American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) 

Florence, Italy
Set in the golden hills of Tuscany, Florence is an exciting place to live and study. On an afternoon stroll through the streets of Florence, you can admire the architecture of Giotto and the Baroque sculptures adorning the city fountains. Linger at the Uffizi Gallery with its vast collection of painting and sculpture. View the magnificent Santa Croce where Galileo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli are buried. Discuss art with Florentine painters in their studios and explore the book shops near Via Cavour. Visit one of those most popular spots in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio, a 14th century bridge spanning the River Arno.

If you’re a connoisseur of Italian cuisine, you can learn how to make pasta from scratch or experience a typical trattoria, where you’ll find some of the best food in Italy. Shop in the chic stores of Via de Tornabuoni or the flea market in Via Petrapiana (pausing for a delicious gelato). Whatever your tastes, Florence is the perfect spot to acquire a genuine experience of Italian life and culture.

Richmond, The American International University in London – Florence Center

This program is taught by faculty of Richmond, The American International University in London. The University is an independent, non-profit international university of liberal arts and professional studies. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, one of the six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Richmond is licensed to grant BA and BS degrees by the Department of Education in the State of Delaware, where the University is incorporated.

Included in AIFS program fee:

• Tuition, housing and meals
• Orientation in Viareggio (fall) or Siena (spring)
• Round trip flight from New York *
• Cultural activities
• 4-day visit to Rome and 3-day visit to Venice and Ravenna
• 3-day London stopover before program
• Services of a pre-departure Student Advisory Center and an on-site Resident Director
• Computer facilities with Internet access 
• Phone card on arrival to call the U.S.

*Supplement applies from 26 U.S. cities

Academics

• Academic year, fall or spring semester, summer
• Open to college sophomores, juniors and seniors
• No previous Italian study required. Mandatory Italian language preparation during orientation through the University of Pisa in Viareggio (fall) or Università per Stranieri di Siena (spring). In addition, all students are required to take an Italian language course during the semester
• Internships available
• Small studio art classes help develop drawing, painting and photography skills
• Transcripts issued by Richmond, The American International University in London. Transfer of credits easily arranged through Richmond, a U.S. accredited university
• Student visa must be obtained from an Italian consulate before departure

Housing and meals

• In Viareggio and Siena, breakfast, dinner and room are provided in a student residence or hotel
• In Florence, students live in an Italian home or in student apartments and receive restaurant vouchers for five breakfasts and five lunches or dinners a week
  

Cultural activities

• Visits to museums, art galleries, churches and theaters

www.aifsabroad.com

*Source:  American Institute for Foreign Study 2005-6 Academic Year/Semester catalog