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Department of English
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Contact Us

356 Bachelor Hall
Miami University
Oxford, OH 45056
tel:513.529.5221
fax: 513.529.1392
english@muohio.edu

This page last updated on
November 22, 2011

Undergraduate Program

Summer School in Italy

students in italy

All information here applies to the Summer 2012 program, based on the 2011 costs. This is a highly popular Study Abroad program from Miami University’s College of Arts and Science, and it is open to students from all majors and all colleges at the University. You will earn 9 important Miami Plan credits by taking 3 classes over a two- month period in Florence, Italy. You pay summer school tuition directly to Miami for Miami credits. Students from other schools are welcome to apply, and find it easy to transfer all credits back to their home universities.

It is an absolutely special and unique experience. Over twenty years many hundreds of students have found this the time of their life: they have four day weekends free for travel, they get important MU requirements done (including the Thematic Sequence), they live in beautiful accommodations in the heart of Florence, they come to know Italy and as much of Europe as they wish, and they make lifetime friends with a group of students usually around 40 undergraduates, all majors and all backgrounds. Classes are taught in English on three consecutive days with long weekends for independent travel. Many students take a basic Italian class before going, but this is optional. A knowledge of Spanish (or French) is also helpful if you have it.

Three dinners per week are included in the price; other meals are the student’s responsibility. The best and most genuine Italian food is just minutes from your door. Rooms come with refrigerators and there is a microwave available, so those on a budget can eat quite thriftily.

Coursework:

scenic shot of italy

Everyone takes both:

Then choose one additional:

Costs:

students in italy

*ESTIMATED TOTAL based on 2011 pricing includes tuition (9 credits), fees, flight, room/board, books, first weekend trip to Venice, and personals. Prices are subject to change due to the constantly fluctuating exchange rate between the dollar and the euro.

Note that your final figures largely depend on how many long trips you take on your free weekends, and your personal levels of spending in general. Students are encouraged to budget wisely. Most work for the first half of the summer since the program begins at the end of June.

As is the case with regular summer courses taken at Oxford, most financial aid does not apply in summer since you are expected to use it in fall or spring semesters. If any is left over from the regular year, it might be available. Most students pay for the summer from their own resources; some federal help is available, and some students take loans according to need.

An experience like this, spending two months in Europe and earning 9 credits, is bound to cost something. For most people it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed.

Payment:

students in italy

The following payments (checks made payable to Miami University) are due:

Please note that tuition is paid at the Lifelong Learning office in McGuffey 127. It cannot be put on the Bursar Bill at CAB but is paid separately by you by June 1. Your fixed costs are the deposit, the tuition for 9 credits depending if you are an Ohio resident or not, the room/board, and the transportation if you fly with the groups.

Personal spending money for travel, meals (besides the three weekly dinners), and incidentals is INCLUDED IN THE ABOVE TOTALS of $11.5k and $13.5k. These are estimates based on what the last group of students have said they spent.

For more information please contact:

Dr. Mark Bernheim
English Department, 321 Bachelor Hall
e-mail: bernhema@muohio.edu
office: 513-529-5260
students in italy

We are listing several links for you to visit in order to view photos of some of the highpoints of Summer 2009, 2010 and 2011.

In mid-July, Nick Verreos, design celebrity from “Project Runway,” was in residence each summer with the program and met with the writing students for several days working on Fashion Communications. Some photos show Nick and the students at one of the leading fashion schools in Florence, where they attended lectures and discussed innovations in writing and marketing. His blog gives some idea of the wonderful interaction with the group.

In Summer 2011, the program organized a special and unique Fashion Show with Nick and Althea Harper, another “Project Runway” celebrity, bringing their own designs from America and professional models on display! You can see the exciting video of this event. It connects with the role of Florence as a world fashion capital.

You will see also many pictures of the students in Venice. This is a great trip we all do together in the days just before classes start in early July. Costs are included in your deposit. It gives everyone a chance to meet and bond with the individuals in the group. You spend 4 days in magnificent Venice with all arrangements made for you. The other weekends you learn to do this for yourself.

You will also see many photos from the Farewell Reception we schedule at the end of the program in August. Just before returning to the US, students spend the afternoon at an exclusive health and fitness club in the Tuscan hills overlooking Florence. You will see them swimming and sunning and generally enjoying a well-deserved physical break from the many weeks of classes. The catered reception that evening is an ideal way to end the program!

Budget permitting, we will repeat these wonderful times in Summer 2012, and even hope to expand our emphasis on Florence as a fashion and design center with more input from “Project Runway” and other designers and artists. We were even featured in a WCET television documentary in Winter 2010.

I hope you enjoy the slideshows, videos and blogs!

I think you’ll find ample evidence what a special experience this Florence Summer Workshop is. For more information and the opportunity to discuss your interest and possible application, contact Dr. Bernheim to schedule an appointment. It is of course basically an academic adventure requiring you to work hard as you would in any Miami class. But you also have the life-shaping memories of living two months in Italy and exploring the world around it on your own and with friends.

You and your families should visit this site and our many links. Picture yourself having the great fun and experiences you can see alumni of the program having, and then take whatever steps you need to become part of it yourselves.

Your first step, remember, is to contact the Director and talk about it so your questions can be addressed. At that point the procedures become clearer and you can discuss it with your families and friends. You can then follow the steps over the next months to prepare for the Summer 2012 Florence workshop (with trip to Venice included).

Thanks for your interest. You will have the chance at meetings to speak with alumni of past summers and hear from them too what makes this so unique. Consider becoming a part of it!