Liberal Arts Study Abroad Programs in Italy

Coming home a new person! The program was awesome from start to finish, I never felt homesick, and the art course was a highlight. Only the Paris hotel let it down. I’d recommend it to anyone and already tell friends to apply.

I spent my semester abroad in Florence, and it was a great experience. The city is beautiful and easy to get around, and after a few weeks it started to feel like home. I had my go-to coffee spots, I knew my way around, and I spent a lot of time just walking around the city. Even the everyday stuff, like grabbing groceries at the market or getting dinner with friends, felt like part of the experience. My classes were fun and a nice change from a typical semester. One of my favorites was an outdoor painting class where we went to different spots around Florence and painted the landscape. Spending a few hours painting one spot made me notice so much more about Florence than I would have just passing through. Traveling was a big part of my time abroad. I ended up visiting 10 countries, mostly on weekend trips. Florence was a good home base for that, and every trip was different. I got to try new food, meet new people, and see a lot of places I’d always wanted to visit. Some of my favorites were Morocco, Chamonix, Lisbon, and Madrid. Each one had a completely different feel, from the markets in Morocco to the mountains in Chamonix to exploring the city streets in Lisbon and Madrid. Planning the trips and figuring things out along the way taught me a lot too. Overall, I came home more independent, more comfortable stepping outside my comfort zone, and with a lot of good memories. I’d recommend studying abroad in Florence to anyone thinking about it.

Being stationed in Italy, I had the chance to go on a solo trip to Lublin, Poland, where my great great grandfather had immigrated from in 1909. It was a great chance to connect with my Polish heritage first hand in a town that very few study abroad students get to visit.

My experience studying abroad was so rewarding and fulfilling. Through API, I was able to see another culture, meet lots of new people, and challenge myself! API supported every step in the process, through assistance with the visa process, arrival, housing, and providing opportunities for cultural exploration. We spent a weekend in Venice with the program and were able to see how glass blowing works. I am so thankful for my semester abroad, and I would encourage everyone to see new parts of the world!

Forum-Nexus was incredibly well organized from start to finish. Travel between cities was efficient, and I still had the freedom to explore on my own. The Independent Cultural Visits pushed me to get out and discover each place. Laura did a great job in International Business, and I learned a lot. The teachers and staff were nice and caring, and Adam was the best! It was the adventure of a lifetime, and it showed me I can do new and scary things. I’d recommend it 100%. You won’t experience anything like it.

Studying abroad in Florence, Italy, was an unforgettable journey filled with new experiences, cultural discoveries, and personal growth. From exploring the beautiful streets to experiencing authentic Italian food and history, every moment was special. Although adjusting to a new environment had its challenges, the experience helped me become more independent and open-minded. I would highly recommend studying abroad in Florence to anyone and everyone! I think spending a full semester abroad is the best way to experience a new country because it gives you enough time to truly immerse yourself in the culture and adjust to a different way of life. A semester also provides the perfect balance of time to focus on your studies while still having opportunities to travel and experience new things. I was in Florence for the Spring 2026 term, which was such a wonderful time to experience the city. As the weather began to warm up, Florence became even more beautiful and lively. As an arts major, one of the most special parts of studying in Florence was being surrounded by so much incredible art and history. Getting to experience the art firsthand was truly inspiring and allowed me to connect with my passion for art in a completely different way. It made my time abroad especially meaningful. The API team made this experience even more amazing by helping make the transition to living and studying abroad feel comfortable and exciting. I appreciate the support and organization that went into making the experience so memorable. Having API as a resource allowed me to fully enjoy my time in Florence while feeling supported throughout the process. Overall, both Florence and API exceeded my expectations, and I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to study abroad and create unforgettable memories!

Florence was the best host city I could have ever asked for. As a graphic design major, LDM offered a wide range of arts classes that supported my studies during the spring 2026 semester. I had class 3 days a week, so there was always plenty of time to explore Florence and travel throughout other European countries. Throughout my 4-month term, I learned so much, both inside and outside the classroom, shaping the person I am today. The API staff helped make this such a memorable experience, as communication was easy and everyone was so kind and accommodating. As for Florence, transportation was relatively easy to navigate, and the city proved safe both during the day and at night. I am truly blessed for my time abroad and hope to encourage anyone to take the leap of faith to do the same.

This specific program truly blew my study abroad expectations out of the water. The staff and faculty were so helpful and responsive the entirety of the trip!! There was so much freedom involved and I had to learn how to live and adjust myself into the new lifestyle that I soon became engulfed in. I felt one with the people, place and culture. Florence was truly a magical place and had pure charm. It was so central for travel and easy to walk from place to place. The teachers did an outstanding job of creating a classroom and learning environment that was collaborative with not only other students, yet the Italian culture as well. Classes were highly educational, yet I did not feel as if i was drowning in school or work. The opportunities of adventure and trying new things were endless, I learned so much!!! As for rooming goes, I was blessed with the best three random roomates that genuinely made my experience what it was. We traveled to many countries together and made so many fun memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. We have already had a reunion back here in the states!! Overall I met so many amazing individuals throughout my Florence journey. I miss the people and the place every single day and would not trade my experiences for the world. I hope to be back soon Firenze!!!

I had such an amazing experience studying abroad through WorldStrides! I attended the 15 week program in Florence, Italy. Not only did I get to learn more about the Italian language and culture, but I got to see beautiful pieces of art and architecture. The food was another bonus! With WorldStrides, I was able to choose from many different classes, and there were excursions included in my program price!

Forum-Nexus was an amazing experience. I made many new friends, enjoyed the professional and cultural visits, and loved the balance between school and fun. The staff was amazing, and I would definitely recommend it.

Making the choice to study abroad can be a very nerve racking and stressful process, but it can also be the most rewarding and fulfilling experience if you go with a program that puts your needs first. I traveled to Florence with WorldStrides this past spring and it was honestly the best months of my life. Program staff and support was accessible throughout my entire journey ever since the start of my application to even after my flight back home! One of my favorite things they provided us with was the chance to participate in included excursions, events, and activities. This helped me and my roommates get more involved around the city and allowed us to save a little money on travel. Overall, this was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life and I’m so thankful that I was able to learn so much about the city, meet people from all over the world, and return home with a new appreciation for the world around me!

My time in Italy was one of the most amazing, life-changing, and enjoyable experiences I have ever had. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to visit Italy for the first time, especially since it was also my first time flying on an airplane. I loved how affordable the program was for everything that was included. We traveled throughout Central Italy, enjoyed amazing food and accommodations, and were guided by caring faculty and tour guides who truly wanted us to have the best experience possible. This trip gave me unforgettable memories, new friendships, and experiences that I will always be grateful for.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewOctober 09, 2026

Grazie, Samuel! 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 unforgettable time in Italy with Molise Italian Studies. It was my first time visiting a country outside of the United States, so I was a little worried at first. However, the program was so well run and smooth that I soon had no worries whatsoever. Our guide, Andrea, was excellent and our trip would not have been what it was without him. I would highly recommend Molise Italian Studies to any one who is interested in Italian culture, history, or exploring another country.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewOctober 09, 2026

Grazie Jay! We are glad you had a great trip and we passed along your gratitude to Andrea!

My study abroad experience to Italy was incredible. I had met so many new amazing people and new connections. Our tour guide, Andrea, was very helpful, patient, and kind throughout the whole trip. I am very grateful to be chosen to attend this trip.

Molise Italian Studies responded to this reviewOctober 09, 2026

Grazie Luisana! We are glad you had a great trip and we passed along your gratitude to Andrea!

Studying abroad was without a doubt the most transformative experience of my life. World Strides made the process so much easier with their quick and detailed communication. I felt like I had so much support and resources to be successful while abroad. They also provided multiple excursions that were already included with my trip. If you get the opportunity to study abroad with world strides I highly recommend!!

I absolutely loved my time in Florence with World Strides! I had never been out of the country and didn't know anyone else going, so I was terrified, but the experience was amazing. World strides was really easy to work with and offered a lot of free activities in Florence, such as a cooking class and a weekend trip to Lake Garda. The staff were all really kind and welcoming, and I made very good friends in the program. I could not recommend this program enough!

This is my second trip with this program I did the Japan last year and Italy this year also intend to go again next year and I loved the different classes there were I took cuisines and art history we made many different kinds of Italian food and went to different places almost every day there were also many different day trips on the weekends that were amazing to go on and ending in Rome and seeing the colosseum and learning about it was a great way to end the trip and the staff was really amazing and accommodating with the need of the students

I learned so much on this trip through the art history course and photography course. I wasn’t that interested in many of the art made in periods such as renaissance, but I learned so much about them and got quite good at identifying them. I similarly wasn’t that knowledgeable about Christianity and especially Catholicism (at least more than the average American) but I learned so much about it as well and really came to respect the ideas related to it. Finally I also knew literally nothing about photography but through this I learned a lot about different styles and the essentials of photography to the point that I think I’ll be taking better pictures for the rest of my life. This is all without saying the fun and incredible sights and art I got to see, yes we went to churches and art museums to learn about it but we also went to appreciate it and through that I got to see some beautiful art that might be some of my highlight pictures from the trip. Also the day trips to other prominent cities are so much fun and so different Florence is a great base to operate out of and through that base different cities especially Venice and Siena contrast very well, Venice being very tight and of course featuring water, and Siena being very hilly.

World class program is great because it’s more than just a summer program it is an absolute immersion into Ancient Rome; the renaissance in Florence, and amazing medieval art were extravagant and eye popping. Going into the different museums and churches was, like dunking yourself into a beautiful shining spring in Ancient Rome taking you back in time to the minds of Roman’s and what they were thinking while walking into grandiose church. The different day trips were amazing in total there were four day trips one to Lucca where we rode bikes around the city walls, and explored the city, one to cinque terre where we hiked across a mountain with a view of the Mediterranean and ended on the beach. One to siena where we explored the city on the mountain and saw the amazing views. My favorite day trip was the one to Venice where we saw Murano the glass making city and we took boats around to different locations. The pros of the program was the amount of stuff that we had easy access to because of the great connections and the staff. Another pro is the community all the people were easy to connect with and make good friends without any problems. The amount of free time to explore and shop in Florence was great you were able to get what ever lunch you wanted or go to what ever shop in all of old Florence. The cons weren’t many. The program was genuinely so amazing. The only one I can think of is the heat in Italy, but it wasn’t the programs fault it is Italy’s faults for not having good american a/c. The only other con I can think of is not being able to go longer.

My study abroad experience was truly unforgettable, largely because of the amazing and easy-going staff who made every day enjoyable. Their friendly nature and sense of humor created a welcoming atmosphere that helped me feel at home even when I was far away. I often found myself laughing with them, which made the whole experience not just educational but genuinely fun. Their support and kindness made a big difference, turning challenges into opportunities to grow. One of the most meaningful parts of my time abroad was the relationships I built. I connected with people from all over the world, and these friendships became an important part of my journey. Sharing experiences, learning about different cultures, and supporting each other made these bonds truly special. These relationships taught me the value of understanding and empathy, and I know they will continue to be important in my life long after the program ends. Beyond the social side, I learned so much academically and personally. The new environment pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and adapt in ways I hadn’t before. I gained knowledge in my field of study, but I also learned life skills like independence and problem-solving. This experience has not only enriched my education but also helped me grow into a more confident and open-minded person.