Italy: Tuscania Semester

Lorenzo de' Medici – The Italian International Institute in Tuscania

Tuscania Program and Curriculum

Academic Programs: Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Summer Sessions.

The Lorenzo de' Medici Tuscania Campus offers courses to students from all over the world in Italian language, art, art history, archaeology, history, Italian culture, the culinary arts, and various other fields of study. No previous knowledge of Italian is required.  The language of instruction is English, with the exception of the language classes.  Classes are small, with strong emphasis placed on student-faculty interaction. Taking advantage of the local environment, many courses focus on the Etruscan civilization. 
The Tuscania Campus LdM program is based on a full immersion concept. Because of the town's small size and its geographic location, students live and study in a fully Italian and a more traditional small community-based environment. Integration in the community is fundamental to the program, encouraging students to create relationships in a cultural context.

*THE LDM TUSCANIA CAMPUS BUILDING IS EQUIPPED FOR WIRELESS CONNECTION.

A 2.75 GPA, and official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose are necessary for admission to the program.  Students must be at least 18 years old.

Course Offerings

Program I: Super-Intensive Italian Language
Students may register for a total of 12-16 credits of Italian language in this program. Each CCIS member school decides on the amount of credits awarded.  

Program II: Liberal Arts/Studio Arts
Students choose 4 or 5 courses (12 to 15 credits). An Italian language course is required, which is offered at all levels from beginning through advanced. All courses are 3 credits each.

For a complete list of scheduled courses, please consult the following website:
www.lorenzodemedici.org/tuscania/

Subject areas are listed below:
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
The School of Arts and Sciences includes the following subject areas: Art History, Archaeology and Classical Studies, Cultural Studies, Communications, History, Music, Cinema and Theatre Studies, Sociology,Writing.

SCHOOL OF CREATIVE ARTS
The School of Creative Arts includes the following subject areas: Painting, Drawing and Mixed Media, Photography, Culinary and Nutritional Arts, Dance, Music and Theatre Performance.

SCHOOL OF ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
Subject area: Italian Language and Culture, Italian Language

ProgramIII: Archaeology and Ancient Studies Certificate Program
This semester-long certificate, offered at LdM Tuscania + Florence (Fall semester) and LdM Tuscania (Spring semester), fuses theory and practice, history and anthropology in a cohesive learning experience. Each certificate covers ancient and medieval civilization, and both include an archaeology field school experience in Tuscania -- at a large and relatively recent dig whose Etruscan tombs have revealed a wide variety of objects over 2,300 years in age. This program is offered in collaboration with CAMNES, the Center for Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies. Upon successful completion of one of the certificate sequences, students will be granted the LdM-CAMNES Archaeology and Ancient Studies Certificate: Hands-on Archaeology (Fall only) or the LdM-CAMNES Archaeology and Ancient Studies Certificate: Ancient Italy (Spring only).

FALL "Hands-On Archaeology" in Tuscania (Pre-session) & Florence - 15 credits
The Fall certificate, "Hands-on Archaeology," includes conservation of excavated artifacts. Students start in mid-August with a Pre-session in Tuscania, where they complete a 2-week intensive Archaeology Field School. They then continue on to Florence for the semester, taking the following courses: Archaeology Workshop, Florentia: the Ancient Roots of Florence, Ancient Tuscany: the Etruscan Civilization, and Italian language.

SPRING "Ancient Italy" in Tuscania - 15 credits
The Spring certificate, "Ancient Italy," focuses on the history and culture of the ancient populations that once ruled Italy. This certificate will be held entirely in Tuscania during the Spring semester, with a Post-session 2-week Archaeology Field School in May.

Lorenzo de’ Medici is committed to helping students realize their potential, providing high quality education that will enable students to interact successfully with the community worldwide. - LdM Mission

 

Student Life

Lorenzo de Medici offers a free time program covering various activities involving the discovery of the different aspects of the historical and cultural heritage of the area.

These include guided visits such as:

• Social activities (ex. Meeting with Italian students, attending local special events)
• Theatre
• Concerts
• Museum Visits
• Wine tasting
• Walking lectures to particular sites of interest

Field trips & day excursions to places such as: Viterbo, Tarquinia and Vuleii, Bolsena Lake and Bisentina Island, Rome, Assisi, Siena, Florence, Naples, Ischia Island, Terme dei Papi (Thermal spas of the Popes).

Housing

NOTE: Housing is not included in the Program cost.

Single or Double Bedroom in a Student Apartment
LdM is pleased to facilitate students in making their housing arrangements for a spot in a student apartment. Most apartments have one to three bedrooms. A very limited number have only one bedroom, and some may have more than three bedrooms.

• 2 to 4 (or more) students generally share an apartment.
• In a double bedroom two students share the bedroom.
• In a single bedroom, the student has his/her own bedroom.
• In all cases students share the apartment with other students.

Apartment Description:

• Apartments are furnished and equipped with: bed linens, basic pots and pans, kitchen utensils, washing machine and TV. Students are given a limited number of hours of free internet service.  
• Towels are generally not-included in the apartment and we recommend students to bring their own set of towels to Italy with them. Students can bring a few towels (not many) and buy them in Italy.
• The student shared apartments are usually suitable for minimum of 2 to a maximum of 6 persons.
• They are not all located in the same building, but within walking distance from the school facilities.
• Although apartments are of the same standard and have similar facilities, no two apartments are alike.

*For housing arranged by LdM, the housing coordinator in Florence assigns roommates based on the completed housing profile.  Students can request to room with a student they already know as long as both students make that request.

The cost per person is:

• Double bedroom: U.S. $ 2,400 (Spring 2013 rate)
• Single bedroom: U.S. $ 2,800 (Spring 2013 rate)

Please note: All prices are subject to change.

Alumni Feedback

"I would recommend this program.  If it not the typical study abroad experience in a big city with lots of other American students and a bustling nightlife.  This program suits students who want to learn about Italian small town culture, meet Italians, improve their language skills, and eat incredible food without tons of tourist traps."
- Lianna Gomori

"You cannot buy a refrigerator magnet that says Tuscania. As a matter of fact, you will not find a tourist trap in Tuscania. You will find a small town surrounded by small towns. You are only a 90 minute train ride to Rome, or take the train to Florence and you will see all the sights that an American wants to see. But you will literally see sheep grazing outside the wall of the old city of Tuscania. It was safe to walk at night, the people are friendly. The Staff at LDM was most helpful on issues regarding field trips to Tuscany and other places (Tuscany is about 30 minutes away by car and I will never forget my day trip to a family vineyard). The teachers were first rate professionals; you will get homework. I took the cooking class and beginning Italian . I realized that I can cook, and I make fresh pasta now. I will never be fluent in Italian, but the locals were always helpful. I hope that you will order an espresso and sit with the locals on a hot Saturday night, and just feel that for that moment you are an Italian. Yes the food was great! Tuscania was a wonderful experience."
- Dennis Gaffigan

"The Tuscania program is fantastic for anyone who truly wants a taste of la vita Italiana. It is full of history and warm people ready to feed you, chat with you, and kiss you on both cheeks. The town may seem small, but I would get lost for hours exploring and finding new fountains and beautiful views hidden in corners. I've never enjoyed doing homework so much as when I was sitting in the park looking out at the old Romanesque countryside and reading Dante's poetry. I really loved Tuscania and my experience."
- Lianna Gomori

 

Duration

Program I & II
Spring 13: January 30 - May 18, 2013
Fall 13: August 28 - December 14, 2013
Spring 14: January 29 - May 17, 2014

Program III
Spring 13: February 4 - May 31, 2013

Fall 13: August 12 - December 14, 2013

Application Deadline(s)

Tuition Payment Deadlines:

Financial Aid

Please check out the following websites for scholarship opportunities:

• www.niaf.org/scholarships/index.asp
• www.niaf.org
• www.osia.org/public/scholarships/grants.asp
• www.osia.org
• www.columbuscitizensfd.org/scollege.shtml
• www.columbuscitizensfd.org

Eligibility Requirements

• 2.75 GPA or higher
• Official transcripts
• 2 letters of recommendation for Semester
• Statement of purpose
• Students must be at least 18 years of age
• Minimum class standing - students must have completed at least one semester (minimum 12 semester credit hours) of college-level coursework at the time of application.

Language

ENGLISH (except Italian language classes)

Costs

For Fall 2013 and Spring 2014

Program I: Super Intensive Italian $5,400 per semester

Program II: Liberal Arts/Studio Art $8,000 per semester

Program III: Archaeology and Ancient Studies Certificate Program $9,450 per semester

Costs Included

Tuition and administrative fees, program related activities, orientation in US and Italy, sickness and accident insurance

Costs Not Included

Airfare ($1,100 - $1,500 approx.), textbooks ($380 approx.), housing ($2,400-$2,800 approx.), meals ($1,700 (approx), personal costs ($1700 approx.), art equipment & supplies ($155 per course approx), optional field trips ($150-$700), and school of record fee ($300 approx) - Non CUNY/CCIS if applicable.

Note: Students from CCIS member institutions apply through home campus; students from non-member institutions enroll through Broome Community College/SUNY or other appropriate CCIS member institution.

All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. Please contact the appropriate individual to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.

Related Links

• Wikipedia - Tuscania

 

Submit Application Materials To:

College of Staten Island/CUNY
Center for International Service
Building 2A-Room 206
2800 Victory Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10314
(718) 982-2100
(718) 982-2108 (fax)
StudyAB@csi.cuny.edu
http://www.csi.cuny.edu/international

How do I apply?

Start the CCIS Study Abroad application process by downloading the forms. To download, right click on the application or recommendation form and click "save as", then save the form to your desktop or downloads. Once you have completed your form, SAVE IT FIRST!!!! DO NOT CLICK "SUBMIT" until you have SAVED your form or the recipient will receive a BLANK form. Once you have saved it, click "submit" and THEN email your completed form as an attachment to the contact email address associated with the program in which you are applying. If for some reason you do not see the email address pop up when you click "submit", then email the application to the program sponsor listed here on this page.

YOU MUST NOTIFY YOUR HOME INSTITUTIONS' STUDY ABROAD OFFICE OR ADVISOR OF YOUR INTENTIONS AND ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH A COPY OF YOUR APPLICATION. 

These PDF documents are viewed using Adobe's Acrobat Reader plug-in, which is available free. If you don't have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, click here.

CCIS Online Application & Instructions

CCIS Online Student Recommendation

(Students: DO NOT send the student recommendation form to your evaluators as an attachment. Please only send the page URL. The student recommendation form can be found under the "Apply Now" tab.) 

Application Deadlines:

Please note:
Academic Level: Undergraduate
No previous knowledge of Italian is required.

Note:
Students from CCIS member institutions apply through home campus; students from non-member institutions apply through Broome Community College/SUNY or other appropriate CCIS member institutions.

All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. Please contact the appropriate individual to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.