ITALY STUDY
ABROAD PROGRAMS
The city - Florence, Italy
Capital of the region of Tuscany, Florence inherits the culture of the Etruscans, the mysterious forgotten people who were heirs to the glory of Greece long before there was a Rome. The city was founded by Roman veterans returning from the wars. More than any other city of Italy, Florence was the stalwart defender of civic liberty during the Renaissance. Florentine museums are crowded with the paintings that transformed European taste in the fifteenth century. Her streets are lined with buildings that initiated modern architecture. And yet, the city is more than a museum piece. It is an intensely alive center of modern art, fashion, and refinement.
The University - Gonzaga-in-Florence
The Gonzaga-in-Florence academic program offers courses to challenge, maximize, and enhance your study abroad experience in Florence. Expand your mind as you expand your horizons. Highlighted aspects of the program include classes taught in English, interdisciplinary plenary sessions, classes Monday – Thursday, and no prior knowledge of Italian language is required.
With more than fifty different courses across eighteen different disciplines, and three different colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business and Engineering, the Gonzaga program seeks to refine the quality of students’ oral and written expression in English and Italian and the quality of their thinking relative to the analysis, synthesis, and interpretation of arguments and texts.
What makes Gonzaga-in-Florence truly distinctive among all study abroad programs is its interdisciplinary approach to the curriculum characterized by plenary sessions in which professors challenge each other on timely issues that traverse their disciplines. This challenge approach made the Jesuits historically the school masters of Europe, and is manifest in the Renaissance Track and the social science block. This spirit is infused in the travel part of the program.
Gonzaga-in-Florence, which is housed in the Mozilo Center, is wired with the latest technology, including 20 desktop computers, and has a student lounge and fitness center. In addition, the center’s Martin Library collection has more than 10,000 volumes of books. For research, students have access to Gonzaga University's Foley Library via 12 dedicated computers.
Academics
Eligibility
Sophomore standing (for Engineer summer program); Junior standing (for semester program); 2.8 GPA
Language
Courses taught in English; Italian courses available
Orientation
The weekend before classes begin, Gonzaga hosts a welcome orientation and tour for new students, including campus tours. You will receive more info before departure. Each semester begins with an opening tour that serves as an orientation.
Courses offered
Gonzaga-in-Florence offers over fifty different courses in a variety of disciplines. Beyond humanities and arts & sciences, the program has special tracks for teacher education and engineering. Classes are typically three credits each and students normally take between 15-18 credits. Courses are held Monday-Thursday. For a full list of courses, go to the Gonzaga-in-Florence academics page.
Students in the semester program must either complete Italian 101 before arriving or while abroad. The only students excluded are those in the engineering or teaching tracks.
Grades do not transfer to Marquette University for this program. Only credits will transfer provided that a grade of “C” or higher is earned.
Historic course equivalencies
The courses listed in the document below have been approved in general for Marquette credit. However, because each individual academic record is unique, depending on the college, the major and courses taken previously, not every course will qualify to be used toward a Marquette degree. Therefore, current Marquette students must have prior approval from their college office, before enrolling in these courses. Without this prior approval, any course taken at another institution will likely not be accepted toward the Marquette degree.
housing
While studying in Florence, students live in an Italian boarding hotel (pensione) located close to the school in the heart of Florence. These hotels are run by Italian families who provide good food, safe living conditions, and support staff. The living arrangements are conducive to learning the language and to better understanding Italian culture. The hotels are carefully screened and most have hosted GIF students for numerous years.
Each hotel generally accommodates twenty to twenty-five students. Most pensioni are co-ed, although the rooms (double, triple, and quad) are gender specific. Homestays are available on a limited, early request basis.
Since the majority of the students usually travel during the three day weekends, the weekly meal plan included in the program cost, consists of seven breakfasts, four midday meals and three dinners.
dates
Students are able to study at Gonzaga-in-Florence for a semester, a full year or a summer. Typically the fall semester is early-September to mid-December; the spring semester is early-January to late-April; and the summer program is mid-May through the end of June.
| Spring 2013 | Summer 2012 | ||
| Program begins | January 3 | May 16 | |
| Orientation | January 4 | May 16 | |
| Classes begin | January 7 | May 21 | |
| Exams | April 15-19 | N/A | |
| End of Semester | April 20 | June 30 |
VISA & TRAVEL
A student visa is required for this program. A workshop will be held early after acceptances to help student apply for an Italian Visa. Ultimately, procuring the visa is the sole responsibility of the student.
Students participating in this program are expected to make their own flight arrangements. You must wait until you have been officially accepted to the program by Gonzaga before purchasing airline tickets. Student Universe (www.studentuniverse.com) and STA Travel (www.statravel.com) are two travel agencies that can often help students find flexible, discounted tickets.
Costs
| Semester | Tuition | CISI | Housing | Meals | Books | Airfare | Passport/ Visa |
Other* | Total |
| {SEMESTER} | {TUITION} | {CISI} | {HOUSING} | {MEALS} | {BOOKS} | {AIRFARE} | {PASSPORT/VISA} | {OTHER} | {TOTAL} |
*Other costs include a student fee, country-specific insurance and estimated personal expenses.
Billing: All costs, except the CISI Insurance, will be billed directly to students by Gonzaga University. CISI Insurance will be billed by Marquette, Meeting Loyola’s payment deadlines for these costs are the student’s responsibility.
Please note: all cost and financial information are provided to the best of our knowledge and should be considered as approximate estimates only.
Program Type
This is an external approved program, so only federal and state financial aid applies. To learn more about how the program will affect your specific aid package, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.
*Students applying for this program must meet with a study abroad coordinator well before Marquette's application deadline as the Gonzaga program can fill before our application is due.
(*text taken from Gonzaga’s website)
Office of International Education
