Study Abroad

The Italian department at MHC has approved the programs listed below. A student, however, should still consult with Prof. Frau about which program best suits her needs. Please read "Important Advice" (below) on using courses in Italy to satisfy major/minor requirements or the language requirement.

Discovering Italy: Italian in Italy, June 2009
This is a three-week Mount Holyoke course in Caorle, Italy (near Venice) designed for students who have completed introductory Italian and want to immerse themselves in an Italian-speaking environment before continuing their study of the language at the intermediate level. There are intensive Italian language classes in the morning, with field trips and other cultural activities in the afternoon. The course includes activities designed to expand vocabulary and develop the ability to use a broader variety of language forms in oral and written Italian.

Year-Long Programs

Indiana University Consortium, Bologna

  • Students take classes both at the center (American-style syllabus taught by Italian professors) and at the University of Bologna.
  • Students live in apartments with other students from Brown University in Bologna.
  • Managed by the Brown Italian faculty.
  • Students take classes at the University of Bologna. 
  • A semester option is also available, but not recommended.

Middlebury College in Ferrara
*Not for everyone*

  • The local office is in Florence –about two hours away.
  • Students are completely independent (i.e., on their own) for everything that concerns classes and accommodation.

Semester-Long Programs

IES in Milan

  • Students live in apartments in Milan.
  • Italian classes are usually taken at the Catholic University or at Bocconi University.

Boston University in Padua

  • Students have the option of living with an Italian family.
  • Students take classes at the University of Padua.

Other

Siena School for Liberal Arts

  • Ideal for language classes and for students planning a career in art/art history or education, politics, history.
  • The school has state-of-the-art facilities.
  • Many classes are taught in English.

Summer Programs

Consortium in the Ligurian Riviera

  • Based between Rapallo and Santa Margherita.
  • Suzanne Branciforte, MA, Director.
  • Students live in a 3-star hotel not far from the school
  • Afternoons and some weekends are spent in lecture halls/ theaters/ trips.
  • Only for language classes, but a year-long tailored program is also available for students who are interested in taking classes at the University of Genoa.

Scuola Insieme, Grado (Friuli Venezia Giulia)

  • Francesca Mattiussi-Seaman, PhD, Director.
  • Intimate atmosphere, small town.
  • Language classes with a cultural twist, trips to the local markets etc.

Important Advice

Important advice for students intending to use courses in Italy to satisfy major/minor requirements or the language requirement:

  1. Courses applied to an Italian major or minor do not have to be restricted to Italian literature. They may include courses in culture, history, or politics. The term ‘culture’ is open to interpretation, but classes that concentrate on topics such as food and wine, fashion, local history, or folklore may not be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, unless the class has a socio-historical perspective, a proper syllabus and proper assignments.
  2. As stated in the college catalog, language classes and classes below Ital 209, Advanced Conversation and Composition, do not count towards an Italian major or minor.
  3. Credits at the 300-level will be awarded only for classes with a substantial reading list and either a long/comprehensive oral examination (often the case with Italian universities) and/or a number of written assignments. Students should keep syllabi, books, copies of exams/papers, reading lists etc., since the department will always review this material upon a student's return from Italy.
  4. Students who want to use classes taken in Italy to satisfy their language requirement should contact Professor Frau before studying abroad.