Below please find more detail on the application requirements for this program:

Professional cover letter: The professional cover letter should include a self-introduction, as well as information about your professional sector of interest, and any reference contacts you wish to provide (recommended).

Resume: The resume should include a comprehensive description of your academic and professional experience to date. Feel free to include information about any special skills you possess.

Letters of recommendation: Please provide two (2) letters of recommendation. They may be from professors, university staff, or former workplace supervisors. Please do not provide recommendations from family members or social acquaintances; these recommendations should be academic or professional in nature.

Interview: Once your application is complete, your SAI Admissions Counselor will schedule a time for a virtual interview. This interview is an opportunity to discuss your goals for the internship, as well as a chance for you to ask any questions you may have about the internship placement process.

The SAI internship program is unpaid and awards 6 US academic credits, with grades assessed on a pass/fail basis.

The 8 week internship program consists of approximately 256 total hours of on-site professional experience (about 32 hours per week). Weekly totals may vary slightly, depending upon the needs of the organization where the student is placed. This intensive internship program is designed for college students and young professionals who wish to compress significant professional experience into a relatively short period of time.

Internships are available in a wide variety of fields, including (but not limited to) the following:

• Accounting
• Architecture
• Art
• Communications
• Culinary Arts
• Education
• Event Planning
• Fashion Design
• Finance
• Graphic Design
• Information Technology
• Journalism
• Marketing
• Psychology
• Sciences
• Social Services
• Tourism

To ensure maximum benefit from the internships, participants will reflect on their experiences throughout the term. Such guided reflection will consist of various assignments and self-evaluation exercises, and the keeping of a “work journal” throughout the course of the term. Details can be found in the syllabus.

Students will receive notification of their internship placement within 8 weeks of submitting their complete application and no later than 30 days before the program start date. Once notified, students must confirm acceptance of their placement within 2 weeks.

*prices are subject to change

Note: certain SAI-affiliated US universities require specific payment arrangements. These may require that some fees are paid by the student directly to SAI, and other fees are paid to SAI by the affiliated university on behalf of the student. If you attend a SAI-affiliated university please contact your study abroad office or speak with your SAI Admissions Counselor for details.

This is a SAI 360° Services Program; it includes our full services!

• Internship placement for 256 hours over eight weeks
• Accommodation in carefully selected student housing
• Airport pickup on arrival day
• Welcome reception and events
• Orientation to the host city and school
• On-site staff who foster a welcoming community for you and provide assistance when needed
• SAI Viva Experience: cultural engagement, excursions & wellness activities
• Student health insurance providing full coverage and medical emergency evacuation
• 24-hour on-site emergency support
• Farewell event

Pre-departure and Re-entry services

• Knowledgeable Admissions Counselor dedicated to you, providing friendly assistance
• Helpful pre-departure tools and resources
• Parent & family resources
• Online student groups to acquaint you with other SAI students
• Student visa advising
• Assistance with financial aid processing
• Need-based SAI scholarships
• Alumni Ambassador Program, with paid internship opportunities
• SAI alumni network

SAI offers all students the Viva Experience: frequent cultural activities, at no extra cost, for participants to get to know their community, city and country. Following is a sample of the activities included in this program. Please note that actual activities may differ.

Welcome Dinner
SAI welcomes you to Florence with a buffet of traditional Italian delights. Join us for your first real taste of Italy where you’ll get to know your fellow program participants and meet the SAI staff.

Scavenger Hunt
Join SAI for a practical walking tour of the historic city center. You’ll see the sites and find where to get daily essentials in your backyard.

Wine Tasting
Spend the afternoon in a charming, local wine cellar with your SAI cohort. Your tasting will be guided by a sommelier, leading you through the history and cultivation of three different wines, balsamic vinegar, and Tuscan olive oil. Sample and imbibe these curated sips alongside perfectly paired Tuscan antipasti.

Pizza Making
SAI offers Italian pizza making lessons throughout the semester taught by a local expert pizzaiolo. Each lesson teaches you how to make authentic Italian pizza from scratch. Enjoy the fruits of your labor at the end of the lesson! Gather with fellow SAI students to eat your own homemade pizzas!

Florentine Street Food Tour
Spend the evening tasting authentic local bites in a neighborhood beloved by Florentines. We’ll spend the evening in the heart of Sant’Ambrogio hopping from place to place. Start with a mix of classic Florentine street food before moving on to a local mainstay for an array of pastas. Next we’ll travel to southern Italy for some Pugliese street food before grabbing the most amazing pizza you’ll ever try. The cherry on top will be a scoop or two of gelato.

Hike to Piazzale Michelangelo
Start your adventure in the little town of Fiesole, just a short bus ride away into the hills protecting Florence. Here, we can mingle with the ancients, retracing Etruscan and Roman footsteps throughout the town. Fiesole’s clean, cool breezes have long been a welcome escape from the sweltering summer heat of the Arno Valley. On this hike we’ll get a bird’s eye view of the city below, which has inspired local and visiting artists, writers and thinkers. After a trek through the trees, learning about the natural history and the people who have long inhabited these hills, your efforts will be rewarded with a fantastic lunch paired with a bit of vino.

Standard Housing: Student apartment
SAI student apartments are convenient and well equipped, with shared occupancy bedrooms (option to upgrade to private bedroom, if available). Typical residences house 2 – 8 students and contain a combination of private and shared bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and living areas. Furnishings, a washing machine, basic kitchen supplies, bed linens and towels are provided. All apartments are equipped with wireless Internet. Housing configurations are designated as female, male, and in some locations, gender-inclusive. SAI on-site staff is available to respond to any maintenance needs that may arise.

Passports
Passports should be valid for 3 months after planned departure from Italy.

Student Visas
In accordance with Italian law, U.S. students studying in Italy for 90 days or less are not required to obtain a student visa. Therefore all U.S. students do not require a student visa for this program. Non-US nationals should consult their local Consulate for information on student visa requirements.