CAPA is pleased to announce that Australia is now open to all vaccinated international visitors. CAPA will begin programming in Sydney in May.
Florence is a vibrant, awe-inspiring, and culturally rich Global City. Its history as the "Cradle of the Renaissance" remains readily accessible through its art and architecture, and with an ever-growing immigrant population, Florence is very much a multicultural city.
Learn more about Florence with our Florence City Guide.
The CAPA Concentration in Italian Studies provides ample opportunities to learn about Italian culture firsthand, including through a tour of the famous Palazzo Vecchio, an Italian cooking class, and a picturesque hike in the Tuscan Hills.
Choose from a range of Italian language, art, history, and Italian culture courses, plus take courses across the CAPA Florence Global Cities curriculum in disciplines such as business, finance, and urban/global studies. Students who meet the minimum Italian language qualification can participate in an optional 3-credit internship in Italian and develop professional skills. Earn 6-9 credits.
Experience
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CAPA program fees are comprehensive and include tuition, housing, excursions, My Global City events and activities, 24/7 emergency support, insurance, and more!
Earn 6-9 credits per semester (content courses are 3 credits, Italian language courses are 4 credits; internships are 3-6 credits). Credits are issued by State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego.
You can opt to live in a shared apartment or a homestay (with your own room and two meals a day), all within commuting distance to the CAPA center. Homestays incur a supplementary fee.
A Florence bus pass is included.
Enjoy full-day excursions to Siena, famous for its art, history, and Palio horse race, and to the walled town of San Gimignano, with its 14 medieval towers. Social events include an arrival reception, a mid-term dinner, and a farewell ceremony.
Participate in a part-time internship opportunity, earn 3 credits, and gain valuable skills. Note: you must have at least two semesters of Italian language to participate.
CAPA-led events include a walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo for stunning views over the city of Florence and a hike in the nearby hills, followed by dinner in one of the best pizzerias in town. Other activities, often self-guided, reflect what is on in the city at the time and may include a walking tour to the most important markets of Florence, tasting typical Italian snacks, a night at the opera, or attending soccer match at the Florence Stadium.
CAPA provides comprehensive support services for students to utilize during their time in Florence. The team is available throughout the duration of the program to assist and support students 24/7 with any emergency situations. Students will also have access to the Guardian study abroad safety app which includes emergency assistance and other support resources. LEARN MORE
As a student on our program, you’ll receive our medical, travel, and accident insurance.
CAPA is committed to the health and wellness of our students while they are studying abroad in Florence. We maintain a comprehensive health and safety plan to ensure a safe and productive learning experience, and provide a variety of health and wellness tools and resources. LEARN MORE
Choose from a range of Italian language, art, history, and Italian culture courses, plus take courses across CAPA's Global City curriculum in disciplines such as business, finance, and urban/global studies.
This course will examine the reasons why the socio-criminal phenomenon of the Mafia continues to self-reproduce after more than a century. Students will conduct a comparative study between the two societies where the Mafia took roots, specifically the Italian Mafia versus the American Mafia; explore the history of the Mafia from three main perspectives: historical, political, and sociological; and be able to distinguish clearly between the interpretation of the mafia emerging from fiction books and movies, and the real representation of this socio-criminal phenomenon.
FLOR HIST 3326
This course will introduce the impact of globalization on Florence. Using the city as a research field, students will explore the complex dynamics that shape the identity of Florence by applying a critical perspective on the notion of globalization, and by analyzing the socio-cultural forces at play both historically and presently; observe the cultural variability in Florence; discuss the relativity of cultural values; and investigate how the multicultural aspect of Florence’s identity has been discursively constructed, and by which social actors.
FLOR URBS 3345
This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students with no prior experience of Italian Language. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation.
FLOR ITAL 1101
This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language level 1, and are already in possess of basic level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronunciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.
On the first meeting a diagnostic test will take place, based on grammar structures that the students should already have covered in Italian 1. It will help the instructor to ascertain the class’s general level of proficiency in the language, and will have no weight at all on the students’ final grade.
FLOR ITAL 1102
This course will direct students to reflect about their own relationship with food. Starting from a multi-disciplinary approach, that involves such fields as sociology, history, anthropology and nutrition, students will explore new aspects of their life in Italy directly related to health, education and everyday life. The final aim of this course is to provide an insightful, life-changing experience, which leads students to develop healthier lifestyles (Personal Development Outcome), comparing their culture with Italian culture (Diversity Outcome) and its distinct history and traditions related to food (Urban Environment Outcome).
FLOR ANTH 3340
This course will explore the complexities of cultural identity and migration, and the impact they have on intercultural conflict and cooperation. There will be a particular focus on migration in Italy and on the marginalized communities of contemporary Italy, such as migrants, their Italian-born non-citizen children, and the Roma. We will examine the fluidity of cultural boundaries across time and space, and how ingroup and outgroup dynamics contribute to the manufacturing of fear and prejudice among populations. During their semester abroad, students will reflect on the various elements that define a culture while gaining an increased understanding of how culture shapes individuals and how our cultural identities interact in shared social spaces such as the piazze of Florence.
FLOR SOCY/COMM 3309
This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language levels 1 and 2, and are already in possess of basic level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the funda-mental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exer-cises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronun-ciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.
On the first meeting a diagnostic test will take place, based on grammar structures that the students should already have covered in Italian 1 and 2. It will help the instructor to ascertain the class’s general level of proficiency in the language, and will have no weight at all on the students’ final grade.FLOR ITAL 2201
This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language levels 1, 2, and 3, and are in possess of good level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronunciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.
On the first meeting a diagnostic test will take place, based on grammar structures that the students should already have covered in Italian 1 and 2. It will help the instructor to ascertain the class’s general level of proficiency in the language, and will have no weight at all on the students’ final grade.
FLOR ITAL 2202
This course will introduce a broad range of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Florence from the great projects of the Middle Ages that defined the religious and political centers of the city, with a special focus on major monuments of the Renaissance period. Students will examine issues of social, political, and economic context, as well their function, which was integral to artistic production of the period; conduct related scholarly research; deepen their appreciation of Renaissance civilization; and analyze the interrelationship between people’s creative achievements and their society.
FLOR ARTH 3311
This course will examine the reasons why the socio-criminal phenomenon of the Mafia continues to self-reproduce after more than a century. Students will conduct a comparative study between the two societies where the Mafia took roots, specifically the Italian Mafia versus the American Mafia; explore the history of the Mafia from three main perspectives: historical, political, and sociological; and be able to distinguish clearly between the interpretation of the mafia emerging from fiction books and movies, and the real representation of this socio-criminal phenomenon.
FLOR HIST 3326
This course will introduce the psychological, biological, and experiential factors thought to influence the symptoms, etiology, course/prognosis, and treatment of mental disorders in adults. Students will develop an understanding of the rationale for the diagnostic criteria and other clinical signs accompanying common DSM-5 disorders; causal and maintenance factors of disorders; and examples of empirically supported treatments.
FLOR PSYC 3361
This course will introduce the impact of globalization on Florence. Using the city as a research field, students will explore the complex dynamics that shape the identity of Florence by applying a critical perspective on the notion of globalization, and by analyzing the socio-cultural forces at play both historically and presently; observe the cultural variability in Florence; discuss the relativity of cultural values; and investigate how the multicultural aspect of Florence’s identity has been discursively constructed, and by which social actors.
FLOR URBS 3345
This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students with no prior experience of Italian Language. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation.
FLOR ITAL 1101
This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language level 1, and are already in possess of basic level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronunciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.
On the first meeting a diagnostic test will take place, based on grammar structures that the students should already have covered in Italian 1. It will help the instructor to ascertain the class’s general level of proficiency in the language, and will have no weight at all on the students’ final grade.
FLOR ITAL 1102
This course will introduce students to fundamental approaches, techniques, tools, and mediums of drawing. Students will focus on various aspects of Florence as subject matter; enrich studio work with encounters with Florentine artists and through field studies; increase their visual awareness and perception; explore their creative potential and ability to make visual statements, while enjoying the challenge of drawing; and visually interpret examples of the impact of globalization in the urban environment through their artwork.
FLOR ARTS 1103
This course will introduce students to the materials and techniques of the versatile medium of oil painting within the framework of Florence. Students will focus on various aspects of Florence as subject matter; enrich studio work with encounters with Florentine artists and through field studies; increase their visual awareness and perception; explore their creative potential and ability to make visual statements, while enjoying the challenge of painting; and visually interpret examples of the impact of globalization in the urban environment through their artwork.
FLOR ARTS 1106
This course will introduce students to the materials and techniques of the unpredictable medium of watercolor painting within the framework of Florence. Students will focus on various aspects of Florence as subject matter; enrich studio work with encounters with Florentine artists and through field studies; increase their visual awareness and perception; explore their creative potential and ability to make visual statements, while enjoying the challenge of painting; and visually interpret examples of the impact of globalization in the urban environment through their artwork.
FLOR ARTS 1104
This course will explore the field of cross-cultural psychology through a focus on Italy and its inhabitants. Students will discuss aspects of cross-cultural analysis from the field of cross-cultural psychology, including cultural influence on human behavior, attitude, values, communication, and societal organization; examine topics of ethnocentrism, individual vs. collective societies, plural societies, cultural views on mental health, and intercultural communication; and investigate methodical issues of cross-cultural research, with the opportunity to be participant-observers of their own experiences in Italy, including through field work.
FLOR PSYC 3320
This course will direct students to reflect about their own relationship with food. Starting from a multi-disciplinary approach, that involves such fields as sociology, history, anthropology and nutrition, students will explore new aspects of their life in Italy directly related to health, education and everyday life. The final aim of this course is to provide an insightful, life-changing experience, which leads students to develop healthier lifestyles (Personal Development Outcome), comparing their culture with Italian culture (Diversity Outcome) and its distinct history and traditions related to food (Urban Environment Outcome).
FLOR ANTH 3340
This course will explore the complexities of cultural identity and migration, and the impact they have on intercultural conflict and cooperation. There will be a particular focus on migration in Italy and on the marginalized communities of contemporary Italy, such as migrants, their Italian-born non-citizen children, and the Roma. We will examine the fluidity of cultural boundaries across time and space, and how ingroup and outgroup dynamics contribute to the manufacturing of fear and prejudice among populations. During their semester abroad, students will reflect on the various elements that define a culture while gaining an increased understanding of how culture shapes individuals and how our cultural identities interact in shared social spaces such as the piazze of Florence.
FLOR SOCY/COMM 3309
This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language levels 1 and 2, and are already in possess of basic level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the funda-mental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exer-cises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronun-ciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.
On the first meeting a diagnostic test will take place, based on grammar structures that the students should already have covered in Italian 1 and 2. It will help the instructor to ascertain the class’s general level of proficiency in the language, and will have no weight at all on the students’ final grade.FLOR ITAL 2201
This 45 hours course provides a formative program designed for students who have already taken Italian Language levels 1, 2, and 3, and are in possess of good level notions of the Italian language. However, a thorough review of the basic grammar structures that should already be mastered by the students will be operated in the first part of the course, in order to give the students the full opportunity to base their new acquisitions on solid grounds. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises to correct pronunciation. If the pace of the class allows the time, it is possible that authentic materials, such as ads, videos, songs, magazine articles, films, will be used to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Pronunciation, grammar and communicative functions, and vocabulary are going to be constantly reinforced by practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills which will be integrated into class activities.
On the first meeting a diagnostic test will take place, based on grammar structures that the students should already have covered in Italian 1 and 2. It will help the instructor to ascertain the class’s general level of proficiency in the language, and will have no weight at all on the students’ final grade.
FLOR ITAL 2202
This course will explore key economic issues in the global business environment. Students will develop an understanding of how global businesses are impacted by real world developments in economics, politics, and finance; critically examine the global economic landscape with an emphasis on the interaction between international economics and business through discussions of current economic and political development; and explore topics such as globalization, country differences, cross-border trade and investment, the global monetary system, and competing in a global marketplace.
FLOR BUSN 3374
This course will introduce a broad range of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Florence from the great projects of the Middle Ages that defined the religious and political centers of the city, with a special focus on major monuments of the Renaissance period. Students will examine issues of social, political, and economic context, as well their function, which was integral to artistic production of the period; conduct related scholarly research; deepen their appreciation of Renaissance civilization; and analyze the interrelationship between people’s creative achievements and their society.
FLOR ARTH 3311
This course will introduce creative writing in relation to the city and the particular challenges of writing about place. Students will examine how various subjects such as the river, urban spaces, solitude, ethnicity, particular boroughs, and characters (both fictional and real) function in Florence narratives; develop an understanding of the role of memory and experience in literary psycho-geographical accounts of the metropolis; utilize their observations of Florence to practice creative writing, and investigate the potential of place within the narrative of various genres.
FLOR CWRT 3317