Florence

A message from Lorenzo Ciccarelli, Florence Resident Director

Dear Students,

The fact that you are looking into Florence as your probable destination means that you already know more than you think about this city! I am sure that at least one member of your family or a close friend of yours has already been to Florence, or Firenze as we call it in Italian. Have you ever thought of the Italian words that you already know such as spaghetti, ciao and gelato? Or how many times during your studies you have come across the name of the beautiful city of Florence?

The town of Florentia – “the flower” - founded by the Romans in the first century is now Florence, the capital city of the region of Tuscany. Located nearby are the city of Pisa with its leaning tower, the Chianti hillside with its abundant vineyards, the city of Siena which boasts a world renowned reputation for its historical horseraces, the beautiful island of Elba, and many other cities and towns, each with its own inviting and unique story.  Many writers, inventors, explorers and artists had Florence as their home and have left behind a memorable legacy that is remembered by the local Italians and the world community alike. Films such as The New Moon in the Twilight Saga, Under the Tuscan Sun, Hannibal, and Life is Beautiful were shot in Florence or nearby in the Tuscan region.

Behind the 8,000,000 tourists that visit this city yearly, and the 10,000 US students who decide to learn about our culture and history every year, there is local population of 400,000 people who which on one hand is very attached to its roots and on the other hand, looks eagerly toward the future.

You can be part of this Florentine story and learn about the essence of Italy through our CAPA Florence Program. You will have the opportunity to choose from a wide spectrum of courses such as Art History, Political and Economical History of Europe, Italian Cinema and Cross Cultural Psychology. You can reveal the hidden artist in you by taking a Fine Art class or you can learn the melodious Italian language through the Italian courses offered at different levels. If you already have a good grasp of the Italian language you might like to take advantage of our Advanced Italian Program, which offers the opportunity to take courses at the University of Florence and do an academic internship. This will help you to get immersed in the Italian culture and discover day after day how much in common you have with this city.

We strongly believe that you will learn important notions that will help your personal growth and knowledge, not only in the classroom but also through your engagement in activities and ”real life” experiences. CAPA offers a program of activities called My Education which allows you to choose and decide how, where and why you want to be engaged in the local culture. Shopping at the local market, volunteering in the community, varied excursions around the area, language exchanges and guest lectures are all tools help you to get to know and embrace the culture of your new host country during your study abroad experience.

The CAPA Florence team will be more than happy to accompany you in this life changing experience and help you become not only a visitor or tourist in Florence but ONE of us!

Lorenzo Ciccarelli

Florence Resident Director
CAPA International Education

CAPA’s Advanced Italian Track (AIT) is in partnership with the University of Florence’s Cultural Center for Foreigners (CCF). This option is available during the fall semester only and will offer students a greater range of courses taught in Italian.

CAPA’s Advanced Italian Track has been designed for Italian language majors or students who have a high level of competency in Italian with at least 4 semesters of Italian language completed. This program offers a blend of academic courses in Italian, advanced Italian language courses, fine arts courses, and an internship in your chosen field.

The mission of this program is to enable participants to achieve a high level of intercultural and language competency and to create a transformative experience for students working and studying in Italy. Florence has been a magnet to visitors for centuries, but those drawn to its beauty and inspiration seldom acclimate into Italian life, society, and culture. The CAPA program provides students with the tools to achieve genuine cultural integration.

CCF offers Italian Language courses and contextual lecture courses taught in Italian. By taking lectures at CCF, students will have access to other international students studying in Florence, highlighting Florence’s role in global education.

Program Inclusions and Schedule

In addition to all the normal CAPA Florence inclusions, the AIT includes housing with a local family with two meals per day (homestay required for this program) and an optional internship placement with professional supervision.

The dates of the AIT match the dates of the CAPA Florence Program. Students will arrive in Florence the beginning of September and depart the middle of December. However, courses at CCF will run from the beginning of October through the middle of December. Classes will be held at CCF Monday to Friday from 8:45am to 1:15pm; CAPA classes will be offered on a flexible schedule.

Requirements for Program Participation

Students applying must be competent in Italian and have a minimum of four semesters of Italian instruction at the university level; they will be expected to put language theory into practice at every level. CAPA will administer pre-departure and onsite language assessment for all students for internship placements. In addition, students must have a minimum GPA of 2.8 and live in a homestay with an Italian family.

Advanced Italian Track Model

The Advanced Italian Track model includes:

• 6 credits Advanced Italian Language at CCF (120 hours)
• 3 credits Understanding Modern Italy at CAPA (51 hours)
• Optional 3 credit Internship plus Learning through Internships course
• 3 credits contextual course options taught by Italian lecturers at CCF. This can be a combination of Italian Literature I and II and Italian History for a total of 54 hours or a combination of History of Art I and II for a total of 51 hours
• In addition, students may choose to take optional lectures as MyEducation/cultural enrichment options for no additional cost, but they will not be granted academic credit.

Advanced Italian Language

All students will take the Advanced Italian Language Course at CCF for a total of 120 contact hours. This course will meet for 2.5 hours per day per week from 8:45am to 11:30am.

Understanding Modern Italy

All Advanced Italian students will take an obligatory CAPA capstone class, Understanding Modern Italy, in September before CCF classes begin.  Understanding Modern Italy will be taught in Italian and will provide conversational Italian in discussion and in small groups to prepare students for CCF courses. Initially, CAPA will run intensive 3 hour sessions that meet 3 times per week for 4 weeks at CAPA (36 hours total), then continue sessions throughout the semester once CCF classes begin. Weekly sessions will function as tutorials for students attending CCF, assess their experiences at the University, and evaluate the key cultural differences of studying in an Italian institution versus the home campus. The 10 weekly sessions will meet for 1.5 hours each week for a total of 15 hours.

Learning through Internships

Students may elect to participate in an internship for 3 credits as part of the Advanced Italian Track.  Students will have the opportunity to work in internship placements specially tailored to their needs and strengths. Students work with local Italian people, enhancing their resume; they will build professional skills and gain new ones, as well as develop Italian language skills.

Students will begin to intern during the second or third week of the program for a total of 135 contact hours. They will also enroll in Learning through Internships: Florence, the CAPA internship course for 26 hours. There will be pre-departure and onsite language assessment for all students with internship placements.

CAPA is one of the only internship providers in Florence with an extensive network of internship sites available in businesses of every kind, as well as nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations. Click here to see sample internship placements in Florence or call 1-800-793-0334 to receive a list of placements specific to your major.

Students can opt out of the internship option, and take an extra course at CAPA or CCF.

Courses at CCF

The following contextual options are offered for academic credit. They are all taught in Italian by professors from the University of Florence. Each course consists of 12 lectures (1.5 hours each):

1. Italian Literature I, 12 lectures
2. Italian Literature II, 12 lectures
3. Italian History, 12 lectures
4. History of Art I, 12 lectures
5. History of Art II, 12 lectures plus 8 lectures in Florentine museums (2 hours each)
6. Students may take options 1, 2 and 3 for a total of 54 contact hours or options 4 and 5 for 51 contact hours (including the museum visits). Both options earn 3 credits each. Students not taking an internship can do both combinations for a total of 6 credits.

The following options are for cultural enrichment, not academic credit. They consist of 4, 6, or 10 lectures depending on the topic and can be used as MyEducation or cultural enrichment options.

1. Etruscan Civilization  
2. History of Music
3. Italian Film
4. History of Italian Theater
5. Italian Eating Habits and Food Culture
6. Art and Culture in Florence from Renaissance to Illuminism

Transfer Credit and Tuition

Northeastern University provides transfer credit for both the courses and the internship. Tuition is included in the program fees.

Enhanced Learning and Co-curricular Activities

Students will participate in CAPA’s signature MyEducation events and lectures, which engage students with the complex and fascinating ways the Italian people live and think. They will also have opportunities to volunteer in the community and to learn about and debate contemporary issues in Italy such as immigration, politics, and religion. These co-curricular activities form an integral part of the academic work, assessment, and research in the internship course.

About the University of Florence's Cultural Center for Foreigners

The Cultural Centre for Foreigners of the University of Florence was founded in 1907 by professors Guido Biagi and Piero Barbera. Initially, the activity of the Centre was limited to the summer courses of Italian language with lectures in "Italian Literature", "History of Art", and "Florentine History". Spring courses were added in 1913 and grammar classes were increased, with practical exercise of translation.

The current venue of the Centre is a building in Via Francesco Valori, close to Piazza Savonarola, not far away from the city center.

CAPA has an extensive network of internship sites available in Florence. Internships are an excellent experience for students who have already studied Italian for 3 or 4 semesters.

Internships are available in businesses of every kind, as well as nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations. Our local staff visits each CAPA internship site, many of which are frequent recipients of CAPA interns. Students are placed in sites within commuting distance of the center that best meet their individual interests, abilities, and academic background.

Starting an internship abroad with CAPA

Students participate in an interactive seminar to prepare them for their internship experience. Group orientation exercises are used to examine issues of culture and integration, and focused individual sessions examine site-specific information. All internships are contingent upon a successful interview with the internship-host organization, which will take place right after the student’s arrival and orientation. A seminar on interview techniques is presented prior to the interview.

Internship students are required to participate in a seminar series entitled “Learning through Internships.” Faculty act as internship mentors to ensure that participants have academic guidance during their internships. Students produce papers, write reflective journals, and make oral presentations examining the real learning that occurs during their programs. Students produce a portfolio at the end of the internship that must meet clear academic criteria in order for the student to attain credit for the internship.

CAPA internships provide lasting results

Students are monitored throughout their internships to ensure that they are receiving appropriate training and guidance. At the end of each session, students evaluate their experience. These evaluations are shared with their home campus.

What is MyEducation?

MyEducation offers intentionally defined pathways through the city: means of engaging with the urban environment in ways that are relevant to your studies and interests. The intention is to empower you to make specific connections between classroom theory and the outside world.

CAPA developed our MyEducation program to help you select cultural experiences that are relevant to your academic courses and personal learning goals abroad. Events, activities, and reflective sessions are identified and designed around significant themes such as Community and People, Government and Power, Landscape and Time, Diversity and Identity, and Arts and Culture. Participation in these activities will give you an intelligent, well-rounded, and in-depth perspective on the global city where you are studying.

You will have the opportunity to choose from a range of activities with varying styles of presentation. This allows you to pick a session that speaks to you and your way of learning.

Some examples of MyEducation sessions offered in the past few months include:

• Cooking classes
• Tour of the Secret Passages of the Palazzo Vecchio
• Boat trip on the Arno River
• Hiking in the hills outside Florence
• Playing soccer with Italian students

This style of learning is a unique and valuable opportunity to make the most out of your time studying in another country.

How does it work?

CAPA presents a MyEducation Calendar to all students and faculty. The MyEducation calendar is designed for you by local staff and faculty as a way of helping you get the most out of your time in your study abroad destination. MyEducation brings theory to life and offers a unique and valuable opportunity to make the most out of your time studying in another country.

MyEducation activities are either staff-led or self-directed. Every week, one item will be selected as the MyEducation Event of the Week, and further information will be given on this highlighted event in hand-outs and in a weekly email, delivered directly to your inbox!

Some CAPA professors integrate MyEducation activities into their courses and assessment, so that you may have an opportunity to reflect upon, write about, and present your experiences. MyEducation is also an excellent mechanism to develop areas of interest that may be extended into an application for the CAPA Record of Achievement.

What MyEducation events are currently being offered in Florence?

Check out this semester's Florence MyEducation calendar!

What do students say about MyEducation?

“MyEducation provided me with opportunities to take advantage of my experience abroad. I was able to do things that were exciting, cheap, and fun. This program is an excellent resource that helps you really discover yourself and the city you're studying in.” -Lindsey Forte, SUNY Oswego, Florence Spring 2011

When you go abroad with CAPA, you will learn about real people and real issues in the location where you live, work, and study.

Florence is your Classroom! CAPA delivers academic excellence along with a complete cultural experience at an affordable price. The CAPA Florence Program includes the following:

Tuition
Semester programs earn 12 to 18 credits (maximum 3 credits for internships). Summer sessions earn 6 academic credits. Internships are not available on the summer program. Credit will be issued by Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Students participating in the Advanced Italian Track will pay a higher fee for the internship and required homestay.

Housing and Meals
Students live within commuting distance of the CAPA Florence site in homestays or shared apartments. Apartments have cooking facilities and are included in the price of the CAPA Florence Program. Homestays are available on semester programs only; an additional homestay supplement of $2,500 will be applied to the program fee. Homestays include breakfast and dinner. The Advanced Italian Track requires a homestay and carries a higher program fee.

Local Transportation
A Florence bus pass for the dates of the program.

Excursions
Full day excursion to Siena and San Gimignano

Museum Pass
Florence State Museum Pass which provides unlimited access to all State Museums in Florence, including the Uffizi and Accademia.

British Institute's Library and Cultural Center
A pass and library privileges for the British Institute's 50,000 English-volume library.

Student Events
Social events including an arrival reception, mid-term dinner (semesters only), and a farewell ceremony.

MyEducation Florence
MyEducation is CAPA’s unique learning immersion program, which blends local culture and top-notch academics into the experience of a lifetime for our students. A proven education program that combines theme based learning with unique cultural experiences turning Florence into your classroom.

Insurance
All CAPA students receive our medical, travel, and accident insurance.

CAPA Services and Support
The CAPA Florence team is available throughout your program to assist and support you. Students can also contact the 24-hour emergency cell phone for any urgent situations outside of office hours.

Additional Options in Florence:

Internship Placement: 3-credit internships are available for all semester only students who qualify. Internship applicants must have completed four semesters of Italian or the equivalent. Visit the experiential learning section for a sample list of CAPA placements in Florence. There is an additional fee of $1,000 for internship placements. Housing in a homestay is not required.

Homestays are available on semester programs only; an additional homestay supplement of $2,500 will be applied to the program fee. Homestays include breakfast and dinner.

Do you have questions? Are ready to start an application? The CAPA Admissions team is ready to help! Submit an inquiry form or give us a call at 1-800-793-0334 and one of our outstanding Student Advisors will answer any question you have. The Student Advisors will be able to answer any questions you may have on our programs, explain the application process and help you start preparing for your exciting international experience!

Our Student Advisor is:

Jim Parsons

Once you start an application, you will be introduced to your Student Admissions Counselor that will work with you throughout the application process. Your Student Admissions Counselor will track your application and will ensure you meet all deadlines. CAPA’s online enrollment is easy-to-use and paper free! However, only students applying directly through CAPA and not through your home institution should apply online. If your institution has a customized CAPA program, please enroll in your program through your study abroad office.

Your Student Admissions Counselors are:

Kristin Vaccaro

Nicole Couturiaux

Here are the steps for submitting your application:

1. Fill out your online application
2. Send CAPA the additional paper work to complete your application (see the application instructions).
3. Once CAPA has submitted your full application, you will hear about your acceptance within 48 hours.
4. If you are accepted, you will receive instructions about how to secure your space on the program.

If you intend to do an internship and need help with your cover letter or resume (CV), please visit your Career Services Office or click on these helpful guides to writing a resume and cover letter.

The Admission’s team will walk you through how to personalize your CAPA program starting from the initial stages of filling out your application. In addition you will find helpful information to help you budget for your program fees and personal expenses while abroad as well as opportunities to apply for scholarships to help fund your experience. To learn more directly from students who have attended a CAPA program, visit the CAPA Ambassador and testimonials sections.

CAPA is here to help every step of the way! Please give us a call today if you have any questions! 1.800.793.0334