entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial start-up process. Areas of concentration include the search for new venture opportunities, evaluation of the viability and attractiveness of the new venture; determining the resources required and the sources of those resources and the development of a business plan appropriate for presentation to funding sources.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Business | Course #: INB 303 | Open
Pre-requisite: Course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
The aim of the course is to provide students with the analytic and conceptual instruments for an understanding of the EU functioning as well as the impact different policies may have on the European business environment. In particular, the course will focus on the framework that companies must face when doing business in Europe.
At the end of the course the student will be able to do the following:
1. Analyze the origins of the EU, its history and development to the point of enlargement.
2. Identify important steps in EU integration, name EU institutions and understand how they interact
with one another
3. Analyze the impact of the social and cultural influences brought about by the enlargement of the EU.
4. Determine how business and trade are conducted both internally and externally by the organizations
of the EU.
5. Conduct a sustainable business analysis (SWOTS) for a specific industry sector operating in Italy.
6. Analyze how companies should react and position themselves strategically and operationally
responding to key issues in Europeâs evolving sustainable business environment.
At the end of the course the student will be able to do the following:
1. Analyze the origins of the EU, its history and development to the point of enlargement.
2. Identify important steps in EU integration, name EU institutions and understand how they interact
with one another
3. Analyze the impact of the social and cultural influences brought about by the enlargement of the EU.
4. Determine how business and trade are conducted both internally and externally by the organizations
of the EU.
5. Conduct a sustainable business analysis (SWOTS) for a specific industry sector operating in Italy.
6. Analyze how companies should react and position themselves strategically and operationally
responding to key issues in Europeâs evolving sustainable business environment.
Contact Hours: 45
The course presents concepts of tourism relating to food and geography, using Italy as a case study. The course is relevant to students of all backgrounds but it has been designed specifically for students of hospitality, business, and culinary arts. Students will study international organizations operating in tourism (i.e. WTO) and the different types of tourism, with particular a emphasis on paid to sustainable tourism. Students will be asked to involves gate the tourism geography of Italy, becoming familiar with the most important tourist sites in Italy and Campania (through several excursions). The third module of the course will be dedicated to a very important kind of tourism in Italy and in the Campania Region: Food and Wine Tourism.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Business | Course #: SUST/ECON 335 | Open
Pre-requisite: course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
The course aims to analyze the relationship between sustainability, economy, quality and globalization. It will also focus on the European Union and sustainable development. Other included topics will be: the food industry in Italy (focusing on the Campania region), slow food, organic farming in Italy, local food, local market, local business and sustainable tourism in Italy.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Marketing | Course #: MKG 320 | Open
Pre-requisite: Course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
This course covers principles and applications of food marketing, focusing on current trends related to food production, distribution, consumption and the dynamics characterizing food systems. The course will center on the importance of understanding consumer behavior as a key factor in strategic food marketing and on the role of different agents in the food channel, particularly food producers, distributors, wholesales, retailers, and marketers. This course also highlights the interface between producers and consumers (e.g. farm to table). As a result, part of the course will be dedicated to assessing the importance of issues related to food sourcing (including alternative venues such as local and regional sourcing) and food access.
The delivery of this course includes live lectures, class discussions, case studies, field trips and the creation of a marketing plan for an agricultural or food product.
The delivery of this course includes live lectures, class discussions, case studies, field trips and the creation of a marketing plan for an agricultural or food product.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Latin | Course #: WL 102 | Open
Pre-requisite: course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
During this course students will gain a mastery of the first principles of Latin grammar that they have studied in Latin I. Students will also study the Latin syntax in order to be able to read quite complex sentences in Latin. The rela1onship between English and Latin is emphasized in vocabulary building, word derivation, andmeanings of prefixes and suffixes. More advanced vocabulary and language structures are presented to students within the context of the themes and topics.
Contact Hours: 45
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. demonstrate a basic understanding of Italian spelling and pronunciation (assessment: Homework; oral participation in class; oral comprehension quizzes and tests; dictations)
2. demonstrate a basic understanding of part of the Italian grammar and syntax (assessment: Homework--workbook; computer assignments; essay; quizzes and tests)
3. participate in simple conversations on topics on everyday situations such as work, education, food, time,weather... (reinforced through in-class group activities)
4. demonstrate basic reading comprehension skills (in-class or homework reading assignments--from textbook or internet sites; quizzes and tests)
5. demonstrate some knowledge of Italian geography, history, culture and daily life
1. demonstrate a basic understanding of Italian spelling and pronunciation (assessment: Homework; oral participation in class; oral comprehension quizzes and tests; dictations)
2. demonstrate a basic understanding of part of the Italian grammar and syntax (assessment: Homework--workbook; computer assignments; essay; quizzes and tests)
3. participate in simple conversations on topics on everyday situations such as work, education, food, time,weather... (reinforced through in-class group activities)
4. demonstrate basic reading comprehension skills (in-class or homework reading assignments--from textbook or internet sites; quizzes and tests)
5. demonstrate some knowledge of Italian geography, history, culture and daily life
Contact Hours: 45
This course is designed for students who wish to develop the skills necessary to interact in the language and learn about Italian contemporary culture and society as well as Italy's history. Students will continue to refine their speaking skills by completing tasks with your classmates in pairs and small groups and by following models of native speakers presented on video. Students will develop reading and writing skills by reading increasingly more elaborate authentic texts and writing related, reaction essays, and your listening skills will be cultivated by completing on-line listening activities, viewing and analyzing short clips from Italian movies, and listening to short lectures on topics in Italian culture, society, and history, such as Pompeii, the contemporary demographic profile of Italy, the history of the language, and of the unification of Italy.
Contact Hours: 45
This course is designed for students who wish to develop the skills necessary to interact in the language and learn about Italian contemporary culture and society, as well as Italy's history. Students will continue to refine their speaking skills by completing tasks with classmates in pairs and small groups. They will develop reading and writing skills by reading increasingly more elaborate authentic texts and writing essays, and their listening skills will be cultivated by in-class interactions, listening to short lectures on topics in Italian culture, listening to Italian music, and watching Italian movies.
Contact Hours: 45
coming soon
Contact Hours: 45
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. demonstrate advancement in spoken and written language
2. communicate with advanced grammatical structures, idiomatic expressions and refined vocabulary
3. communicate personal opinions in group discussions on a variety of topics, articles, events and personal stories
1. demonstrate advancement in spoken and written language
2. communicate with advanced grammatical structures, idiomatic expressions and refined vocabulary
3. communicate personal opinions in group discussions on a variety of topics, articles, events and personal stories
Contact Hours: 45
coming soon
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Italian Literature | Course #: WL 325-4 | Open
Pre-requisite: Students must have earned at least 12 credits of Italian language as the course will be instructed in Italian.
Please note: course requires a minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
Students will study Italian literature of the Twentieth Century.
Students will critically analyze the internationally renowned literary texts in their original language.
Authors include Pirandello, Quasimodo, Ungaretti, Montale and others. Students will read excerpts from these works and engage in a historical, literary and rhetorical analysis of texts while determining techniques of poetic composition. Students will also learn about the lives of authors and the historical context and how these affected the masterpieces studied. Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to class discussion. They are also expected to do all the exercises assigned daily.
Students must have earned at least 12 credits of Italian language as the course will be instructed in Italian.
Students will critically analyze the internationally renowned literary texts in their original language.
Authors include Pirandello, Quasimodo, Ungaretti, Montale and others. Students will read excerpts from these works and engage in a historical, literary and rhetorical analysis of texts while determining techniques of poetic composition. Students will also learn about the lives of authors and the historical context and how these affected the masterpieces studied. Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to class discussion. They are also expected to do all the exercises assigned daily.
Students must have earned at least 12 credits of Italian language as the course will be instructed in Italian.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Health Science | Course #: KIN 221 | Open
Pre-requisite: course requires a minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
Students will examine evidenced-based relationships between nutrition and the promotion of long-term health and well-being. They will become familiar with food-related policy and recommendations, including Dietary Guidelines, Food Labels, and evidence-based nutrition programs, and gain practical skills to make healthful dietary choices. Moreover, students will learn health promotion strategies to help influence other people's food choices and apply these strategies to a specific modifiable chronic disease such as diabetes and heart disease.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Natural Science | Course #: BIOL 199 | Open
Pre-requisite: course requires a minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
This class is designed to teach undergraduate students to 1) gather published and unpublished sources of information and bring them to bear on scientific questions, 2) critically read scientific writing, 3) access electronic sources of information, including but not limited to internet searches, library databases, and public information and data, 4) learn the structure and functions of different components of scientific papers to effectively communicate scientific findings, 5) learn techniques for effective communication of scientific information in oral and poster presentations, 6) understand the ethical boundaries associated with scientific communication.
The class will emphasize fundamental principles of communication, presented in lecture format, and reinforced by 1) examination of writing published by professionals, 2) in-class editing of “mock” examples of papers, 3) frequent small assignments, 4) in-class discussions, 5) completion of a paper based on sampling designed and carried out by each student, 5) an oral presentation, and 6) a poster presentation.
The class will emphasize fundamental principles of communication, presented in lecture format, and reinforced by 1) examination of writing published by professionals, 2) in-class editing of “mock” examples of papers, 3) frequent small assignments, 4) in-class discussions, 5) completion of a paper based on sampling designed and carried out by each student, 5) an oral presentation, and 6) a poster presentation.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Natural Science | Course #: JU 330-5 | Open
Pre-requisite: Course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
The course is an introduction to the volcanoes. It starts providing the basic knowledge of geology and Earthâs formation to understand the Plate Tectonics Theory and then the geodynamic processes leading volcanic activity. Among the main topics, different kinds of volcanoes will be analyzed, examining how magmaâs chemical composition and rheology affect the volcanic eruptive styles. Furthermore, volcanic product and morphologies will be studied thanks to laboratory activities. Finally, secondary volcanism (geysers, hot springs, etc.) and volcanic risks will be analyzed, such as landslides in volcanic soils and related risks for peoples who live nearby volcanic areas around the world. Specific examples of the Campanian volcanoes will be examined to contextualize these topics in the Italian environment. In addition, a significant aim of this course is for students to gain a conscious relationship with the environment. The Campania region is an ideal place for experiential learning via site visits, with the opportunity for students to witness a wide range of geological and volcanological features.
Contact Hours: 45
This course focuses on the biology of organisms residing in the sea, from the diversity of planktonic communities to marine megafauna, taking into consideration the ecological principles that govern marine life. The course aims to provide a solid educational background in basic and applied marine biology. Emphasis will be placed on marine environment issues and the adaptive and evolutionary mechanisms of organisms that allow them to occupy marine habitats. In particular, the Mediterranean Sea and the conservation of marine environment will play a central role in the course subjects, profiting from the availability of unique ecosystems and a nearby renown marine protected area to conduct thematic field trips and practical tutorials.
REQUIREMENTS: bring a mask and a snorkel for marine bio field trips.
REQUIREMENTS: bring a mask and a snorkel for marine bio field trips.
Contact Hours: 60
3.0 Credits
Anthropology | Course #: JU 330-3 | Open
Pre-requisite: this course requires a minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
The purpose of this course is to provide an introductory overview to Mediterranean migration patterns and trends by examining macroeconomic and geopolitical causes. The course begins with a survey of the historic legacies of Mediterranean migration and moves through the twentieth century with an examination of mass emigration from the Southern Mediterranean to the Americas. By using international economics, demographics and geopolitics as a lens through which to view current Mediterranean migration phenomena, this course prepares the student to analyze effects of mass migration on the stability of the European Union and the Euro zone and propose solutions to ongoing systemic pan-European political and demographic challenges.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Anthropology | Course #: PSYC 400 | Open
Pre-requisite: course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
This course will examine how people meet each other and how they communicate; how they interact and create connections; how these encounters can be a source of creative change. The focus will be on the impact of experiencing different cultures and becoming aware of oneâs own fears, which can be an obstacle in creating relationships, forcing oneself back to his/her own comfort zone. Specifically, the goals of this course are: 1) to increase awareness of common and important patterned social and cultural differences, 2) to provide a space for students to reflect on their own personal experience with cultural difference, and 3) to encourage students to engage with different cultures in a hands-on way and to meaningfully and mindfully experience cross- cultural communication.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
History | Course #: HIST 350-1 | Open
Pre-requisite: course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
The course examines the history of southern Italian organized crime syndicates from their origins to the present day. It also focuses on how these mafias work and have succeeded, on their activities as well as on modern-day approaches to combating the criminal presence in Italy, including the reaction of civil society organizations. Attention is paid to examples of Mafia enterprises, its past and present role in politics, and its evolution from a regional organization to one with an international reach. A research project, with both a paper and an oral presentation, is required in addition to two written exams.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
History | Course #: HIST 350-2 | Open
Pre-requisite: Course requires a minimum of enrollment of 4 students to run
Coming soon
Contact Hours: 45
In this course we will trace the history of Italian food from a transnational perspective. Challenging nationalist historiographies we will focus on circulation, exchanges, hybridity and mobility.
Borrowing from Edward Saids notion of overlapping territories and intertwined histories, we will discuss how food is part of a stratified and heterogeneous modernity suspended between the local and the global.
Special topics will include: Arab and Asian merchants before the European hegemony; Mediterranean currents; the Columbian exchange; Neapolitan food and the invention of tradition; Italian American food and issues of memory and ethnicity; Food and Southern Italian migrants in northern Italy; food and the boom economico; multiethnic food in contemporary Italy; space and place in connection with food in Italy and the United States. Some works of cinema and popular music will be included.
Borrowing from Edward Saids notion of overlapping territories and intertwined histories, we will discuss how food is part of a stratified and heterogeneous modernity suspended between the local and the global.
Special topics will include: Arab and Asian merchants before the European hegemony; Mediterranean currents; the Columbian exchange; Neapolitan food and the invention of tradition; Italian American food and issues of memory and ethnicity; Food and Southern Italian migrants in northern Italy; food and the boom economico; multiethnic food in contemporary Italy; space and place in connection with food in Italy and the United States. Some works of cinema and popular music will be included.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Political Science | Course #: JU 330 | Open
Pre-requisite: course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
This course will trace a form of call and response between New York City and Naples. It will juxtapose these two cities within wider currents, moving across time and space and tracing multiple histories that connect past, present and futurity, local and global. Topics will include the early slave rebellions in the Americas, the 1648 rebellion of Naples, the U.S. military presence in Naples during World War II and Cold War era, Italian immigration to New York City and the urban crises of Naples and New York in the 1970s and 1980s.
In this course, music, cinema and other cultural expressions are not considered as a background but become central narrative devices. Sustained by the saxophone sound of James Senese, the electro funk of Afrika Bambaataa, the echo chamber effect of Sha-Rock, the poetry of Sandra MarÃÂa
Esteves, the blue maps of Bobby Womack and Mario Merola we will study unexpected and critical connections between New York City and Naples.
In addition to music, films, and poems, we will use other primary sources collected at the archives of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library, the Bronx County Historical Society and the National Library of Naples.
In this course, music, cinema and other cultural expressions are not considered as a background but become central narrative devices. Sustained by the saxophone sound of James Senese, the electro funk of Afrika Bambaataa, the echo chamber effect of Sha-Rock, the poetry of Sandra MarÃÂa
Esteves, the blue maps of Bobby Womack and Mario Merola we will study unexpected and critical connections between New York City and Naples.
In addition to music, films, and poems, we will use other primary sources collected at the archives of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library, the Bronx County Historical Society and the National Library of Naples.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Political Science | Course #: POL 375 | Open
Pre-requisite: Course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
The purpose of this module is to examine the history, development, structure and efficacy of international human rights law. In this module, students will investigate the legal framework of the United Nations and regional systems relating to the protection and promotion of, inter alia, the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples, women's rights, the rights of migrants and refugees, cultural rights, and the emerging field of environmental rights. Students will assess the remedies that exist for violations of human rights law in the various systems and examine practical case studies where relevant.
Contact Hours: 45
3.0 Credits
Political Science | Course #: POL 375 | Open
Pre-requisite: Course requires minimum enrollment of 4 students to run
The purpose of this module is to examine the history, development, structure and efficacy of international human rights law. In this module, students will investigate the legal framework of the United Nations and regional systems relating to the protection and promotion of, inter alia, the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples, women's rights, the rights of migrants and refugees, cultural rights, and the emerging field of environmental rights. Students will assess the remedies that exist for violations of human rights law in the various systems and examine practical case studies where relevant.
Contact Hours: 45
Honors Research Program Projects
The Honors Research Semester is designed for ambitious and motivated students who wish to deepen their research skills in an international context while focusing on relevant global issues. Students develop and execute on-site projects, working alongside Sant’Anna Institute’s faculty, that culminate in a final paper or publication. No previous research experience is required, and all majors are invited to apply.
There are four project areas that students may choose from:
- Project 1: Criminology: Organized Crime in Italy from a Historic Perspective
- Project 2: Gender Studies: Gender-based Violence in Italy
- Project 3: Human Rights: Field Research on Migrants and Refugees
- Project 4: Sustainability: Field Research Project at the Marine Protected Area of Punta Campanella
- Project 5: Italian Literature: Dante’s “Comedy” in the Contemporary Culture (adv. Italian language required)
Program Structure & Courses
All students participating in the Honors Research Semester will complete the following:
- 45-hour supervised research project
- 45-hour optional service learning project (see below)
- 2 elective courses* (6 credits)
- 1 Italian language course (3 credits)
- 1 project elective (3 credits)
Project electives are courses related to the student’s chosen project area. They are History of the Mafia (project 1), Human Rights (project 2), Women’s & Gender Studies (project 3), Marine Conservation (project 4), and Medieval Italian Literature I: Dante (project 5).
*One elective course may be substituted for a 3-credit international internship: SA Internships.
Optional Service Learning Project
Project elective courses related to the research projects additionally offer optional service learning projects. Students work in tandem with the local community to create new ideas and new visions for future improvement. Service learning projects allow students to apply what they learn in the classroom in a professional manner, which develops their skills and gives back to their host community. For more information on volunteer work see SA Service Learning & Volunteer.
Eligibility & Application
All SAI Sorrento students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher are invited to participate in the program. All majors are welcome and no previous research experience is required. To apply, you will be asked to submit the following additional items:
- Academic letter of recommendation
- Cover letter detailing your goals and motivation for participating in the program.
Program Add-On: Internship
Semester students can apply for a part time 3 credit, 6 credit, or non-credit internship to be completed as part of their elective program. Students are placed in internships that complement their major or minor, and are supported by ongoing reflective coursework. At the completion of the internship students produce an analytical paper that synthesizes what they have learned. Please note that there is an additional fee for completing an internship. For more information on internships see SA Internships.
Service Learning & Volunteer
Sant’Anna Institute holds service learning as a pillar of academic excellence. Courses are intimately connected to the needs of various aspects of the community; they work in tandem with the community to create new ideas and new visions for future improvement. Service learning projects allow students to apply what they learn in the classroom in a professional manner, which develops their skills and gives back to their host community. For more information on volunteer work see SA Service Learning & Volunteer.
Part-Time Internship Application Requirements
Students wishing to participate in a part-time internship during their program should select the Internship program add-on at application, and complete the following additional application items:
- SA internship application; emailed once the SAI application is received.
- Resume and cover letter
- 2 letters of recommendation (professional or academic)
- Skype interview
Courses & Schedule
SA courses run Monday – Friday, and students take one language course and various electives. Students complete their course registration during the SAI application process by selecting their primary course choices as well as required alternate courses. Academic year students complete course registration after submitting their application. Course schedules are confirmed 4 weeks prior to the program start.
Service Learning Courses
Several courses at SA offer an optional service-learning component. This gives students the opportunity to give back to their host community, deepen their educational experience, and create closer ties to their host city. Learn more at SA Service Learning.
| Pre-Departure Calendar | |
|---|---|
| November 1 2022 |
Application Closes Applications accepted after closing as space permits. |
| Within 1 week of acceptance |
SAI Deposits Due $500 Confirmation Deposit (applied toward program fee) $300 Security Deposit (refundable) |
| October 1 2022 |
50% of Total Program Fee Due Students who are accepted and submit SAI deposits after this date will have an amended pay schedule. Either 50% or 100% of Program Fee will be due within 5 business days, based on the deposit payment date. |
| October 15 2022 |
SAI Scholarship Application Deadline Students wishing to apply for an SAI scholarship must have all application items submitted by 11:59pm Pacific Time on this date. |
| November 15 2022 |
SAI Financial Aid Verification Deadline Students wishing to defer payment until financial aid disbursement must submit the financial aid verification forms to SAI by this date. |
| December 1 2022 |
Balance of Total Program Fee Due |
| On-site Calendar | |
|---|---|
| January 15 2023 |
Arrival & Housing Check-in Students arrive into Naples International Airport (NAP). Students should arrive accordingly for the 12pm and 5pm airport pick up service. Upon arrival in Sorrento students are taken to housing. |
| January 15 – 16 2023 |
SA Academic Orientation & Welcome Events SA academic orientation is followed by a walking tour of Sorrento and a group meal. |
| January 16 2023 |
Classes Begin |
| March 13 – 17 2023 |
Spring Break (no class) |
| May 5 2023 |
Final Exams |
| May 6 2023 |
Program End & Housing Check-out Students must move out of 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 Includes tuition, standard housing and SAI 360° Services (see What’s Included). |
$14,900 |
| Optional / Additional Fees: | |
| Program Add-On: Part-Time Internship Required for students participating in a part-time internship. |
$400 |
| Optional Private Room Housing Supplement Private room in a shared apartment, dorm or homestay. |
$700 |
| Optional Homestay Housing Supplement – Shared Live with a local Italian host family in a room shared with another student, includes breakfast and dinner daily. |
$700 |
| 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
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 an 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 Naples |
$900 | $1,800 |
| Visa Fees Visa and Permit to Stay Fees. |
$$250 | $275 |
| Books, Supplies & Course Fees Course fees are sometimes imposed to cover field trips. |
$25 / course | $50 / course |
| Meals Combination of cooking at home and eating out. |
$600 / month | $1,000 / month |
| Personal Expenses | $250 / month | $350 / month |
| Transportation within Sorrento area Public transportation with some taxi rides. |
$50 / month | $100 / 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 and transportation on arrival day
- Welcome reception and events
- Orientation to the host city and school
- Staff on-site dedicated to fostering a welcoming community for all students by providing assistance to diverse needs
- SAI Viva Experience: frequent cultural activities & trips outside host city
- Student health insurance providing full coverage and medical emergency evacuation
- 24-hour on-site emergency support
- Farewell event with all students
Pre-departure and Re-entry services
- US-based admissions counselor assigned to you, providing friendly assistance
- Helpful pre-departure tools and resources
- Online student groups to acquaint you with other SAI students
- Assistance with student visa application
- Assistance with financial aid processing
- Need-based SAI scholarships
- Paid registration fees for national re-entry conferences
- SAI Ambassador Program for SAI alumni, 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 Event
All students are invited to a typical Italian meal welcoming them to the program and their host city.
Welcome Tour of Sorrento
Students tour Sorrento, including stops at popular shops, supermarkets, and places of entertainment, as well as important landmarks such as main squares, post offices, bus stops and taxi stands.
Gelato Making Workshop
Learn to make gelato, a frozen Italian dessert known and celebrated around the world.
Coffee Factory Visit
Tour an artisanal coffee factory that has provided Sorrento with traditional Neapolitan coffee for over 100 years.
Hike to Ieranto Bay
Take in breathtaking views of the crystalline waters and dramatic cliffs as you hike to the Bay of Ieranto, a rocky cove in the Marine Protected Area.
Farewell Event
After classes are over students and staff share in a celebratory final meal to reflect and say goodbyes.
Standard Housing: Student dorm or apartment
Standard housing includes a private occupancy bedroom in the student dorm or in a shared student apartment. Dorm housing is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis with limited availability. All SAI housing in Sorrento is equipped with basic furniture, towels and bed linens, wireless Internet, and air conditioning. Students have access to kitchen facilities, comfortable common areas, and washing machines.
Optional Housing: Family homestay (additional fee applies)
Students choosing the homestay option will be placed with a local family, which could be an older married couple or a family with children. Homestay families are typically within a short walking distance to the school. The homestay option includes breakfast and dinner 7 days a week in a shared occupancy room (upgrade to a private bedroom available).
Passports
Passports should be valid for 3 months after planned departure from Italy.
Student Visas
In accordance with Italian law students studying in Italy for 91 days or more are required to obtain a student visa. Those with Italian/EU citizenship are exempted. Non-US nationals should consult their local Consulate for information on student visa requirements.
Students must appear in person at the Italian Consulate to present their student visa application. Our Student Visa Office is available to assist students in getting ready for the appointment; SAI provides student visa consulting for all our students at no cost.
About SAI
SAI is dedicated to providing academic and cultural learning experiences abroad that enhance global awareness, professional development and social responsibility. We concentrate our programs in Europe, with a focus on in-depth learning of individual European countries and their unique global role in the geopolitical economy, humanities, and in the arts.
Social Sciences