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Brandeis Midyear in Florence
Midyear in Florence: At-A-Glance
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Fall
- Arrival: 08/30/2023
- Departure: 12/16/2023
- Recommended Credits: 15
- Fee: $21,490
- Application Deadline: May 15
At Brandeis Midyear in Florence, you start your college career off with engaging academic content and activities that help you connect with the local community and your peers. Take electives that check required classes off your list or try something new and uniquely Italian.
Academics in Florence
Semester
Snapshot
- Recommended Credits: 15
- Italian language classes for all levels
- Engaging classes with excellent professors
- Out-of-class learning and assignments
Curriculum & Syllabi
You take a writing seminar, one Italian language course, and three electives to meet a total of 15 recommended credits.
You take this 3-credit course taught exclusively for Brandeis Midyear at Florence students. This course will fulfill Brandeis’ University Writing Seminar (UWS) requirement for first-year students.
You are placed into one of these 3-credit courses, according to a placement test or previous coursework you have completed.
- FL/LANG 100 Beginning Italian Language
This course will transfer to Brandeis as ITAL 10a. - FL/LANG 150 Advanced Beginning Italian
This course will transfer to Brandeis as ITAL 20b. - FL/LANG 200 Intermediate Italian
This course will transfer to Brandeis as ITAL 30a. - FL/LANG 250 Intermediate High Italian
This course will transfer to Brandeis as ITAL 105a.
Choose three 3-credit electives to meet a total of 15 recommended credits. These courses fulfill core curriculum requirements at Brandeis according to the following categories.
Humanities (Hum)
Creative arts (CA)
- FL/ARTH 250 Passion, Power and Pestilence: Art in Italy 1500-1650
- FL/ARTH 258 Renaissance Art and Architecture
- FL/ARTH 262 Medieval Art and Architecture
- FL/ARTS 266 Florence Sketchbook
Social Science (SS)
- FL/GLBS 280 Intercultural Communication: Cross-Cultural Encounters in Florence, Italy, and Beyond
- FL/HIST 372 Money & Banking: A Historical Perspective
- FL/ITLS 245 Food and Culture in Italy
- FL/ITLS 273 History of Modern Italy
- FL/ITLS 274 The Medici: History and Legend of an Italian Dynasty
- FL/ECON 324 The European Political Economy
- FL/POLI 375 Italian and European Politics
- FL/POLI 377 International Energy Policy: Oil, Gas, & Green Technologies
Start college in Florence
The city as your classroom. Take classes that fulfill major requirements back home. Try Cross-Cultural Psychology or International Marketing for business majors. Interested in something uniquely Italian? Try Italian and European Politics or Italian Cinema. And you won’t just be in the classroom—many classes have field-based components in the city. Take an art history class and have at least half of your sessions in a museum, church, or piazza. This is what study abroad is all about.
Work that’s rewarding. Florence is known for easy living, but that doesn’t mean easy A’s. CET Florence is known for academics as rigorous as what you’re used to in the US. Your courses challenge you. Your professors push you during in-class discussions. Your assignments ask you to think critically. All of this work ensures you leave Florence with a global perspective that will serve you for a lifetime.
Housing and Meals
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- Apartment or homestay
- Off-campus housing
- Live with Brandeis peers
- 2-8 people/apartment; 1-3 students/homestay
- 1-2 people/apartment room; 1-2 students/homestay room
- Kitchen, common room, shared bathroom per 2-4 students, in-unit washer
- Wifi access, linens, basic furnishing, kitchenware, regular cleaning service for common areas
Living Like a Local
Connecting locally. One of the best parts of studying abroad is making friends with locals. Engage in some friendly competition during a basketball or soccer tournament with classmates and some locals. Not into sports? Befriend a University of Florence student at one of CET’s aperitivi (a happy hour with appetizers). Or have dinner with a local family for a night of cultural exchange. Not only will you have a better grasp of local culture, but you’ll also get to flex your Italian language muscles.
Eating in Florence. Have your fill of some of the most famous cuisine in the world. You’ll love the pastas, the sauces, the hors-d’oeuvres. On a budget? Try ribollita soup, made with bread, kale, cannellini beans, and vegetables. Feeling adventurous? Grab a tripe sandwich topped with salsa verde from a street vendor…a Florentine classic. And don’t forget the gelato after dinner. Learn more about accommodating your dietary needs in Italy.
Life in Florence
- Known locally as: Firenze
- Population: 382,258
- Local Currency: Euro
- Famous for: Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, world-class art museums, birthplace of the Renaissance, international city
There’s so much to see and do in Florence, from climbing the Duomo to chatting with locals over a cappuccino. But the rest of Italy and all of Europe are at your doorstep, too. Each Friday morning, head to a new destination—check out the art scene in Berlin, find the best baguette in Paris, explore the Italian coast, from Cinque Terre to Amalfi. The Italian train system couldn’t be easier, and the airport is just 30 minutes away. Buon viaggio!
Experience Italy with CET
Around the city. The program offers different activities that allow you to explore Florence, experience Italian culture, or just unwind. Hike in the Chianti region. Take a day trip to Bologna. Learn the art of pizza making. And there’s even more to see on your own.
Explore Italy like a local. Let us help you go beyond tourist destinations. You might spend the day in the medieval city of Volterra, dive into 3000 years of history in the beautiful Umbrian hilltop town of Orvieto, or explore the the ancient village of Colonnata.
Volunteer in Florence. Give back to the community by opting to volunteer 4 hours each week with a local organization. Become a tour guide at some of Florence’s oldest churches, keep the city beautiful with the Angeli del Bello, or practice English with local high schoolers.
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Student Resources
On-site Staff
Emiliana Caldarelli
Director of Italy Programs
Elizabeth Johnson
Program Director
Melissa Rossi
Academic Coordinator
Donatella Cerretelli
Housing Coordinator
Margarita Degurko
Academic Assistant
Gabriele Marchese
Activities Coordinator
Program Fees
Fall/Spring
$21,490
What's Included
All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.
We arrange for you to live in an apartment, right in the historic city center. Your program fees go toward rent, furnishing, and other management costs.
We guide you step-by-step through the visa process. You do the legwork, but we’ll make sure you have the documentation and information you need, when you need it.
From pre-departure to orientation, from on site to re-entry, CET provides you with the support you need every step of the way.
You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan through GeoBlue that even includes medical evacuation coverage.
The activities and excursions that we arrange are included in your program fee. All you need to do is remember to bring your camera!
Your textbooks and course supplies are covered and waiting for you on site.
At the end of the term, your grade report is sent directly to Brandeis University.
More on finances
Program Fee Breakdown. Of the total program fee, $17,390 goes to tuition and fees, and $4,100 goes to housing and other student life fees.
Local Cost of Living. The cost of living in Florence is similar to other major American cities. Some things might be cheaper (e.g. groceries, coffee, bus tickets), but other things can be much more expensive (e.g. utilities, taxi rides).
Estimated out-of-pocket expenses:
- Homestay Fee: $2,900
- Round-trip Airfare: $1,100 - $1,600
- Meals (apartment): $2,400 - $2,800
- Meals (homestay): $1,200 - $1,400
- Personal Expenses: $1,200 - $1,600 (excludes personal travel)
- Visa Application Fee: $50
How to Apply
- • Pre-requisites: None
- • Must be 18 or older at the time of program participation
- • Open to Brandeis University students
• GPA: 3.0 or higher preferred, but admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis; lower GPAs still encouraged to apply
Complete the application through your online CET account. This is a brief form that asks for basic information and has a few short answer questions about why you want to study abroad.
Upload a scan of your passport to your online CET account. This should be a single scan that includes the signed signature page and the photo/personal details page. Don’t have a passport yet? Let us know and we can help advise you.
Use the link in your online account to send a recommendation request to one of your previous teachers.
This is an online form that your study abroad office completes to let us know you meet the requirements for the program. To send the electronic form request, simply enter the name and email address of your study abroad advisor in the designated fields of your online account.
Your study abroad advisor for the Brandeis Midyear in Florence program is Ari Kramer, [email protected].
Your online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.
Have a question? Get in touch!
Karen "K" Olivas
Student Services Coordinator
202.349.7321
[email protected]