Learning Abroad for Italian Majors

The Department of Classics and Italian strongly encourages all of its majors and minors to take advantage of a learning opportunity abroad in Italy. Learning abroad will provide unique study and/or research opportunities that will greatly expand a student’s understanding of, and engagement with, the language and culture.  

Want to change your life?  When planning your study abroad, choose Italy!  The Italian department at MHC has approved the programs listed below. A student, however, should still consult with Prof. Chierichini or Prof. Frau about which program best suits her needs.

Study Abroad
Summer Internships and Research Abroad
Student Profiles

Study Abroad

Where to Study:

Acadmic year/semester programs:

• Bologna Consortial Studies Program (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. 
• Boston University in Padova: The Padova Language and Liberal Arts Program offers a semester or academic year of intensive language study and coursework.
• Middlebury College in Florence: Students studying in Florence will have an international experience. Among the numerous programs for U.S. students in Florence, Middlebury's is noteworthy for the linguistic proficiency of its students who are appreciated by the Florentine community for the seriousness of their commitment to experience Italian life fully and to live in the culture. 
• 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.
• IES Milan: Students live in apartments in Milan. Italian classes are usually taken at the Catholic University or at Bocconi University.

Language Study:

• 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

• MHC Program ("J-Term in June"):  Discovering Italy: Italian 200 (Intensive Pre-Intermediate Italian): Professor Barbara Garbin will lead this three-week long, 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.
• Consortium in the Ligurian Riviera: Based between Rapallo and Santa Margherita. 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 in Grado (Friuli Venezia Giulia): Intimate atmosphere, small town. Language classes with a cultural twist, trips to the local markets etc.

Students may also choose to apply to one of the other approved programs in Italy.

For a list of where past and present Italian majors have studied and a summary of the courses that they took abroad, check this searchable database. Note that this is not a definitive list of what is possible and should serve only as a useful guide and planning resource.

Credit Transfer

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 catalogue, 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 the chair of the department and either Professor Chierichini or Professor Frau before studying abroad.

Summer Internships and Research Abroad

Internships:

Students have the option of developing their own summer internship or research project. Support for unpaid opportunities is available through the Universal Application Form (UAF), which offers students access to funding from a variety of College fellowship sources to cover travel and living expenses for the duration of the project. Students with a family contribution of less than $5000 may also receive a $500 grant to apply towards their summer earnings contribution. Both the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives and the Career Development Center have student evaluations of past international internships on file.