Students are required to be enrolled full time and to take a minimum of 12 credits and a maximum of 15 credits, made up of a combination of electives and Italian courses.  All students enroll in Italian language courses and may choose additional elective courses, as scheduling permits, in the following areas:

• The Humanities
• Fine & Visual Arts
• Business & Economics
• Sciences & Human Services

For a sample listing of classes and course descriptions, please visit the Florence University of the Arts website.

A typical residence will house two to six students with shared kitchen, bathroom and living areas. Apartments include bed linens, basic kitchen supplies and clothes washer (not dryer). Students may request single-occupancy accommodations at extra cost. Most apartments are within a 10 to 15 minute walk of the university.

In addition to that, there is a $525 foreign study fee.

The Florence semester abroad is an SMU Affiliated Program. As such, all Federal and State aid (except Work Study) and up to $2,000 in SMU institutional aid may be applied to the program's costs.

Students may be eligible for SAI-sponsored merit & need-based scholarships as well as early application discounts.

Students should research the details of non-SMU scholarships for applicability and see the Director of Study Abroad for other scholarship and grant opportunities.

Course placement is verified at the time of applicants acceptance, so students are encouraged to submit their application by early October if they wish to increase chances of getting needed courses.

**Graduating Seniors should note that the program ends after SMU commencement; accommodations will not be made for early return.

Apply Online - Print a copy of application and submit it to Study Abroad Office.

Submit Saint Mary's required paperwork (PDF) to the Study Abroad Office.

Acceptance is contingent on a thorough review of the student's application by the SMU Director of Study Abroad and subsequent approval from SAI.

1.  Pay $500 non-refundable program deposit payable to SMU.
2.  Obtain a passport. Submit a copy of the first page of passport to the Study Abroad Office.
3.  Attend all orientation sessions.
4.  Obtain a student visa. Submit copy of visa stamp to Study Abroad Office.
5.  Arrange travel plans. Once obtained, submit a copy of your flight itinerary to the Study Abroad Office.
6.  Purchase the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) for $25 in the Study Abroad Office.

Bordering Tuscany are the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Umbria and Lazio. The region of Tuscany covers almost 9,000 square miles and consists of rolling hills, mountains and rugged coastlines along the Mediterranean. Florence is about 2½ hours from Rome and about 3 hours from Milan by train.

Climate

Winter months in Italy are generally cloudy and rainy. Cold temperatures rarely fall under 32 ° F (0 °C). January-March in Florence will typically be cool, damp, foggy and rainy, ranging in temperatures from 40-50 °F (4-10 °C). Temperatures in April will be warmer, around 60-65 °F (16-18 °C). In Italy, temperature is measured in Celsius. F=(C*1.8)+32. Ex. 21 °C = 70 °F.

Time

When Central Standard Time is in effect in the United States, Italy is seven hours ahead. Daylight Savings Time is also observed in Italy.

CurrencyThe currency in Italy is the Euro. Euro bank notes come in the following denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. Coins are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 1 euro and 2 euro.

More Information

• Current Exchange Rate
• Embassy of Italy
• Firenze Turismo
• Florence By
• Italian Tourism
• US Department of State Consular Information Sheet Italy
• US Embassy Italy