Academic Focus
The Inside the Florentine Renaissance Program at the CEA GlobalCampus in Florence is designed for students of all language levels who wish to explore the modern significance of the Italian Renaissance in the city where it all began. This unique program will allow you to explore the Italian Renaissance like an insider, exploiting onsite access to the city's priceless array of Renaissance artworks and buildings, in museums, churches, gardens and restoration laboratories, many normally closed to the general public.
The program is driven by a sequence of onsite activities, projects and team tasks that help you learn by doing - whether that means exploring the Uffizi gallery with an art historian, visiting the city conservation laboratories to see works by Giotto and Raphael being restored, enjoying the chance to paint your own frescoes under the guidance of a local artist, or preparing a team-built multimedia presentation about Michelangelo's David.
Interaction with the best aspects of the local community is also a key component of this program, so whether you choose to learn about Dante's contemporary impact on western culture, or analyze up close the paintings of Botticelli, Leonardo and Michelangelo, or explore the palaces and villas of the Medici family, a constant benefit of these special activities will be the presence of restorers, guest lecturers and curators, who will give you practical insights into their own work and their careers. Courses in this program also offer special traveling seminars to other great cultural centers such as Rome, where you will study the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, Milan to view the Last Supper, or Siena to explore the architecture of its famous Gothic cathedral.
The CEA GlobalCampus in Florence is also a technologically-equipped place of creativity and excellence. The program’s website will carry the growing portfolios of photos and drawings of the Photography and Sketchbook students, and at the end of the program your achievements will be celebrated by a staff/student-organized exhibition of drawn and photographic images, rounded off with the presentation of the 'GlobalCampus Awards for Artistic Insights into Florence!'
Your own critical understanding of the spectacular legacy of the Renaissance will develop through a sequence of activities, from independent looking assignments, group discussions in class, multi-media presentations prepared by teams, and short research reports on various aspects of Renaissance culture. If you are also enrolled on the Florence Sketchbook or Photography course you may submit a visual project as part of your requirements.
In short, you’ll find yourself in an exciting new environment of social interaction and collaborative learning where your dynamic sense of personal discovery will thrive. This program will not only help you gain true insight and feeling for the historic Italian Renaissance, but also help you develop an understanding of the global and contemporary significance of issues such as cultural preservation, cross-cultural influences, and the lasting effects of the Italian renaissance on our own times.
You will choose either four or five courses and take between 12 and 15 credits in the US semester system. Both Italian language courses and elective courses generally meet for a total of 45 contact hours and are worth 3 credits in the US semester system. However, it is up to the discretion of your academic advisor how many credits will be awarded.
Schedule Summary
All elective classes meet either one or two times per week, for a total of 3 hours per week. Language courses meet two times per week for a total of 3 hours weekly. Classes may be held on any day of the week and are offered at various times throughout the day.
Course Registration
Course selection will take place prior to your departure for Italy. You will be required to submit your course selections to the CEA headquarter office prior to departure for Italy. While at the CEA GlobalCampus in Florence you must choose to take either three of four electives. To aid in the registration process, it is in your best interest to have courses, including alternates, approved by your academic advisor prior to departure.
To learn more about course requirements for your particular session as well as information regarding your host institution, you may click on the appropriate links above.
