Students in Florence
With its several thousand years of civilization woven into its legendary urban texture, Florence embodies all that the Renaissance sought to bring back to life. Bordered by its famous countryside of pine- and cypress-dotted hills, lush vineyards, and olive groves, the Florence of today is an innovative European cultural center as well as a university city. Maryland-in-Florence program offers the opportunity to spend a semester or year learning in this culturally rich environment.

Maryland-in-Florence is hosted at the International Studies Institute (ISI Florence), where you will have access to a wide variety of courses in art history, architecture, fine and studio arts, Italian language & cultural studies, history, literature, philosophy, political science, and more. You will also be provided with unique community-engagement opportunities that will allow you to make the most of your semester abroad.

Applying for Spring 2024? Please sign up for a Maryland-in-Italy Group Advising Session.

You must be in good academic and judicial standing and you must not have any registration blocks to participate in this program.

All UMD sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to apply to this program. There is no language pre-requisite. Non-UMD students are not permitted to apply.

If you are interested in this program but do not meet the eligibility requirements, make an appointment with your EA advisor to discuss program options.

Visit the Academics & Study Abroad page which outlines key considerations for your academic planning as you navigate different phases of study abroad:

Browse UMD course evaluations in the Study Abroad Course Database:

Maryland-in-Florence Course Evaluations

Maryland-in-Florence offers courses in a wide range of subjects, including studio arts and art history, history and political science, Italian language and literature, and interdisciplinary studies in the humanities. Courses are designed to integrate the local resources and immerse students into the Florentine environment through on-site learning. A variety of co-curricular activities such as field trips, museum visits, academic tours, and artistic performances complement the rich cultural offerings of Florence.

A flexible and robust academic plan
Maryland-in-Florence students will follow ISI's General Studies Program, which provides students with maximum flexibility to create the study abroad academic plan that best meets their interests and needs. All students studying in Florence for a semester are required to take one 4-credit Italian language course and may select any other approved course in a variety of subjects; current course lists are available on ISI's website.

Review the Florence Academic Overview for additional information. Summer students should review the Florence Summer Academic Overview for details on the summer program.

Students share apartments with other program participants. All apartments are within walking distance of ISI facilities and come with a fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, and communal living space. All apartments have wireless internet connection.

See the Maryland-in-Florence Housing Overview for more details and view the Welcome to ISI Florence video.

Fall Budget

Costs listed are for fall 2023.

Billable Costs
Application Fee	$50
Billable costs are charged to your student account. They are due based on the Office of Student Financial Services and Cashiering's payment schedule. Be sure to check your statements when they are available.
Education Abroad Fee	$1,200
This fee is charged to your account when the application status is changed from "Accepted" to "Committed." This fee includes Education Abroad services including registration, billing, advising, risk management, and pre-departure orientation.
International Health Insurance	$250
UMD Tuition	$11,263
This fee is charged to your UMD account upon course registration. This fee includes: Tuition, academic and advising support, course related activities, on-campus and in-country orientations, airport pickup, excursions, Permit of Stay fees (Permesso di Soggiorno), Florence Museum Car, and teaching services.
Housing Fee	$3,325
This fee represents the housing provided during the program. Students live in shared apartments (utilities, internet, and cleaning included).
TOTAL PROGRAM FEE	$14,588
TOTAL BILLABLE COSTS (Program Fee + EA Fee + Insurance)	$16,038

Out-of-pocket Costs
Meals (estimate)	$2,500
Passport	$165
Expedited Passport Processing	$60
Education Abroad strongly advises expedited processing for new or renewal passport applications due to current delays with processing times.
Visa & Residence Permit	$250
Roundtrip Airfare from MD/DC to Host Country (estimate)	$1,500
In-Country Transportation Expense (estimate)	$150
Course Materials (estimate)	$500
Personal/Incidental Expenses (estimate)	$2,100
Covid Rapid Antigen Test in Host Country (estimate)	$50
The cost of a COVID test not prescribed by a physician is not covered by CISI Insurance.
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF ATTENDANCE:	$23,763

Spring Budget

Costs listed are for spring 2024.

Billable Costs
Application Fee	$25
Billable costs are charged to your student account. They are due based on the Office of Student Financial Services and Cashiering's payment schedule. Be sure to check your statements when they are available.
Tuition	$10,268
This fee is charged to your UMD account upon course registration. This fee includes: Tuition, academic and advising support, course related activities, on-campus and in-country orientations, airport pickup, excursions, Permit of Stay fees (Permesso di Soggiorno), Florence Museum Car, and teaching services. The Sustainable Food & Environmental Systems track will incur an additional $1,000 charge that accounts for additional costs for a 2-week field study experience and site visit fees associated with required coursework.
Housing Fee	$3,325
This fee represents the housing provided during the program. Students live in shared apartments (utilities, internet, and cleaning included).
TOTAL PROGRAM FEE	$14,588
Education Abroad Fee	$1,750
This fee is charged to your account when the application status is changed from "Accepted" to "Committed." This fee includes Education Abroad services including registration, billing, advising, risk management, and pre-departure orientation.
International Health Insurance	$250
Roger Williams University Transcript for Select Transfer Credit Classes (see SACD for details)	$500
Out-of-pocket Costs
Meals (estimate)	$2,500
Passport	$165
Expedited Passport Processing	$60
Education Abroad strongly advises expedited processing for new or renewal passport applications due to current delays with processing times.
Visa & Resident Permit Fee	$250
Roundtrip Airfare from MD/DC to Host Country (estimate)	$1,500
In-Country Transportation Expense (estimate)	$150
Course Materials (estimate)	$500
Personal/Incidental Expenses (estimate)	$2,100
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF ATTENDANCE:	$24,313

Summer Budget

Costs listed are for summer 2023.

Billable Costs
Application Fee	$50
Billable costs are charged to your student account. They are due based on the Office of Student Financial Services and Cashiering's payment schedule. Be sure to check your statements when they are available.
Education Abroad Fee	$500
This fee is charged to your account when the application status is changed from "Accepted" to "Committed." This fee includes Education Abroad services including registration, billing, advising, risk management, and pre-departure orientation.
International Health Insurance	$100
UMD Tuition	$2,895
This fee is charged to your UMD account upon course registration. This fee includes: Tuition, academic and advising support, course related activities, on-campus and in-country orientations, airport pickup, excursions, Permit of Stay fees (Permesso di Soggiorno), Florence Museum Car, and teaching services.
Housing Fee	$1,275
This fee represents the housing provided during the program. Students live in shared apartments (utilities, internet, and cleaning included).
Program activities & student services $475 TOTAL PROGRAM FEE $4,645 Additional UMD Billable Costs (optional) $4,660 Additional course (general studies track): $780 Architecture design studio track (two courses): $2,380 Trasimeno Archaeology Field School (two courses): $1,500



Out-of-pocket Costs
Meals (estimate)	$600
Passport	$165
Expedited Passport Processing	$60
Education Abroad strongly advises expedited processing for new or renewal passport applications due to current delays with processing times.
Roundtrip Airfare from MD/DC to Host Country (estimate)	$1,500
Local Travel (estimate)	$150
Books & supplies (estimate)	$100
Personal/Incidental Expenses (estimate)	$800
Covid Rapid Antigen Test in Host Country (estimate)	$50
The cost of a COVID test not prescribed by a physician is not covered by CISI Insurance.
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF ATTENDANCE:	$8,670 - $13,280

You can use the cost of attendance comparison worksheet to view how study abroad programs compare to each other and the amount you pay on campus at UMD. As always, your EA advisor is available help you complete this worksheet and find affordable programs that fit your study abroad goals.

Please refer to the following resources for more information on funding study abroad:

PLEASE NOTE: All University of Maryland study abroad programs are financially self-supporting and, therefore, subject to cancellation due to low enrollment.

Joy Gursky coordinates all logistical aspects of the Maryland-in-Florence program and is available to meet with both interested and accepted students. To learn more about the program and complete the required advising meeting, please sign up for a Maryland-in-Italy Group Advising Session.

Community Engagement

As part of ISI’s initiative to help students gain valuable cross-cultural experience in an international environment, they promote many opportunities for community engagement, including volunteer work and service learning activities in Florence. Past opportunities have included coaching children’s baseball teams, assistant teaching in elementary schools, and volunteering at local churches and synagogues. Participating in such projects will give you invaluable hands-on experience and an extraordinary out-of-classroom exposure to the culture, language, and people of Italy. See the ISI website for more details.

Cultural Activities
The Maryland-in-Florence program also provides a variety of cultural activities around Florence and Italy such as cooking lessons, language aperitivi with Italian students, citywide soccer tournament, operas, 5k and 10k charity runs, local festivals and fairs, food tastings, and more. Course field trips are also an integral part of academic life. Professors organize course-specific trips in order to supplement in-class activities and engage students in the practical application of their studies.

Social Identity and Culture
Florence is a popular study abroad destination for students across the world- because of this we want all of our students to come prepared to think critically of their social identities, the culture of Florence, and the impact on this city. When in Florence, students are encouraged to live like the locals and find ways to learn from and engage with the local culture. This can include the volunteer opportunities above, getting to know their neighbors, or finding other activities or ways to engage. Students are encouraged to speak to their education abroad advisor if they have any questions about their role in Florence’s culture- and to think critically of this role prior to arrival!

Program Dates

Term	Year	Application Deadline	Admission Notification	Program Start	Program End
Fall	2023	03/01/2023	01/20/2023	08/29/2023	12/16/2023
Please note August 29th is the date of departure from the US; students should arrive in Florence on August 30th.
Summerterm	2023	03/01/2023	01/20/2023	05/18/2023	07/29/2023
This program has multiple summer session options. Upon acceptance, you will indicate the session(s) you are interested in. Summer 1: May 18 - June 30, 2023;Summer 2: July 2 - July 29, 2023
Spring	2024	10/01/2023	10/11/2023	01/09/2024	04/27/2024
Please note January 9th is the date of departure from the US; students should arrive in Florence on January 10th.