Penn in Florence allows students to start learning Italian or improve/consolidate their language skills while enjoying an immersive experience in Italian history and culture. Florence offers a wide array of resources for students, including world-renowned libraries and museums, culinary traditions, and fashion hubs. It is also a very livable city, with accommodations and places of interest all in walking distance.
Summer 2025 applications are now open.
|
Application Open |
November 1, 2024 |
|
Early Application Deadline |
January 31, 2025 |
|
Final Application Deadline |
February 15, 2025 |
Please read the important instructions on the Application Information page before starting your application.
Please join us for an information session to learn more about the Penn Summer Abroad Florence program. We will be holding information sessions on the following dates:
-
October 15, 2024, 5:15 p.m., Williams Hall 623
-
December 5, 2024, 5:15 p.m., Williams Hall 623
| Recommended arrival in Florence | June 2, 2025 |
| Program housing check-in date | June 2, 2025 before 6 p.m. |
| On-site orientation | June 3, 2025 |
| Classes start | June 3, 2025 |
| Classes end | June 27, 2025 |
| Program housing last checkout date | June 30, 2025 |
All students register for a total of two course units (c.u.)*. Course offerings are subject to change. Course registration is completed by the Penn Summer Abroad office for students who confirm their intent to enroll and submit the required pre-departure documents.
Intensive Italian, Culture, and Conversation
ITAL 2210 (1 c.u.)
- Counts toward certificate, minor or major in Italian
- No prerequisites
The course aims to improve students' fluency, vocabulary, and accuracy in speaking. Pertinent video clips, literary texts, articles, as well as material in other media will complement the analysis of the selected topics and allow in-depth discussion. Students will have the opportunity to practice language in context and in real situations that both the school and Florence offer.
Italian History on the Table
ITAL 1920 (1 c.u.)
- No prerequisites, but the option of completing the work in Italian and having Italian-language sessions is available to students wishing to take the course with the linguistic component for the certificate, minor, major
- Fulfills requirements: Arts and Letters and Cross-Cultural Analysis; counts toward the certificate, minor/major in Italian, and the minor in Global Medieval and Renaissance Studies
The course explores the role of food in Italian culture and in the shaping of the Italic identity, in Italy and abroad since antiquity. It will trace food’s evolution through literary documents, works of art, music and film, as well as family recipes and cooking tools. This course examines Italian cuisine through multiple academic perspectives, exploring its intersection with socioeconomics, health sciences, business, sustainability, and cultural studies. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how Italian food culture influences and is influenced by various aspects of society, both locally and globally. The course counts also as a credit toward the major and the minor in Italian, and the minor in Global Medieval Studies. It satisfies the NU Sector Arts and Letters or the NU Sector Global & Cultural Studies.
Students will live in residence with shared rooms and a bathroom and kitchen.
Tuition and fees are subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and may change without notice. Tuition and fees below reflect rates for 2024 or estimated rates for 2025. Rates for summer 2025 programs will be available in spring 2025.
- Tuition for summer 2024: $5,200/c.u. General Fee: $448. Total: $5,648
- Program fee for summer 2024: $3,100
- Penn Summer Abroad deposits ($500) will be credited to students’ accounts when final program costs are posted
- Includes administrative costs, accommodation including kitchen, and all group activities and excursions
- Program fee does not include airfare
Download: Estimated Cost Sheet (PDF)
Penn Summer Abroad disclaimer
The running of all 2025 Penn Summer Abroad programs is dependent on approval from the Committee on Travel Risk Assessment (CTRA). Please be advised, CTRA approval may also be rescinded at any time prior to the running of the program. Programs may also be canceled independently of the CTRA process. Any of these scenarios would result in your summer 2025 Penn Summer Abroad Program not moving forward. All PSA students are strongly encouraged to consider the consequences if their summer 2025 program is canceled for any reason. Cancellations carry financial risks as well as academic risks, including the potential impact on academic progress.
Contact Information
Program Director
Rossella Di Rosa
Italian Language Program Director
Department of Francophone, Italian, and Germanic Studies (FIGS)
dirosa@sas.upenn.edu
Program Director
Eva Del Soldato
Associate Professor, Italian Studies
Department of Francophone, Italian, and Germanic Studies (FIGS)
evadel@sas.upenn.edu
For assistance with the application, financial questions, pre-departure, or other general information:
Penn Summer Abroad Office
College of Liberal and Professional Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Fisher-Bennett Hall, Room 101
3340 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3335
Tel: (215) 573-7016
summerabroad@sas.upenn.edu
*Academic credit is defined by the University of Pennsylvania as a course unit (c.u.). A course unit (c.u.) is a general measure of academic work over a period of time, typically a term (semester or summer). A c.u. (or a fraction of a c.u.) represents different types of academic work across different types of academic programs and is the basic unit of progress toward a degree. One c.u. is usually converted to a four-semester-hour course.
