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Studies at the Centro Di Cultura per Stranieri and the SU Abroad Florence Center

Option II (offered both fall and spring) is for students with intermediate to advanced-intermediate Italian language proficiency who would like to combine their coursework at the SU Florence Center with the intensive Italian language and cultural studies program offered in the Centro di Cultura per Stranieri.

The Centro di Cultura is a special department of the University of Florence that offers intensive Italian language courses for international students (mainly Europeans) and prepares students for study in the Italian university system. The Centro di Cultura is now conveniently on the Piazza Savonarola, just across from SU's Villa Rossa.

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Language Requirement

Classes at the Centro are taught entirely in Italian by professors of the University of Florence who may not know the student's native language. Italian is the one language common to all Centro faculty and students, and all classes are conducted entirely in Italian, including oral and written reports and examinations. Students must have completed two years of college-level Italian or its equivalent to be considered for Option II.

Schedule

The program at the Centro is 10 weeks long and runs from early October to mid-December in the fall, and from early January to mid-March in the spring. Students participating in the spring semester program may have to arrive in Florence before the Option I program students. There is no mid-term break at the Centro.

Application & Admission

If you wish to be placed in the intensive language and cultural studies program at the Centro di Cultura per Stranieri (Option II), you should indicate your interest on the application form and follow the special requirements for Option II/III applicants described in the application instructions.

Admission to the Option II program is based on your academic record, the recommendation of a current Italian language instructor, and an essay written in Italian. In Florence, a placement exam at the Centro determines your level of language study.

Note:

The program fee for students in Option II will be increased to cover the additional room and meal costs during the Option I program midterm break (fall and spring) and the early arrival (spring semester only).

Centro di Cultura per Stranieri Program of Study

Students earn at least seven credits for coursework at the Centro, and an additional one credit for a pre- or post-Centro course offered at the SU Florence Center. The intensive language course at the Centro meets five mornings per week, Monday through Friday. In addition to intensive language classes, students may earn an additional credit by attending a lecture series on Italian literature, history, or art history. Students may also attend other selected lectures offered on a non-credit basis. Lectures begin immediately after the end of the morning language courses.

Intensive Italian Language Courses

Students admitted to this program are expected to place in one of the following intensive language courses at the Centro:

• ITA 380.1-Intermediate High (7 credits)
• ITA 380.2-Advanced I (7 credits)
• ITA 380.3-Advanced II (7 credits)

Italian Culture Courses (for 1 credit each)

1. Italian Literature (16 lectures)
2. Italian History (12 lectures)
3. History of Art (16 lectures)

Non-Credit Italian Culture Courses

1. Etruscan Civilization (2 lectures) and visits to the Etruscan Museums (10)
2. Dante and His Time (6 lectures)
3. Renaissance Art and Culture (12 lectures)
4. History of Music (6 lectures)
5. The Italian Film (6 lectures)
6. Contemporary Italian Literature (6 lectures)
7. Contemporary Italian Art (6 lectures)
8. Italy Today: Art and Culture (6 lectures)

SU Abroad Florence Center Courses

Option II students complete their registrations by enrolling in 6-9 credits (two to three courses) at the Syracuse Florence Center. They select courses offered in the afternoon, which are compatible with the schedule at the Centro. Students who want to take all of their course work in Italian can register for two 3-credit courses taught each semester in Italian at the SU Florence Center.

Option II students may take any of the SU Florence Center classes that fit into their schedule at the Centro (as long as any pre-requisites have been met), enrollment in one or more upper-level Italian classes is highly recommended. At least two upper-level classes taught exclusively in Italian are offered each semester.

Pre- and Post-Centro Courses

The fall semester course prepares students for the placement exam study at the Centro, and qualification at an appropriate language level. The spring semester course supplements the Centro program by continuing language study during the last month of the Florence program. Each course awards one credit.

• ITA 300.1-Advanced Practicum I (1 credit)
• ITA 300.2-Advanced Practicum II (1 credit)