CET Florence Study Abroad

CET Florence: At-A-Glance

Electives for many different majors
Italian language classes for all levels
Out-of-classroom learning and assignments
Live in an apartment with peers or a homestay with a local family
Classes as engaging as those of your home university
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Fall

SPRING

Fall

SPring

CET Florence study abroad students are motivated learners looking for a study abroad experience with challenging academic content and enriching extra-curricular activities. You take one Italian language course and after that, it’s up to you—check required classes off your list or try something new and uniquely Italian. 

Academics in Florence

Semester
Snapshot

Curriculum & Syllabi

You take 3 credits of Italian language and three or four electives to meet a total of 12 to 15 recommended credits. 

You are placed into one of these 3-credit courses, according to a placement test or previous coursework you have completed.

professor holding paper talking to students

Choose your adventure in Florence

Electives for everyone. Take classes that fulfill major requirements back home. Try Corporate Finance or International Marketing for business majors. Interested in something uniquely Italian? Try Renaissance Art and Architecture or Food and Culture in Italy. 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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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.

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. Fan of steak? Try bistecca alla Fiorentina—a beautifully charred steak meant for sharing with friends. 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.

CET Florence study abroad students eat dinner at a restaurant in Florence

Life in Florence

There’s so much to see and do in Florence, from climbing the Duomo to chatting with locals over a cappuccino, or even simply grabbing groceries at Sant’Ambrogio market. And 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 help you explore Florence and Italian culture the way you want to. Dress up for opera night. Learn to distinguish the real from the fake at a leather school. Take a boat ride down the Arno River. Share a meal with local Italian students. 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 see Lucca’s Grotta del Vento.

Volunteer in Florence. Give back to the community by opting to volunteer 2 to 4 hours each week with a local organization. Become a tour guide at some of Florence’s oldest churches, help distribute food and other goods to those in need, or tutor high schoolers new to Italy in English. 

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Student Resources

"There is a tendency to see Italy as a spot for vacation as opposed to a country filled with working people. I have certainly been guilty of this, and the reading [from a class] helped me to reshape my ideas about Italy as a country. Recently, I have been thinking more about how to change my view of Florence as a spot for vacation to a place where I live."

— Eden Comer
University of Wisconsin-Madison | Spring student

READ EDEN'S BLOG
"It can be easy to want to travel every single weekend because that is what you see everyone else doing, but in the end, Florence is one of the best cities to be in. CET also plans such incredible activities, and I would say to get involved in as many of those as possible. It makes it so much easier to partake in events you would not have considered otherwise and also helps build friendships with fellow students."

— Anonymous student evaluation
"My semester in Florence was incredible! CET staff were very helpful and engaging, and the activities were a great way to engage with Italian culture and with Italian locals. I loved living in a city with such beautiful culture, buildings, and landscapes for a few months."

— Sophia Kekes-Szabo
Vanderbilt University | Spring student
"All I can say is that CET Florence has exceeded every expectation and truly clarified what it means when people say that studying abroad changed their lives. While taking long weekends to travel throughout Europe is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, at the end of every travel experience, I am beyond excited to return to Florence, a place that I consider both a dream vacation destination and my home away from home."

— Jenna Landy
Cornell University | Spring student
"Overall, my favorite parts of my classes thus far have been when we go out into Florence to have a more visual, immersive experience. Learning about another country while living abroad completes my studies in a way that makes studying abroad an incomparable experience."

— Isabella Verga
George Washington University | Fall student

READ ISABELLA'S BLOG
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On-site Staff

Staff Photo of Emiliana Caldarelli

Emiliana Caldarelli
Director of Italy Programs

Francesca Calamita, PhD
Academic Director of Italy Programs

Elizabeth Johnson
Program Director

Melissa Rossi
Academic Coordinator

Staff Photo of Donatella Cerretelli

Donatella Cerretelli
Housing Coordinator

Lucy Clark
Senior Program Coordinator

Staff Photo of Gabriele Marchese

Gabriele Marchese
Activities Coordinator

Program Fees

Fall/Spring

$22,790

What's Included

All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.

If you choose to live with a local roommate in an apartment, your housing is covered. If you opt for a homestay, there is an additional fee to help cover the costs of an extra member in the household.

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 your term, you’ll receive academic documentation as proof of all you’ve accomplished abroad. Depending on your home institution, you will either get a CET grade report or a School of Record transcript from the University of Minnesota.

More on finances

three students sitting over river with view

Program Fee Breakdown. Of the total program fee, $18,590 goes to tuition and fees, and $4,200 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: 

How to Apply

  • •  Pre-requisites: None.
  • •  Must be 18 or older at the time of program participation.
  • •  Open to students from any US college or university
  • GPA: 3.0 or higher is recommended, students with lower GPAs will be asked for a faculty recommendation to supplement their application

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.

This is an online form that your study abroad office completes to let us know you meet the requirements to study abroad. 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 online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.

Application
Deadlines

Fall Semester:

May 1

Spring Semester:

October 1

Have a question? Get in touch!

Karen "K" Olivas

Student Services Coordinator
202.349.7321
[email protected]

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.

Course Availability

Our goal is to offer every course every term, but sometimes factors like faculty availability and program enrollment keep us from reaching that goal. If you’re concerned about needing to enroll in one particular course, please contact us
 

CET Jordan: Academic Consultation Board

Over the years, we’ve built a strong network of locally-based faculty that we’re proud to call our peers. These faculty make up our Academic Consultation Board—a select group of local voices and thought leaders that help advise and shape components of the CET Jordan program. 

Board members support the program in many ways, including but not limited to:

Academic Consultation Board Members

Learn More about our Programs