Food Science Study Abroad Programs in Italy

My experience studying abroad in Molise Italy was absolutely life-changing. I learned so much about culture, made lifetime, friendships, and endless memories. Getting to experience the culture and beauty of Molise was the absolute highlight of my summer.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 21, 2026

Grazie, Breanna! Colli really is beautiful and it's such a great partnership!

The Molise Italian Studies program was a wonderful way to be immersed in the Molise region, some of the Puglia region, and Rome. By visiting some of the smaller, lesser-known areas in these regions, I got to see firsthand how people live, work, and support their communities through the activities and social work experiences. I can say I grew as a person and have a new outlook on my everyday life at home. It was evident that Italians in these regions value community and connection. I appreciated the opportunities to participate in activities at some of the agencies, such as at LAI and in Capracotta, rather than simply observing the activity. Our tour leader, Andrea, was kind, patient, organized, and knowledgeable throughout the entire trip.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 05, 2026

Grazie, Maggie! We are so glad to hear this trip made such an impact on you, and we can't wait to hear about your plans moving forward!

I had an absolutely amazing time; I made so many incredible memories that I truly won't ever forget. The friendships I made were so awesome, and the opportunities to experience true culture were life-changing. Both of my professors were absolutely wonderful, and our guide was incredible. Everyone was so amazing and truly tried their best to give us the most rewarding experience possible, and they exceeded my dreams.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 05, 2026

Grazie, Alex!

Myself and my colleague brought a group of ten university students on a trip with Molise, and we could not be happier! Our guides were knowledgeable and kind. Every single person we encountered along the way as we traveled was welcoming and gracious. So many laughs were shared amongst our students and the Italian community, and we never once felt as if we were not in steady, capable hands with the company. Upon returning home from Italy, we immediately arranged our next trip with Scott and Megan, and plan to continue this trip regularly to allow students to continue to experience all the amazing things our first group did.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 05, 2026

Thank you, Jen! Looking forward to working with Wilkes again in 2027!

As a student who dreamed of going abroad for years, I never considered a trip like this would be at my fingertips. Many know that traveling abroad is a big decision because it involves location costs return of investment and with being in school of the timeline of when it’s going to happen. I decided to make my minor Hotel restaurant management sophomore year of college, but wasn’t sure of how I was still going to make my broad dream come true. Fall semester of 2024 when I was in one of my HRM studies I wondered what options there could be to study the subject abroad. That’s when I discovered the Molise Italian Studies program NAU in Italy: Economics of Gastronomy. After promptly siding up, I was introduced to a fully guided program with pre-arrival meetings that fully explained the details and necessary precautions of going abroad. Which included an itinerary of the daily activities the lessons that would be focused on and places of accommodation. All details, which transferred extremely well into the actual trip. Each lesson was fully in depth and offered different opportunities. My favorite day was probably the day we visited Di Iorio Tartufi - Italian Truffle where we learned how truffles were safely found and made into a meal. I came home with at least 5 jars!! I highly enjoyed the environment, the greenery, and absolutely the delicious assortment of truffle products. At the end of the day, this program offered me a week of excitement and verity of locations across molise. I couldn’t have asked for a better program to introduce me to the world of traveling.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewJuly 05, 2026

Grazie, Cialyn! So glad to be a part of your HRM journey (& we dream of truffles too)!

The program was well organized and communication from the staff and professors was reliable and helpful. The two class components (Bioregion/Sustainability and the local internship immersion) worked well together to flesh out our understanding of the community we were inhabiting; Professor Luca Trazzi has a strong teaching style, and proactively went the extra mile to facilitate better understanding of topics that students were interested in learning more about. He showed a professional command of his topics, and struck a great balance between teaching in a formal, academic context (readings, discussion) and organizing activities or more hands-on experiences to illustrate the real-world impact of the concepts discussed in class. Professor Bruno Grazioli was a perfect counterpoint, facilitating the Italian language immersion and internship components. I particularly enjoyed Prof. Grazioli's talent for encouraging us to engage with content on our own terms, centering joy and curiosity in the exploration of the classroom. The assignments were sufficient to make the class components feel worthwhile and academic, but not overwhelming in a way that restricted time to explore Bologna or make weekend plans. I want to express gratitude to Prof. Grazioli for going out of his way to make time for an advanced Italian course for me and another student who came into the program with a strong language foundation, so we were not forced to spend time in a beginner class and still benefitted from that component of the program. I specifically want to credit the program for organizing the class excursions: I rarely if ever felt like we were spending time unnecessarily or being forced to engage with things we did not enjoy, and it was a fantastic way to get a tailored exploration of cities like Venice and Turin. I also want to mention that Ellen and Elena Giulia were wonderful and efficient with the aid they provided us, and all four were marvelous for suggestions when we wanted to travel or were searching for something in the city. This program was a fantastic use of both my time and money, and I would highly recommend it to future students.

I had a great experience with Siena Italian Studies. The program had wonderful teachers and I was incredibly immersed in Italian language and culture. Our host family was welcoming, friendly, and supportive. Siena remains one of my favorite places in Italy. I can’t wait to visit again!

Studying in Siena through SIS was the single best decision I’ve ever made for myself. Living with a host family allowed me to truly immerse myself in the culture and - more importantly - make connections that will last a lifetime. My language skills skyrocketed, and I learned so much about history, chemistry, and more. I envy anybody who gets to go.

I feel I truly grew so much as a person from my time abroad. I became more independent, confident, and made relationships to last a life time. Aside from learning a new language, I learned countless life experiences that I will use for the rest of my life.

Tremendous staff. Environment is like none other and they accommodate well. For Seville, the city has been tremendous and CIEE gives you a proper introduction to this magnificent city. Whether an intern or a student during one of the sessions, you can get along with everyone and overcome the anxieties of a new city

I would be very likely to recommend CIEE Study Abroad to a friend because this program gives you many opportunities to explore the city you are in as well as the surrounding areas. All of the employees are very kind people who will be their to uplift and support the students who are abroad.

I would definitely say that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity! There are so many things that we were able to do on this trip that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to if I had just gone on vacation to Italy. We got to meet so many new individuals and build strong connections with them. We were also able to see so many wonderful sights and learn so much about the culture! Would 100% recommend!

In the moment, this experience felt like A LOT. A lot was happening all the time and it can be really overwhelming at times. But I think this goes back to something we learned while there. That is putting yourself in your panic zone so that you can get to your learning zone. Since returning, I would not change a single thing about this trip. Every hardship was a learning experience and I will have these lessons and memories forever. It's so cliche but I really feel like this trip opened my eyes to new perspectives and different ways of life and honestly made me care more about people with different backgrounds and worldwide issues.

I can not say enough good things about SIS. It was the best time of my life. I participated in Summer 2022 and it was incredible. It was awesome seeing the events leading up to the Palio and the palio itself. We had 10 people total for the first summer after covid and we all became very close and took weekend trips together. The staff is so supportive and nice. They really challenge you to learn. I will say you need to be a more motivated student to do this program, especially if you do not know Italian because the courses are taught in Italian. However, I really enjoyed this aspect coming in as a beginner as I was able to see myself improve. My host family was so sweet and I loved living with them. I think about my summer abroad every day and am constantly wishing I could go back. If you have the chance to do this program....do it!!

I took the gap year program in the spring 2022 semester. In spite the limitations posed by of the pandemic, SIS' wonderful team staff managed to organize excursions and activities so I feel like I got to know Tuscany and Italy well. really liked our classes as they were extremely hands-on and the topics we learned had much to do with what we were experiencing, like medieval History and art. The service learning/volunteering experience was also great as I got to interact with local vulnerable communities and practice my Italian. My favorite part was the host family. I feel like it really helped me to improve my Italian by a lot, and I created a stronger bond with Italy and learn more about the culture. My host family was always extremely nice, making me feel comfortable 100% of the time, and the food at their home was amazing.

I have had a great experience, it is organized and comes at a good cost. The staff on-site is very supportive and helpful (as well as Brooke in Portland), but we had an emergency situation and the Portland higher-ups didn't handle it well, nor did anyone answer the emergency number provided to us.

I did Siena Italian Studies about 5 years ago and I think about my experience every single day. I have returned a few times and everyone is so friendly and welcoming even still. It’s really a family. The activities that we did were so amazing like when we went to the alps to ski, had a wine tasting class, and went to the beach. Our program set us up with awesome families that fed us well. Our classes were as challenging as you wanted them. There were some offered for beginning Italian learners and some for intermediate and advanced. In the end you get to take the CILS exam which is really nice because you have some documented proof you actually learned some Italian! This program was one of the highlights of my life so far!

I feel that CIEE tries to have activities for us and I really do feel that I am learning a lot here. Also everyone here seems really nice and I feel that though we are different a lot of the students seem to have the same mindset and its a good chance to network.

CIEE is very well-staffed and they do everything they can to make sure you have the best experience possible. Everyone is friendly, the rules and guidelines are laid out for you, and the excursions CIEE plans are a blast!!

This has been the best summer of my life. Everything about CIEE has blown me away. Virginia Niera has been an extremely attentive and helpful program director. She and Antonio Romero were both quick to offer help with any issues I might have. The professors, Amador Fernandez and Antonio Rodriguez, taught with enthusiasm and care. Each class genuinely excited and intrigued me. They graded fairly and truly cared about students understanding and learning. We took informative, fun, and interesting trips. They were all well-planned and extremely enjoyable. The tour guides we had, Adrian and Alicia, were knowledgable and made the tours very meaningful. The trip to Morocco really opened my eyes to other cultures and ways of life. Finally, my homestay could not have been better. I really got close to my host family, and I felt like I had a place in Seville where I could be totally comfortable. I have already recommended this program to two of my friends, and I plan to encourage more to do it if they w