Why Midyear in Florence?
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
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
Learning Around Florence
Work That's Rewarding
"This semester has easily been the highlight of my life so far, and even though it is not an easy thing to uproot one's life and live in another country, I would 100% recommend the CET program in Florence."
Brandeis University | Fall 2019
Housing & Meals
- 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 in the historical city center, apartments might be different from what you’re used to in the US—buildings are simple, older, and vary in shape and layout. But the location can’t be beat… everything you need is within walking distance and your commute to class is beautiful.
You can also opt to live in a homestay and live like a true Florentine. You’ll be in the downtown area, but away from the tourist-heavy centro storico. You have round-the-clock immersion as you share meals and common spaces with your Italian host family for the semester.
Connect Locally
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.
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!
Activities & Excursions
Around Town
A Weekend in Rome
Let us check must-see Rome off of your travel checklist! You’ll take a three-day trip with us to Rome. Tour the Vatican, explore the Roman Forum, make a wish in the Trevi fountain. We handle the logistics, and we make sure there’s plenty of free time built in…for exploring, tasting, or simply finding a quiet corner to sit and enjoy the beauty.
Volunteering in Florence
"All in all, I came back to the states with more confidence and a stronger sense of independence than I knew I could have, some of the best travel stories and experiences ever, and I had fallen deeply in love with Florence."
Brandeis University | Fall 2019
On-site Staff
Emiliana Caldarelli
Director of Italy Programs
Shauna Kavanagh
Program Coordinator
Program Fees
Fall 2022
|
$21,390
Fall 2022: $21,390
Of the total program fee, $17,290 goes to tuition and fees, and $4,100 goes to housing and other student life fees.
All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.
We take you on a three-day excursion to Rome. We take care of the transportation, hotel, entrance fees to must-see sites, and some meals.
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.
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 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.
Estimated
Out-of-Pocket
Costs
- Round-trip Airfare: $1,100 - $1,600
- Meals (apartment): $2,400 - $2,800
- Meals (homestay): $1,200 - $1,400
- Personal Expenses: $2,000 - $3,000
- Homestay fee: $2,900
- Visa Application Fee: $50
- Must be 18 or older at the time of visa application. Have questions? Please contact CET.
- Open to Brandeis Midyear students
- GPA: 3.0 or higher preferred, but admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis; lower GPAs still encouraged to apply
- Open to all levels of Italian language speakers, including complete beginners; no language pre-requisite
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.
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 Massefski, [email protected].
Your online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.
Fall deadline:
May 15
Price Subject to Change:
CET reserves the right to increase quoted charges at any time without prior notification, based on increased instruction costs, exchange rate fluctuation or other cost increases beyond CET’s control.