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The Umbra Institute (Outgoing Program)

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Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Program Type: Study Center Language of Instruction: English, Italian
Scholarships Offered: Yes Housing Type: Apartment, Homestay
Area of Study: Anthropology, Italian Click here for a definition of this term Global Engagement: Community Projects, Internship, Service Learning
Program Description:

Study at the Umbra Institute

Often called “the big university town in a small Italian city,” Perugia is home to the Umbra Institute, which offers semester, year-long, and summer programs. Students can participate in various community engagement opportunities, and extra-curricular activities. The diverse Umbra faculty and friendly staff strive to incorporate a genuine Italian experience into all elements of the student’s experience.

Perugia’s hilltop location serves as the ideal backdrop for study abroad in Italy. Rich in art, architecture, and historical significance, it is internationally recognized as a city of learning. The ancient city is surrounded by the rolling hills of Umbria and Tuscany. While lying off the beaten path, travel from Perugia is easy as Rome, Florence, Siena, Assisi, and Cortona lie only a short distance away.
       
Beyond the unique location, community engagement is the guiding philosophy behind all Umbra academic programs. Thanks to the city’s small size, the daily interaction with Italian students, and effective Italian language studies, Umbra helps students get to know the real Italy—and Italians. Each semester, Umbra students discover that giving back to the host community is one of the most rewarding outcomes of their time abroad. The real and visible impact of these efforts includes intercultural exchange, language acquisition, and new friendships. Students may choose from academic internships and service learning projects to volunteering, Co-Ops, and more. Visit the Umbra Community Engagement Abroad webpage and Institute's video page.

Academic Programs: Semester 

The Direct Enrollment Program offers students the unique opportunity to experience Italian university life as a local alongside Italian and international students at the University for Foreigners (Università per Stranieri) or the University of Perugia (Università degli Studi di Perugia). Enrolled in the Direct Enrollment Program at the University for Foreigners, students of all levels of language proficiency focus exclusively on Italian language and culture and study alongside people from all over the world whose goal is to become fluent in Italian. Students enrolled in the University of Perugia begin the semester with an intensive, one-month Italian language course at the University for Foreigners prior to beginning their two elective courses in the humanities department at the University of Perugia.

The Food & Sustainability Studies Program is an interdisciplinary curricular concentration within the General Studies Program that has three interdisciplinary food courses in Italian food history, sustainable food production, and the business of food and an Italian class. There is also the possibility of a summer internship in an Umbrian wine company.https://www.umbra.org/food-studies/

The Umbra Institute Highlights
• State-of-the-art facilities;
• International staff and faculty;
• Availability for pre-departure questions;
• Private airport pick-up in Rome and transfer to Perugia;
• Two-day orientation in Perugia including a practical city walking tour;
• Cell phones or SIM cards rental services available;
• Educational and cultural workshops on Independent Travel, Presentation and PowerPoint, and Reentry  to the U.S.;
• Optional Trip, a staff-guided trip offered to explore beautiful, scenic Italy;
• Co-curricular field trips to world-renowned historic sites and famous cities;
• Mandatory Italian language courses to learn practical skills to communicate with locals;
• Tandem language exchange;
• A variety of extracurricular activities (pizza-making workshop, sports with Italian university students, etc.);
• Communication: monthly newsletters, Wi-Fi in all student apartments, frequent posts on the Umbra Blog, and a Student Handbook and Guidebook;
• Emergency phone available 24 hours a day;
• Medical care available 24 hours a day;
• Life-coaching and counseling service, and
• Staff trained in crisis management.
 


PLEASE NOTE:


Students may only apply to the Food Studies Program or the Direct Enrollment Options listed below.
.
Umbra’s Center for Food & Sustainability
Direct Enrollment at the University for Foreigners (Italian Language)
Direct Enrollment at the University of Perugia (Italian Language)

 


Dates / Deadlines:
Dates / Deadlines:
Term Year App Deadline Decision Date Start Date End Date
Spring 2024 04/04/2023 04/18/2023 TBA TBA