RWU has teamed up with The Institute at Palazzo Rucellai to offer a study abroad program that is unsurpassed. Courses at the Institute are taught in the American liberal arts tradition and follow a semester calendar with a 15-week fall session, a 15-week spring session. Most students attend for one semester, but year-long study is also available.

Except in Italian language courses, all instruction is in English. No prior study of Italian is required, but all students are required to enroll in an Italian course at their appropriate level. The program is open to all majors.

Fall and spring students enroll for 12-17 credits including the Italian language course; part-time study is not permitted during the semester. In the summer session, students may enroll for 3 or 6 credits.

Program Requirements

Acceptance into the program requires students to have completed a minimum of 45 semester credits, a cumulative GPA of 2.75, declaration of major and minor/core, advisor and dean approval, as well as an acceptable conduct record. Interested students should visit their faculty advisors to ensure that the program meets their needs.

The Architecture Program

The Institute offers a specialized program for qualified students of architecture. The studio is spacious and bright and contains architecture tables equipped with sliding rulers and lamps, common work areas and ample pin-up space. The studio also includes a computer lab, library, conference room and an administrative office. A network with dedicated Internet access connects a series of computers equipped with the latest design software including AutoCAD® and other applicable programs, as well as large format color printers. All students are provided with individual drafting tables and workspace for the duration of the program.

Core Concentration in International Studies/Italian Studies

Students have the option of satisfying a Core Concentration in International Studies while studying abroad.

* International Studies Core Concentrations are to consist of fifteen (15) credits that focus on the host country/region and are normally transferable to Roger Williams University.
* The courses used in an International Studies Core Concentration may not be used to fulfill any Roger Williams University major requirements.
* At least nine (9) semester hours in the International Studies Core Concentration must be taken abroad.
* At least nine (9) credits in the International Studies Core Concentration must directly focus on the culture or history of the particular country or region.
* A maximum of six (6) credits in the International Studies Core Concentration may be in an appropriate foreign language or profession-ally related international topic,

Courses in Florence

Courses may vary from semester to semester. Listed below is an example of courses that are typically offered each semester. This list is subject to change. Please see SCGIP for current course information.

All students must enroll in an appropriate Italian language course.

Anthropology/Sociology
HUM 399: Contemporary Italy: Culture and Society

Architecture
ARCH 416: Advanced Architectural Design Studio
ARCH 477: Architecture in Context: City, Spaces and Urban Design
ARCH 430 / AAH 430: Special Topics: The Villa and The Garden

Art & Art History
AAH 214: The Art of Florence in Context: Masters and Monuments
AAH 318: History of Italian Art, II: Michelangelo to Bernini
AAH 330: Special Topics in Art History: Leonardo
AAH 430: Special Topics: Gender Issues in Renaissance Art
ARCH 430 / AAH 430: Special Topics: The Villa and The Garden
HP 391: Architecture in Italy

Visual Arts
VARTS 204: Drawing: The Human Figure
VARTS 261: Introduction to Photography: Portfolio of Florence
VARTS 281: Beginning Oil Painting: Imagery of Florence
VARTS 383: Renaissance Painting: The Art of Buon Fresco

History & Political Science
HIST 310 / POLSC 430: The European Union
HIST 315 / POLSC 430: History and Politics of Modern Italy
HIST 310: The Roman Empire: Civilization and Legacy
HUM 306: The History & Culture of Food: A Comparative Analysis

Management and Business
MGMT 430: Family Businesses in Italy
BUSN 430: SpTp: Business of Art

Italian Language & Literature
ITAL 101: The Florence Experience I: Beginning Italian I
ITAL 102: The Florence Experience II: Beginning Italian II
ITAL 201: The Florence Experience III: Intermediate Italian I
ITAL 202: The Florence Experience IV: Intermediate Italian II
ITAL 310: The Florence Experience V: Advanced Italian
HUM 399: Contemporary Italy: Culture and Society
ITAL 340: Readings in Modern Italian Literature: Firenze, (in Italian)
ENG 430: Shifting Identities:Society and Individual in Renaissance Florence
(in English)

Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities
HUM 306: The History & Culture of Food: A Comparative Analysis
HUM 399: Contemporary Italy: Culture and Society
HUM 399: Art and Archaeology of Ancient Rome

Psychology
PSYCH 431: Special Topics in Psychology: Cross-Cultural Psychology


Housing and Meals

This program is a self-catering program, therefore students will prepare their own meals. Students share apartments with other program participants. All apartments are within walking distance of the Institute and furnished with a fully-furnished kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and communal living space. All students are required to obtain cellular phones with an Italian cell number. Whenever possible, the Institute tries to accommodate housing requests regarding roommates and special needs. The Student Services staff is available throughout the term to provide assistance with housing needs, maintenance and utilities.

Semester Charges and Fees

Students will pay normal tuition costs as well as a “comprehensive fee” which includes room charges, insurance charges and airfare. Additional out of pocket expenses include meals, site visit fees, books, lab fees and personal spending. Since there is no meal plan available in Florence, students will not be charged for any meal plan. Food will be an out of pocket expense. RWU allows all aid, grants and scholarships to apply to this program for full time enrolled RWU students. Tuition remission and tuition reimbursement do not apply. Please contact the Spiegel Center for current charges.

The City of Florence As Your Campus

Palazzo Rucellai is in the very heart of Florence, and the city center is in many ways the Institute’s campus. The language lab includes the out-door markets and shops; the cultural centers can be found in the palaces and piazzas; the cafeteria consists of the many trattorias, pizzerias and cafes, and the library includes the Uffizi Gallery and the Medici Chapels. Within walking distance of the Institute, students can explore the rich collections of more than thirty museums and numerous churches and palaces, or simply absorb the beauty of the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, and the view from the Piazzale Michelangelo.

The center of Florence offers every practical amenity within a few short blocks of the Palazzo Rucellai. Students can find grocery and convenience stores, Internet cafés, buses, taxi stands, laundromats, post offices, restaurants and gelaterie!
About the Institute at Palazzo Rucellai

Palazzo Rucellai is a landmark Renaissance palace in Florence, Italy, whose façade was designed by the renowned humanist and architect Leon Battista Alberti and was erected between 1446 and 1451. Palazzo Rucellai is one of the oldest and most prestigious historical residences in Florence and holds an important place in the city’s patrimony. It has been home to the Rucellai family for over 500 years and the family continues to occupy portions of the building.

About Florence

Florence, capital of the region of Tuscany, has a population of around half a million inhabitants, and is spread over the banks of the Arno, between the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian seas, almost in the middle of the Italian peninsula. It is a city which bustles with industry and craft, commerce and culture, art and science. Being on the main national railway lines, it is easily accessible from most important places both in Italy and abroad.

The Florence “Vespucci” airport, where both national and international airlines stop, is located 5 Km. from the city center. The main motorway, A1, connects Florence with Bologna and Milano in the North and Rome and Naples in the South. The motorway A11, which runs to the sea, connects Florence to Prato, Pistoia, Montecatini, Lucca, Pisa and all the resorts on the Tyrrhenian sea. There is also a motorway which connects Florence to Siena. The climate is temperate but rather variable, with breezy winters and hot summers.