Design Study Abroad Programs in Florence, Italy

Spend a summer in the artistic and cultured city of Florence, Italy, with AIFS Abroad! Explore a range of academic programs that award credit through Fairfield University. The AIFS Abroad Florence Global Education Center is located in the Palazzo Michelozzi, a 16th-century palace between the Arno River and the Pitti Palace. You’ll earn up to 10 credits awarded by Fairfield University. Choose from 2 available sessions of the traditional academic program or the popular Wine Marketing program. You will live in a student apartment in the center of the city. Wine Marketing students stay in a hotel for the first week, and students taking both Sessions 1 and 2 may also choose to stay in a homestay. You will receive meal vouchers to use in a choice of selected local restaurants, cafés, and grocery stores. If you take the Wine Marketing Program, you will also receive breakfast and dinner at the hotel for the first week of the program. An optional 3-day trip to Rome and an optional 3-day visit to Venice are available. A 2-night tour of London, England, is available to students on the AIFS Abroad Flight Package.

Located in the heart of Tuscany, Florence clearly stands out as a cultural, historical, and academic center in Italy. It is known as the Birthplace of the Renaissance, as many Renaissance artists and authors called this city home. Dante, Boccaccio, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and many more all helped make Florence the most important place to be during the Renaissance. With a population of roughly 380,000 people, Florence is a city vast in land area but effortlessly maintains its small-town charm. Students will find that they are able to walk to any major area in less than thirty minutes and, after a few short weeks, they'll instantly feel at home and become comfortable in their new environment. And when they're ready for a bit of adventure, Santa Maria Novella, the main train station, gives them instant access to travel around Italy and Europe.

Your Semester in Florence program lasts a full semester and is designed for students from all academic backgrounds. You will enroll in a combination of CIEE courses, host institution courses, and courses taught online through CIEE's global academic partner, ASU. Enhance your experience with co-curricular and extracurricular activities while immersing yourself in Italian culture. Live and learn in Florence! Florence is Italy’s Renaissance city, offering an inspiring environment for students of all disciplines. The city’s unique blend of Italian culture and history, iconic landmarks like the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio, bustling markets, and lively arts scene create an enriching backdrop for studying abroad. Whether you're studying business, science, engineering, technology, communications, psychology, health sciences, liberal arts, language, or fine arts, Florence is the perfect place to study abroad.

Istituto Lorenzo de' Medici offers a variety of Certificate Programs and Special Workshops that are carefully designed with intentionally structured plans of study. These programs provide on-site educational opportunities that allow students not only to develop professional knowledge and the theoretical underpinnings of exciting fields, but also to harness creativity, artistic talent, and technical skills. Location, either Florence or Tuscania, is dependent on the individual programs. Semester Certificates: Italian Gastronomy; Balance in Nutrition; Architecture in Urban Context; Interior Design in Contemporary Living; Product Design towards Sustainability; Visual Communication for Fashion; Fashion Sustainability; Applied Integrated Media (AIM) Yearlong Certificates: Fashion Design; Fashion Marketing and Merchandising; Fine Arts; Graphic Design and Visual Communications; Interior Design; Jewelry Design; Restoration and Conservation Summer Certificates: Wine Business and Culture; Human Creativity; Global Sustainability; Branding Special Workshops: Archaeology Field School; Summer Conservation Workshop; Stop-Motion Workshop

Florence is an art lover’s dream and a food lover’s paradise. During your winter break, you can dive right into exploring this stunningly visual city on our January in Florence program. To make the most of your time abroad, we’ll quickly immerse you in local Italian and Florentine culture. Join excursions in and around Florence to galleries and famous sites. You’ll study at Florence University of the Arts, and you’ll practice Italian with friendly locals. How do you say, “Another gelato, please?”

You’ll enhance your expertise and confidence in the many aspects of photography and visual design in this three-week summer course. With a deep understanding of techniques, lighting, postproduction, and design principles, you’ll learn to create compelling visual narratives that engage with contemporary contexts. You’ll also gain valuable insights into conceptual photography, visual storytelling, and the integration of graphic design. During this immersive course, you’ll explore Renaissance masterpieces and Florence's rich artistic heritage as sources of inspiration for developing a complete photographic project. You’ll create a visually striking poster that synthesizes your journey while maintaining a cohesive and contemporary artistic vision. Taught in English and starting in June, the course is designed for students with foundational knowledge or basic professional experience in the field who are looking to enhance their professional skills. Participants should have prior familiarity with photography, graphic design, and editing.

Capital of Italy’s Tuscany region and known as “the cradle of the Renaissance,” Florence has long been a source of inspiration for visionaries such as Galileo Galilei, Leonardo da Vinci, and Niccolò Machiavelli. It's known for the Cathedral on the Piazza del Duomo, a domed edifice engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi, which includes an iconic bell tower rising high above the city. This present home to fashion designers and major wine labels was once a Roman city established by Julius Caesar in 59 BC. The CEA CAPA Florence Center and Santa Reparata International School of Art offer a variety of learning opportunities in English and Italian. Get the most out of this cultural and academic experience through CEA CAPA's volunteer opportunities, excursions to other cities, and various cultural and learning activities, which complement course offerings and turn Florence into a classroom. In addition to our study abroad programs, explore CEA CAPA Internships Abroad in Florence — gain hands-on, pre-professional experience as you dive into a career field and develop professional skills needed to rise above the competition. Interested in going abroad with CEA CAPA? Contact us!

Italy is one of the most complex and enticing places in Europe. A contemporary, industrialized nation with an artistic and architectural heritage that few other countries can rival. It is also a Mediterranean country with a southern European sensibility, where traditional attitudes still prevail. Thriving small businesses contribute to strong, regional identities, helping Italy avoid some of the bland effects of globalization. See all programs in Florence by visiting our website or contacting us for complete details.

A Study Abroad experience in Florence could be considered as the one most similar to that of the ‘Grand Tour’ undertaken by the great travelers of our past. Our aim here at Accademia Europea di Firenze is not to have our students live as tourists, but to ensure that they feel like true residents of Florence and Tuscany: to achieve this we work hard every day to build an all-inclusive experience for them, comprised of education, cultural immersion, entertainment, and a profound knowledge of culture and the Italian way of life. What is more, AEF is the only school that offers study abroad experiences to performing arts students, allowing them to move forward with their degree, here in Florence. AEF was founded in 2005 as an Italian language school for foreigners. Over time, the school expanded its curriculum to include humanistic studies, music, the liberal arts and the performing arts, while providing an extraordinary combination of quality and individual attention: AEF offers the most complete response for any training or educational need. Situated in the very heart of Florence, halfway between the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the church of San Marco, AEF’s students have the grandeur and beauty of the city’s historical centre on their doorstep. Our location is a Renaissance palace, perfectly restructured and equipped with the most modern technologies to make it an ideal site uniting study and beauty, learning and culture.

See different sides of Italy while studying at an Italian school or university! Enroll in your chosen non-profit, low-cost, direct study program. We connect you to university-level, academic-type programs that are available all year round. Choose from weekly, monthly, summer, quarterly, semester, and academic year terms. Plus, stay in low-cost housing on campus or in nearby areas. Overall, avoid expensive, for-profit programs and register directly with a school in Italy. After successful completion, you will earn academic credits that are transferable to your home school. These study abroad programs are open to students worldwide. See more details on the NPSA website. Use this website to review and book your study abroad program in Italy.

The one-year Master of Interior Design is perfect for young graduates or design professionals interested in attending a specialization course. It emphasizes a professional dimension by honing the understanding of contemporary Italian interior design through investigations into its history, theory, analysis, and methods. It develops design concepts for real, modern-day problems integrated into historical city situations while focusing on a sustainable future. Its location in Florence is essential in illustrating Italy's relevance in forming the foundations of modern thought and concepts. Graduate students come from various academic and professional practice experiences. The department accepts students with an undergraduate degree in interior design or comparable professional practice experience and individuals with degrees in other disciplines who see a connection between their previous studies and interior design. To obtain robust results, studies in interior design require a 'full-time’ commitment throughout the academic year (for 30 weeks).

This exciting summer program takes place in the heart of Florence and utilizes the city as your classroom, with co-curricular activities integrated into all your courses. Enroll in up to two courses per session when you choose from an array of courses on offer in subject areas such as Culture Studies, Art History, Media, Food Studies, History, Sport and Culture, Political Science, Italian Language, Studio Art, and more. Situated in a pair of centuries-old palazzi in the heart of Florence, International Studies Institute Florence (ISI) is a modern and innovative institution offering an array of affordable, dynamic programs. The beautiful Renaissance city of Florence is your summer home, with its abundance of artistic, architectural, and culinary delights.

Immerse yourself in historic art and design in Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, with a thriving contemporary art scene. Here, you take studio courses on SACI’s iconic campus, which has two 17th-century palazzi in the heart of Florence. The campus is centrally located, allowing you to study many important art collections, including the Uffizi and the Accademia. It hosts visiting artists, public lectures, and exhibitions in the gallery space. This means access to contemporary exhibitions, collaborating with contemporary Florentine artists, and visiting important international exhibitions. Famous for its Renaissance legacy, Florence features a fascinating mix of historic and contemporary culture. Buses, taxis, and mopeds drive within feet of the Duomo, the city's magnificent cathedral. Chic shops and elegant restaurants line the charming avenues, and historic piazzas ringed with outdoor cafés host performance artists and flea markets. Enjoy the region's mild climate and world-famous cuisine in one of Europe's most beautiful cities.

The NECAFlorence Program provides a unique opportunity to study, earn university credits, and experience Italian culture firsthand. Interdisciplinary courses based on experiential learning at NECAFlorence are designed to stimulate students’ interests and to challenge their way of thinking. Small group courses assure a high level of individual attention. Highly-qualified teaching staff. Throughout your stay, you will gain an intimate understanding of Italian and Florentine culture and life. Students must be over the age of 18 to join. Non-traditional participants should contact NECAFlorence for eligibility details. The NECA Scholarship Program has been developed to assist highly motivated students (enrolled in 2-year or 4-year institutions) and adults with academic merit and/or who do not have enough financial resources.

Join us for an unforgettable experience in one of Italy’s most enchanting cities, Florence. Immerse yourself in the rich Italian culture, savor delicious local cuisine, and make lifelong connections with fellow students from around the world. 2026 SUMMER INTENSIVE COURSES - List of subjects Classes held at the school: Painting & Drawing Art History Jewelry Making Jewelry Design Architecture Interior Design Furniture Design Bag Making & Leather Arts Fashion Design Textile Design Graphic Design Glass Art Italian Culture Experience Italian Language Classes held off-campus: Art Conservation & Restoration (some classes may be held at the school) Ceramics Woodworking Furniture Restoration Floral Design Gelato Course Italian Home Cooking Duration: from 1 to 12 weeks 2026 Start Dates (Check-in) May 03 | May 17 | May 31 | Jun 14 | Jun 28 | Jul 12 | Jul 26 | Aug 16 | Aug 30 | Sep 13 | Sep 27

The Accademia Italiana is internationally recognized as one of Europe's most prestigious institutes of art and design. Each year, creative students from all over the world come to the Accademia Italiana to take courses in the Accademia's signature programs in fashion design, graphic design and visual communications, interior and product design, window display design, photography and new media and studio arts. The Accademia also offers study abroad students courses in liberal arts and Italian language and culture. Italian culture courses include art history, history, literature, cinema and style. The Accademia has semester and year-long academic programs, bachelor's and master's degree programs, and short-term summer programs. Design courses are taught in Italian and in English languages. University credit is available.

Looking to embark on a year-long study abroad adventure? Study at SRISA! Our comprehensive Accredited Year program promises a life-changing experience, immersing you in Italian and Florentine life. In Florence, explore a diverse culture, forge new friendships, and master a new language. This experience will not only enrich your academic pursuits but also give you invaluable life skills, fostering personal growth amidst the breathtaking backdrop of this enchanting city. SRISA offers undergraduate courses in Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, and Design at the American University level. Except for Italian, all courses are taught in English. Study for one semester or extend your stay for an Accredited Year. Fall and Spring semesters are 15 weeks long. Students enroll in classes ranging between 15-16 credit hours per Semester. Fall (September-December) Total Credits: 15-16 Spring (January-April) Total Credits: 15-16

Are you still wondering what to do this summer? We have the answer! You can enroll in a three-week or six-week summer study abroad program at Florence University of the Arts. Students receive college transcripts to add credits toward their major. Studying at Florence, a World Heritage Site, will give you a lifetime of experience. The capital of the Tuscany region is characterized by Renaissance art, Byzantine and medieval monuments, and rich culture. Stroll through the streets and discover historical heritage and high-end craftsmanship dating back to the Middle Ages.

Dreaming of studying design at a world-renowned European university? We offer personalized, merit-based scholarships for passionate design students to pursue their Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and Dual Award programs at prestigious private institutions across Europe, London, and Dubai. This is a unique opportunity to reduce your tuition fees for the January and February 2026 intake and kickstart your creative career at a top-tier design school. With limited seats and an allocated scholarship budget, early applicants have the highest chance of success.

At the Italy Program in Florence, accredited by Northern Arizona University, AZ, you can take advantage of a unique opportunity to study and earn NAU university credits in the heart of Florence! Receive instruction and guidance from highly qualified teaching staff. Broaden your academic knowledge in this study abroad program while experiencing the daily way of life in Italy. You can choose between semester and summer programs. You can take upper-division interdisciplinary courses based on experiential learning, immersing you in local life. Throughout your stay, you gain an intimate understanding of Italian and Florentine culture and life. Participants must be over the age of 18 to join. Non-traditional participants should contact us for eligibility details. This program includes excursions in and around Florence and accommodation. Plus, get the chance to apply to available scholarships to reduce your program cost.