During a semester in Siena, SAI students expand their worldview and experience one of Europe’s most unique cultures. SIS students take a combination of elective courses, as well as participate in service learning, for a total of 12 - 15 US credits Students can explore Siena’s rich heritage and modern challenges through courses spanning migration, sustainability, healthcare, science and medieval history, blending hands-on learning with cultural immersion. All students live with local host families and enjoy a series of excursions and activities each term.
Application open until: May 15, 2024
Application Requirements
Complete online application
Personal statement (300-500 words)
Official transcript
Academic letter of recommendation
Passport scan (photo page)
Italian privacy consent form
Highlights
- No student visa required
- Engage with the local community through service learning
- Diverse and innovative learning opportunities
Program Dates
September 7, 2025 – December 4, 2025
Eligibility Requirements
Age: 18+
Academic Year: Freshman (1st year) or above
Cumulative GPA:* 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale)
* contact SAI if you don’t meet requirements
Classical Studies | History
Humanities & Social Sciences | Art History
Humanities & Social Sciences | Italian History
Life Studies and Human Sciences | Health Humanities
Natural and Environmental Sciences | Sustainability
Science and Mathematics | Astronomy
Science and Mathematics | Chemistry
Science and Mathematics | Computer Science
Science and Mathematics | Interdisciplinary Science
Science and Mathematics | Mathematics
Science and Mathematics | Physics
Sciences and Mathematics | Chemistry
The general part of the course is concentrated on the issues related to the globalization and its development over human history, and how the concept of time and space have been changing through the centuries our economic perception of Goods Capital and People. Without such a radical change (either cultural or technological) the Market Economy network would not reach such a global extension. Besides the relationship between cyberspace and virtual economy will be explored, the peculiarity between the Internet and the global financialization of stock market will be analyzed.
The special part of the course is devoted to the European integration, with a strong focus on economic and business developments. The European Union with almost 500 million citizens faces serious challenges in its role as a major player in the global economy. After a brief historical overview, students will be introduced to several core issues on European institutional asset, economic politics, and decision-making processes.
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This course is dedicated to exploring the history of Costume in Italy over the centuries, with examples from major works of art from the classical Roman world to the Medieval and Renaissance eras, arriving to the Futurist oddities of the Twentieth century, bringing together art, history, culture and fashion. Museum and gallery visits will be an integral part of the course. Students will observe these trends in paintings and frescoes in museums such as the Museo Civico and Pinacoteca in Siena and the Uffizi Gallery, as well as a visit to the Galleria del Costume in Florence.
Taught in English
Through a full integration of experiential approaches, service-learning and reflective education, this interdisciplinary course offers the possibility to explore Italys migration history in an active and participatory way.The course runs on two parallel tracks: the past and the present. The departure point of the largest emigration from any country in recorded world history, seeing more than 13 million Italians leaving their homeland between 1880 and 1915, Italy represents an ideal laboratory to learn about the many facets of the migration issue. Against this historic backdrop of emigration, newer patterns have manifested, making Italy a destination for migrants from various regions, whether for permanent settlement or as a way station. Furthermore, by accident of geography, Italy has played an outsized role in the current European migration crisis, receiving vast numbers of migrant arrivals via the Mediterranean and the Balkan route over the last 10 years which present Italy and the European Union with new challenges in curbing asylum seeker and migrant journeys across the often treacherous sea.This course is taught by experts in the field who will analyze these socio-anthropological, historical, political and economic aspects related to Italy as a theater of migration. Students will also have the opportunity to meet with representatives of local NGOs involved in the reception of migrants in the local context. While learning all this, students will also participate in service-learning in the Home 4 the World project, organized and hosted by Nuova Associazione Culturale Ulisse a SIS Institutional partner with the aim of helping migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. The project was born in Spring 2022 and soon developed from a service for refugees to a service for Pakistani refugees, given the large number of Pakistani people who arrived in the area of Siena between June and December 2022 (around 600 hundred people). SIS, Associazione Ulisse and several other organizations of the territory of Siena have joined forces to cope with the lack of structures that could host such big numbers. In this context Home 4 the World has become a reference point for Italian and English Language classes, linguistic support for the driving license test, intercultural education, development of democratic competences and citizenship education.While serving the Pakistani refugees, students will also have a chance to meet with all the different stakeholders involved in the resolution of this crisis and to participate in town assemblies, meetings and activities, contributing with solidarity and towards inclusive communities.Being a fully integrated service-learning course, all students will keep a journal that will be shared with the peers and the instructors with the goal of critically evaluating the course, the service provided, the personal difficulties encountered and the development of intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding among the different parties involved.
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This course will analyze the main issues related to Sustainable Development, based on the idea that no growth process can be considered authentically sustainable without considering the interactions between the evolution of the economic system and the evolution of the natural environment. Only after a careful analysis of traditional economic theory, of ethical issues and of the contributions of ecology and thermodynamics, will it be possible to define the importance of safeguarding the stock of natural capital and the need for a transition from the traditional approach linked to the concept of growth to the new approach oriented towards sustainable development. We will also briefly present the international debate, both in official institutions, such as the UN (with UN 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals) and the European Union, and in civil society. Everything will be seen in a positive light, thanks also to the presentation of the case studies of Siena and Tuscany, taken as a feasible and exportable example of a virtuous relationship between community and territory. In this analysis we will try to clearly highlight the three economic functions of the environment: that of a supplier of resources, that of a receiver of waste and that of a direct source of utility. An important sustainability indicator, the Ecological Footprint, will also be presented with the aim of measuring the sustainability of our economy on the basis of the study of the impacts it causes on the environment. The course will be completed by excursions, service-learning activities, visits and meetings with important local organizations that will present us with studies, projects and good practices present in our territory.
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This course presents the history of some of the most significant discoveries in astronomy that can be replicated with simple tools available to any student. In so doing, concepts such as measurement of astronomical distances, mathematics applied to physical systems, the importance of observation and measurement, and celestial mechanics will be learned. The course will also address the question of extraterrestrial life.
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the chemical basis of food and food processing. The most relevant staples, including milk and dairy products, eggs, grains and legumes, fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, will be analyzed, including discussion on their role in civilization and human history. Their transformation and interaction during the different cooking processes will be examined with particular emphasis on the chemical and physical process which affect food quality. Visits to local wine and cheese producers will integrate course lectures.
This course offers students the opportunity to learn the nature of the carbon element in different organic compounds. It presents general principles of organic chemistry related to structure, stereochemistry, nomenclature, synthesis, uses, and reactions of alcohols, ethers and aliphatic hydrocarbons, alkanes, alkynes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, etc.The theoretical part will be completed by some laboratory work, where students will study organic syntheses that illustrate both theory and different laboratory technologies that are used for preparation, workup and characterization of organic compounds.
Topics covered will include application layer protocols (e.g. HTTP, FTP, SMTP), transport layer protocols (UDP, TCP), network layer protocols (e.g. IP, ICMP), link layer protocols (e.g. Ethernet) and wireless protocols (e.g. IEEE 802.11). The course will also cover routing protocols such as link state and distance vector, multicast routing, and path vector protocols (e.g. BGP). The class will examine security issues such as firewalls and denial of service attacks. We will also study DNS, NAT, Web caching and CDNs, peer to peer, and protocol tunneling. Finally, we will explore security protocols (e.g. TLS, SSH, IPsec), as well as some basic cryptography necessary to understand these.
Geology studies the history of Earth from a multidisciplinary perspective, interlacing numerous research fields, given the complexity of the Earth System. This course proposes a synthetic overview on the geology’s theory and methods, exploring some main themes (e.g. geologic time, evolution of Earth, geological history of Italy) and research fields (e.g. tectonics, petrology, pedology, sedimentology, geomorphology, paleontology). It will be highlighted how geodynamic processes shape the planet, with impressive and longstanding effects also in geographic, climatic and biological settings. Nature of minerals and rocks, evolution and transformations will be recognized. A particular attention will be paid on the relation between formational processes, environments and sedimentological structures. These data will be also correlated to evolution of life, observing the meaning of fossil proxies and contextualizing them in the broader framework of evolution of Earth. By means of recognition and interpretation of relationships between residual traces of the Past and active structure of the Present, participants to this course will understand how the dynamic reading of geologic and geomorphologic record can help in identifying future trajectories of landscape evolution (preventing possible risks for humans) and in predicting possible localization of strategic resources.
This course will introduce students to the history of human evolution and discuss the importance of archaeological records. We will proceed chronologically from our earliest human ancestors, passing through the early forms of the genus Homo, up through the anatomically modern human. We will cover topics such as how can we reconstruct human behavior and its relationship with the environment through the analysis of prehistoric deposits. The contributions of certain scientific disciplines to archaeological studies (genetics, archaeometry, geomorphology, sedimentology, paleobotanics, zooarchaeology and so on) and methods of collecting, quantification and documentation of the archaeological finds will be described. This course will focus on the studies carried out by the Research Unit of Prehistory and Anthropology of Siena. Students enrolled in this course will be offered the possibility to visit the laboratories of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Physical Sciences of University of Siena and to carry out, together with the professor, some basic analysis on prehistoric materials coming from some Italian prehistoric sites, acquiring the analytic methodologies applied by the professor and his research team on relevant case studies.
Archaeology, as historical anthropology, is a discipline between humanities (given the research subject) and sciences (given the peculiar materials and methods of research). Modern interdisciplinary and contextual approach are the outcome of the rich debate in the second half of last century (between the 60th and 80th) and of the consequent methodological and theoretical rethinking of discipline. Simultaneously, the outstanding development of technology allowed to us to reach impressive results (unthinkable only few decades ago) and, perspectively, new advances will be achieved in near future. This course will introduce participants to discipline’s theoretical evolution and current approach, focusing both multidisciplinary and interconnections between different research fields. This course will follow the main steps of theoretical and methodological evolution of archaeological thinking (e.g. New/Processual Archaeology vs Post-processualism). It will frame the main methods (e.g. survey and excavation) and lineages of discipline, focusing the interconnection between the different fields of research “in action” (e.g. anthropology, zooarchaeology, paleobotany, sedimentology and archaeological stratigraphy, lithic technology, pottery analysis, quantitative and spatial archaeology, excavation/survey approach,dating methods, geophysics). Moreover, a special attention will be putted on specific themes of the Past, as the reconstruction of social and economic structures of societies, behaviors and production organization, mobility, exchanges, cognitive world. Practical activities will be also included in this course, allowing to better understand how the archaeology works (e.g. reading and documentation the stratigraphy by drawing, profiles, forms, reports and Harris’s matrix, analysis of archaeological materials, experimental archaeology). Some of the practical activities will be carried out to the Department of Earth, Environmental and Physical Sciences of University of Siena, where participants will get in touch with researches and they will observe archaeological materials from the didactic collection of the Research Unit of Prehistory and Anthropology.
This course will provide the basic skills necessary for the knowledge of the different methodologies of research in prehistoric ecology and their use in a diachronic and in a multidisciplinary sense. The important natural events that occurred on Earth during the Quaternary Period will be illustrated and discussed in detail. The latter is a period of climatic upheaval, characterized by recurring ice ages, and the migration and extinction of animals and humans across the globe. Particular attention will be dedicated to sedimentological, geological and archeobiological evidence (archeobotany and zooarcheology) that testify and describe the events of this important phase of Earth’s history. Students enrolled in this course will be offered the possibility to visit the laboratories of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Physical Sciences of the University of Siena and carry out, together with the professor, some basic analysis on archaeological and paleontological materials coming from some Italian prehistoric sites. In the final part of the course, students will use their newly acquired skills to analyze and understand the causes and the effects of today’s climate change, one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Spatial Archaeology is the perfect convergence point between multifocal perspective, contextual archaeology and behavioral approach. This puts Spatial Archaeology on a central position for achieving a global reconstruction of the Past. In addition, introduction of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in archaeological research trigged revolutionary effects, well-recognizable in the outstanding development both of scientific debate and of discipline theory and methods in the last decades. Perspectively, the increasingly perfect concatenation between GIS and archaeological sciences will allow to achieve new impressive (maybe still unthinkable) advances in near future. This is a monographic advanced course, aimed at allow to participants to practically test how archaeological research works (mainly in the field of intra-site spatial archaeology). Focus of this course is the reconstruction of Paleolithic settlement dynamics, by means of in-depths theoretical and practical exercises. Participants will approach the principles of interdisciplinary and scientific method in spatial archaeology, understanding the structure of analytical work-flow of a research in its main steps. They will get acquainted with the construction of a research issue, finding interlaced themes and methods to develop the research (e.g. classifying and gathering data, building an experimental protocol, integrating experimental and archeological data, analyzing data by statistical and geostatistical approach, comparing results with taphonomic, experimental, archaeological and ethnographical data). Moreover, a special attention will be paid to issue of archaeological visibility (as main limiting factor for a correct reading of the Past), expressed as the actual overall potential and the relative error margin of an archaeological context to be correctly referred to the behavior al, social and economic structures that produced it. These themes will be also treated by means of a critical approach to cutting-edge studies (both from Research Unit of Prehistory and Anthropology of the University of Siena – Department of physical sciences, earth and Environment and from other international Research Units), recently published on international peer reviewed journals.
Language of Instruction: Italian
Who invented the telescope? An Italian. And who made the first controlled nuclear chain reaction? Also an Italian. How about the radio? Trick question, it might have been Nikola Tesla or an Italian named Marconi. This course surveys the contribution several famous and not-so-famous Italian scientists have made over the past thousand years. These contributions are many, quite creative, and are expressive of some of the best features of Italian culture. They are also an excellent introduction to science for non-science majors, and a way to help science majors appreciate the breadth of human experience through relatively familiar figures. The course includes several lab experiments and field trips. Language of Instruction: English
Calculus is a very important branch of mathematics because of the various fields in which it is applied. As you learn the techniques of calculus in this course, you will also see a variety of applications for them, and you will finally begin to experience the payoff for your years of diligent study while being told that the algebraic techniques you were learning would be applied in later mathematics courses. In calculus, we see some immediate, powerful applications. This course begins the study of the most important functions you will use in this course. It is followed by an exploration of the important concepts of limit and continuity. The major focus for this course is the concept of the derivative of a function and several applications in various fields of science.
Calculus is a very important branch of mathematics because of the various fields in which it is applied. As you learn the techniques of calculus in this course, you will also see a variety of applications for them, and you will finally begin to experience the payoff for your years of diligent study while being told that the algebraic techniques you were learning would be applied in later mathematics courses. In calculus, we see some immediate, powerful applications. The course will begin introducing the concept of the Integral of a function with several applications in many science fields. The course will continue with the study of the differential equations, ending with some other very important applications in other fields of science.
Statistics is very important nowadays because of the many applications in real environments. The course will begin with the study of probability and the introduction of random variables. The course will continue with the explanation of many discrete and continuous random variables with all their properties. We will see many applications within them. At the end of the course, we will study the relationship between two random variables.
Language of Instruction: English
This course is a serious introduction to physics for students who have high school algebra, geometry, and trigonometry at their fingertips, and have had, or are taking calculus. Calculus will be used in class but sparingly on exams. The algebra, geometry, and trig are absolutely essential. If some time has elapsed since your last math course, or you feel a lack of confidence in this area, you are strongly urged to study math intensively before we get too deeply into the physics course. Topics include kinematics and dynamics of particles; momentum, work, and energy; gravitation; circular, angular, and harmonic motion.
This course is an introduction to electricity and magnetism, light, electromagnetic induction; electromagnetic waves; geometrical optics; interference, and diffraction. Many concepts from General Physics I will be used in this course such as: position, velocity, acceleration, force, Newton’s laws of motion, work and energy. The course uses high school algebra, geometry and trigonometry, vectors and vector arithmetic, and some calculus.
Additional lab fee required and General Chemistry prerequisite
The course provides theoretical and practical tools to deal with basic problems of environmental analysis. In particular, the following topics will be addressed: elements of qualitative and quantitative analytical chemistry; elements of the theory of systems far from equilibrium and complexity theory; applications for environmental analysis of classical and instrumental techniques; basic techniques for sampling and analysis of environmental matrices. Water and aqueous systems will be the focus of the course. The theoretical part will be coupled with laboratory work: lab activity will be planned to provide students with practical skills. Students will do simple (volumetric and instrumental) analyses in order to determine the concentration of pollutants and other elements (metals, organic matter, BOD, COD, alkalinity, etc.) in waters.
Language of Instruction: English
Service-Learning is an integral part of the intercultural study abroad experience in Siena. Participants in all SIS programs are encouraged to perform service in the community through SIS’ sister association Nuova Associazione Culturale Ulisse. This service can range from 1-5 hours a week and opportunities are in a variety of different service sites. Students might set tables at the city soup kitchen, visit with the elderly at a nursing home, teach English to local elementary school children or volunteer on the city ambulance. Volunteering in the community is an unparalleled way to improve language skills, get involved in the local social fabric and make a genuine contribution to the host community. For more information on volunteering see SIS Service Learning & Volunteer.
Course Registration
Students complete their course registration during the SAI enrollment process by selecting their primary course choices as well as required alternate courses. Course schedules are confirmed in Siena after students have been given an introduction to the courses and finalized which courses they will take.
| Pre-Departure Calendar | |
|---|---|
| May 15 2025 |
Application Closes Applications accepted after closing as space permits. |
| Within 1 week of acceptance |
SAI Deposits Due $500 Enrollment Deposit (applied toward program fee) $300 Security Deposit (refundable) |
| May 1 2025 |
50% of Total Program Fee Due Students who are accepted and submit SAI deposits after this date will have an amended pay schedule. 50% of the Program Fee will be due within 5 business days, based on the deposit payment date. |
| May 15 2025 |
Financial Aid Agreement & Financial Aid Program Deposit Deadline Students wishing to utilize SAI financial aid payment deferment must complete the Financial Aid Agreement form and submit the Financial Aid Program Deposit by this date. Students whose deposit payment date is on or after this date will have a deadline of 5 days after the deposit. |
| May 29 2025 |
Enrollment Closes Students must complete their enrollment, including paying deposits, by this date. |
| June 1 2025 |
SAI Scholarship Application Deadline Students wishing to apply for a SAI scholarship must have all application items submitted by 11:59pm Pacific Time on this date. |
| June 15 2025 |
SAI Financial Aid Verification Deadline Students wishing to defer payment until financial aid disbursement must submit the financial aid verification form to SAI by this date. |
| July 1 2025 |
Balance of Total Program Fee Due (For students utilizing SAI financial aid payment deferment, any balance not covered by aid is due) |
| On-site Calendar | |
|---|---|
| September 7 2025 |
Arrival & Housing Check-in Students arrive at Florence Peretola Airport (FLR). Students must arrive by 2:30pm for the group shuttle to Siena where students are transferred to family housing. |
| Coming soon |
SIS Academic Orientation SIS holds several days of orientation activities and events including walking tours and group social events. |
| Coming soon |
Fall 3 Week Intensive Language Classes Begin |
| Coming soon |
Regular Semester Courses Begin These courses include semester language and electives. |
| Coming soon |
Fall Break (no class) Students must vacate their host family’s home for this time period unless other arrangements are made directly with the family. |
| Coming soon |
Final Exams |
| December 4 2025 |
Program End & Housing Check-out Students must move out of housing by 10:00am to return home or pursue independent travel. |
| SAI Program Fees* | USD |
|---|---|
| Application Fee | $120 |
| Security Deposit Refundable at the end of the term. |
$300 |
| Program Fee Includes tuition, standard housing and SAI 360° Services (see What's Included). |
Coming soon |
| Optional / Additional Fees: | |
| International Mailing Supplement Students residing outside the U.S. are charged an international mailing supplement to ensure visa paperwork arrives in a timely manner. |
$90 |
*prices are subject to change
Please see SAI Policies for SAI cancellation & withdrawal deadlines.
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.
| Budget | Low Est. | High Est. |
|---|---|---|
| Airfare to/from Florence |
$900 | $1,800 |
| Books, Supplies & Course Fees |
$25 / course | $50 / course |
| Meals Majority of meals are included in cost. |
$100 / month | $150 / month |
| Personal Expenses | $250 / month | $350 / month |
| Transportation within Siena Public transportation with some taxi rides. |
$100 / month | $150 / month |
| Weekend Travel Cost varies greatly by student. |
$300 / month | $1,000 / month |
This is a SAI 360° Services Program; it includes our full services!
- Program tuition and U.S. academic credit
- 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 and provide assistance when needed
- 3 meals/day provided by host family
- 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 Reception
Upon arrival, new students, host families and SIS faculty and staff unite at a welcome reception to kick off the semester.
Natural Hot Springs Spa
Students visit the Antica Querciolaia Spa in the town of Rapolano Terme and relax in the therapeutic waters. The spa features a series of large pools fed by the nearby natural springs and overlooks the rolling Tuscan hills.
Italian Weekend Excursion: Sulmona & the Apennine Mountains*
Students have the opportunity to explore Italy off the beaten path for an unforgettable weekend. The excursion begins with a stop in Assisi for a visit to the stunning city center, before continuing on to Sulmona in Abruzzo. Students explore the city that is nestled in a valley surrounded by the regional and national parks of the Apennine mountains. The group joins a guided hike through the mountains and enjoys local delicacies. To complete the trip, students stop at Rocca Calascio, the highest fortress in the Apennines, and then in Spoleto before returning to Siena.
* The Italian Weekend Excursion varies each term — recent trips have also included Bologna, Modena and Verona, or Genova and Turin! Each trip is intended to help students explore places they may not have chosen on their own.
Tuscan Seaside
Students explore the breathtaking Tuscan coast by hiking to a secluded cove or relaxing on the dunes along the Mediterranean Sea. After beach time, the group heads to the breathtaking medieval town of Castiglione della Pescaia to explore and sample the best gelato around.
I Bottini: Siena’s Underground Aqueducts
Students tour the Bottini with a local guide, exploring a portion of the miles of galleries that run underneath the city of Siena. Carved during medieval times, the Bottini were used to gather Siena’s drinking water for centuries, feeding the many fountains scattered throughout the city.
Wine Tasting
Students visit a winery, learn about the winemaking process, and enjoy various tastings.
Day Trip to Florence
SIS Art History professor accompanies students on a day trip to Florence to visit the Uffizi Gallery and explore the city and visit one of its famous museums.
Tuscan Cooking Lesson
Students learn the art of Italian cooking in a hands-on, Italian cooking lesson, including appetizers, main courses and dessert. Lessons conclude with a meal of all that is prepared!
Visits to Tuscan Hilltowns
Students explore the Italian countryside, visiting one or more of the quaint towns tucked in the Tuscan hills, such as San Gimignano, Pienza, Montepulciano or Cortona.
Museum Visits in Siena
Students visit various museums in Siena as part of Italian class and other content courses. These include the Duomo, OPA Museum, the Museo Civico, the Santa Maria della Scala, as well as others.
Contrada Museum Visit
Students first have a historic/cultural lesson on Siena’s world-famous Palio and the history of its unique Contrade, then visit the museum and grounds of one of the 17 city districts to learn about it first hand from a contradaiolo.
Ceramics Workshop
Students participate in a hands-on ceramic workshop to create small ceramic objects, and learn a technique to paint decorative ceramic plates typical of Tuscan handicraft.
Farewell Dinner
After the exams are completed and final papers handed in, the students, faculty and staff share in a celebratory final meal to reflect upon the program experience and to say final goodbyes before departure.
Standard Housing: Family homestay
All participants are accommodated with local host families. Homestay accommodations include breakfast and dinner 7 days a week. Students are also provided with a meal plan for weekday lunches at a local restaurant near the school each day. Depending on the particular family placement students could be in a shared or private room. Homestays are an integral and indispensable part of all SIS programs, offering students the opportunity to make life-long friends, reinforce the language skills acquired during daily lessons and to experience modern Italian culture from “the inside.” SIS’s carefully selected families, whether a single parent or married couple with children, are all experienced in hosting American students. The host families view this experience as a form of cultural exchange and are eager to share their version of Italian culture with program participants.
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.