Florence
Academic Program
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Language Prerequisites
| AUTUMN QUARTER | WINTER QUARTER | SPRING QUARTER |
|---|---|---|
| ITALLANG 3 or ITALLANG 2A | ITALLANG 3 or ITALLANG 2A | ITALLANG 3 or ITALLANG 2A |
|
NOTE: Preference will be given to students with additional language study. |
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Native speakers are expected to demonstrate their level of language ability (writing, verbal, and reading) by providing results of a language placement test. Please contact the Stanford Language Center if you have questions about placement the exam.
Students are expected to continue with Italian language study while in Florence and may choose from a range of options. Aside from taking a language course, students may satisfy the language requirement by taking one of the courses conducted primarily in Italian at the center, a directed reading primarily in Italian, a class at the University of Florence, or an internship.
Italian language classes, such as Second Year Italian courses (ITALLANG 21F and ITALLANG 22F) and Advanced Italian Conversation (ITALLANG 31F), are regularly offered and a language-resource person is available to assist students on an individual and group basis.
As part of the language program, students are encouraged to take part in a number of extra-curricular language activities. Students can choose to participate in the Language Partner Program (i.e. a language exchange with University of Florence students), public service activities and in workshops and Tandem meetings organized in conjunction with the University of Florence’s Centro Linguistico. All of these activities represent excellent opportunities for meeting locals and improving language skills in an authentic context.
Students are invited to participate in a public service activity in a field related to their academic interests. On several occasions such activities have developed into successful and valuable internships in the subsequent quarter.
Top of pageDirected Reading
Directed readings are advanced one-on-one academic research projects for students who have prior relevant preparation in a given field of their interest. Conducted in English or in Italian, directed readings are very rewarding academic experiences which many students in the past have turned into the core of their honors thesis. Directed readings must be on topics that are site-relevant to the Program and Italy, must be taken in addition to 12 units of Stanford credit and are available only for second quarter students. Directed reading mentors are usually local scholars or Stanford faculty members.
In developing these projects, students should work closely with their academic advisor and the Florence Program Director or with the Stanford faculty who will conduct their work. A Directed Reading Proposal (downloadable form) must be submitted to the Overseas Studies office and to the Program Director at least one month prior to the quarter of intended study.
Top of pageCourse Credit
Courses at the Florence Program grant credit toward Stanford graduation and most classes also count toward an undergraduate major. Students must enroll in a minimum of twelve units from the courses offered through the program (local university courses, directed readings and internships are not included). For a list of all classes and information on which ones earn departmental credit or fulfill General Education Requirements, students should consult the BOSP course database or Axess.
Top of pageLocal University Coursework
Students who stay two or three quarters and have sufficient language skills--usually two years of Italian--may opt to take classes at the University of Florence. A challenging academic experience, it is also an excellent opportunity to be exposed to a different university environment, and to improve language skills and culture literacy.
University of Florence units count as general credit toward graduation, they are not automatically counted as departmental credit toward a major. Upon return to Stanford, students must submit completed coursework to the appropriate academic department for evaluation.
If you are planning to take a course at the University of Florence, you will have to submit an application to the Italian Consulate in the USA before leaving for Italy. The deadlines to submit your application are August 31st if you are staying in Florence for the fall and winter, and December 31st if you are staying in Florence for the winter and spring. This application will affect the nature of your student visa and must be ready for submission well before each respective deadline. Following is a list of the information that you will need to present to the Italian Consulate.
- Request for admission addressed to the University of Florence, indicating the University of origin (Stanford University) and the courses you intend to follow;
- Document issued by Stanford University, stating your qualifications (university enrollment/degree certificate), translated and authenticated by the Italian diplomatic delegation;
- Two signed photographs, one of which
needs to be certified by the Italian consular authorities, stating date
and place of birth, nationality and permanent address.
For more information please refer to the University of Florence website and contact the Stanford in Florence Center: anna@stanford.firenze.it, fosca@stanford.firenze.it.
Studio Art Program
Florence is the ideal location for art students. In each quarter, the Program offers at lest one course in Studio Art and one in History of Art to which the Stanford Department of Art and Art History awards credit.
Approved coursework taken at the Accademia delle Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts) will also receive Art Department credit (see special instructions).
Top of pageSpecial Instructions for Accademia delle Belle Arti
Students wishing to take classes at the Fine Arts Academy must follow a procedure whereby they submit a series of documents to the Italian Consulate in San Francisco in order to be able to take the entrance exam for enrollment in the Accademia delle Belle Arti. Interested students will need to be in contact, via email with Prof. Campani and Fosca D'Acierno, as soon as possible and no later than the Spring Quarter prior to their Autumn Quarter arrival in Florence.
Since enrollment takes place in September and admissions exams are given in September and October of each year, only students arriving in Florence in the Autumn Quarter and staying for the Winter Quarter will be able to take the necessary entrance exams.
Should all of the documentation be cleared by the Italian Consulate in San Francisco, upon arrival in Florence, students will be given complete and updated information pertaining to exam times (usually exams take place from September 1st-30th), content and enrollment fees. Two separate exams may be taken: one is for admission to take any course at the Accademia (painting, sculpture, drawing, etc.); the other is for admission to the Scuola Libera del Nudo (drawing with live nude models). The exams, in the past, have consisted of an oral exam to establish the student's level of Italian and general cultural background and free hand drawing to demonstrate student's artistic level. Stanford students will take these exams with Italian and international students who are trying to gain admission into the Fine Arts Academy. The exams will be evaluated exclusively by Fine Arts Academy professors.
Exam results will be posted at the Fine Arts Academy approximately one week after the exam date.
Top of pageCultural Events and Trips
Interaction with local culture through group events, on-site classes, and field trips is central to the academic program in Florence. Our classes have traditionally included field trips to the Italian Parliament, to Cinecittà, or to Venice. Art History classes are usually held in churches, in museums or on top of Brunelleschi's dome; photography often meets in the streets of Florence while studio art brings the students to the artists' studios. Special guest speakers are often invited to our program and students are encouraged to conduct field research in the city.
Top of pageCultural Enrichment Program
The program offers a cultural enrichment program for all participants which varies from year to year on the basis of course offerings and events of interest taking place in a given part of Italy at that time. Some of our past activities have included: a weekend in Venice, a private tour of the Sistine Chapel, a performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, a trip to Sicily with a performance at the Greek theater in Siracusa, and a trip to the Amalfi coast and Pompeii.
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