Overview | Academics | Cost | Location | Life Abroad | Student Voices
Immerse yourself into Italian language and culture in the beautiful hilltop city of Perugia, Italy. Offering a uniquely Italian experience, this six week summer program through Arcadia University provides you with the opportunity to intensively study the Italian language at the Umbra Institute in Perugia.
The Umbra Institute was founded in 1999 in Perugia, Italy, as a center for higher education offering academic programs for students of US colleges and universities. Since then, the Umbra Institute has grown steadily and developed a well-respected reputation as a provider of consistently high-quality academic programs, becoming an innovative leader in study abroad in Italy.
This summer program in Perugia is ideal if you are interested in improving your Italian skills while living in the center of Italy. The program can accommodate you whether you are a beginner or have more advanced Italian skills. You will earn 8 credits in the Italian language sequence, making this a great opportunity to advance your Italian language study and fulfill language requirements.
Not sure where Perugia is? See it on a map here.
Perugia, in the hills overlooking the Tiber River Valley, is in the heart of Italy. The capital of the Umbria region, also known as the Green Heart of Italy, Perugia boasts a rich history in architecture, museums, and monuments dating from the Etruscan and Roman periods to the present. It is interntionally recognized as a city of learning since it is home to 158,000 residents and over 40,000 students who study at the Universita degli Studi di Perugia, Universita per Stranieri di Perugia, as well as many studio and performing arts schools.
Having preserved its medieval and Renaissance character, Perugia maintains an old world setting amongst a bustling modern city. Its pedestrian streets are buzzing with activity, including jazz cafes, concerts, and art exhibits.
Halfway between Rome and Florence, Perugia is the ideal location for you to discover Italy. From Perugia, one can explore other historic sites in the nearby towns of Assisi and Spoleto or discover the Umbria or Tuscan countryside.
Getting to Your Program
You will make your own travel arrangements, but are given guidelines for arrival dates and times.
Visa
U.S. citizens studying in Italy for the summer session do not need a visa. U.S. citizens must have a passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of the program. If you are not a U.S. citizen, contact your Study Abroad Advisor for guidance.
Orientation
IAP expects you to be an active participant in preparing yourself for your study abroad experience. As a participant on an IAP program, you will receive a pre-departure orientation, either in-person or online. The type and format of this orientation will vary by program and will be provided to you upon acceptance to the program.
An in-country orientation will be provided by Arcadia staff after arrival. Orientation will be an excellent introduction to your time in Italy and is a mandatory component of an Arcadia study abroad experience. Orientation will feature: cultural and recreational activities; sessions about customs and traditions; guidance concerning academic policies and procedures; advice to help you settle into housing at your host institution; information on health and safety and banking; and discussion of cross-cultural issues.
Housing
The Umbra Institute leases a number of student apartments in central Perugia. The Umbra Institute selects its apartments based on comfort, safety, cleanliness, and convenience. As housing changes from year to year, you should not base your expectations on reports from former students. Facilities will vary from apartment to apartment.
All housing will include basic kitchen utensils such as dishes, cutlery, pots, and pans. Some landlords provide extras for our students, such as televisions, phones, dishwashers and clothes washers, but these items should not be expected. Please remember, there is no way to guarantee uniformity of apartment and room sizes, distance from the Institute, furnishings, or extra facilities; these are regular residential apartments owned and rented out by individuals. Apartments typically house anywhere from two to eight students. You will be housed with other intensive learners of Italian. You will most often be allocated a double room, but some apartments may have single and triple rooms.
Excursions and Activities
In addition to working in the classroom you will also participate in local tours, dinners and socials, cinema nights and many more cultural activities. The Umbra Institute organizes language exchanges and get-togethers with Italians, in order that you, from your very first days in Perugia, have the opportunity of meeting Italians with whom you can practice the language.
Insurance
You will be enrolled in the UW System required health insurance through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) and the cost of the insurance coverage is included in program fees.
On-Site Support
On-site assistance is provided through Arcadia and Umbra Institute staff.
Returned Student Network
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Student Profiles
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Kevin Rilea
Student Testimonials
"Perugia is alive with activity, people, and events - you simply must take advantage of it all!"
The primary goal of this program is the study of Italian language. The program is conducted entirely in Italian and is open to all Italian language abilities. You will take a placement test upon arrival to the program to determine your appropriate Italian level. It is an intensive, 6-week program that consists of an average of 5 contact hours of instruction per day, five days per week for a total of 150 contact hours. In addition there is a rich series of cultural activities of approximately 5 hours per week for an additional 30 contact hours in Italian.
The organization of the daily program includes:
• Language Instruction (comprehension)
• Language Exercises (application)
• Conversation (integration)
Periodically, the two hours of language exercises and conversation will be combined into one session to allow for viewing and discussion of a film in Italian, excursions to local galleries, exhibits or other cultural events, or cultural exchanges with international students who are studying the Italian language. These activities typically take place in the afternoons. In addition, cultural activities and lectures in Italian are scheduled to enrich the study and practice of the language.
Affiliate Institution(s)
Umbra Institute Italian Language and Culture
Program Web Page(s)
Arcadia Intensive Italian Language and Culture in Perugia
Course Equivalents
Use the links below to see a list of courses that students have taken on this program before and the UW equivalents. Note: this list only includes pre-approved courses for your program and may not be an exhaustive list of courses or departments. You will get instructions on the course equivalent process after acceptance.
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