Program Provider: Institute for the International Education of Students (IES)

Program Site: IES study center and several Italian universities

Duration: Fall, Spring or Year. Fall semester runs from early September to late December, spring semester runs from mid-January to late May. Students who take university courses should expect to stay up to one month longer to complete finals.

Description: Once a capital of the Roman Empire, Milan is now the commercial and financial center of contemporary Italy. Although it is the city where Leonardo da Vinci painted The Last Supper and Verdi composed music still heard at La Scala, modern Milan leads Italy in fields such as fashion, music, publishing, finance, industry, architecture and design.

The IES Milan Center is located on the southwest side of the city near the Navigli canal district and the Università Cattolica.

Academics: Upon arrival students participate in an intensive language workshop which determines course placement. Beginning/Intermediate students take Italian language plus IES area studies courses taught in English (including Art History, Communications, History, International Business, Literature, Music, Theatre, Political Science, and Psychology). Advanced students take Italian language and select IES area studies courses taught in Italian. All students are encouraged to choose one or two courses offered at one of five Italian universities. In addition, a full range of music opportunities are available for Instrumentalists, Vocalists, Composers, and Music Performance Majors.

Sample IES courses :
-    Art in Northern Italy from the Baroque to the Present
-    Italian Conversation: Culture and Cuisine of Italy
-    Post-Industrial Business in Milan: The Case Of Fashion
-    Filmmaking in Milan: Discovering the City through Italian Cinema
-    Issues in Italian Politics since 1945
-    Italian and American Approaches to Mental Health: A Comparative Study of the Bio-Psycho-Social Model

Courses offered at the following Italian universities:
-    Accademia Internazionale della Musica – music technique and performance taught in English; theory and history taught in Italian
-    Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Cattolica) – social science and humanities taught in Italian and English
-    Università Bocconi (Bocconi) – business taught in Italian and English
-    Scuola Politecnica di Design (Politecnica) – design taught in Italian only
-    Istituto di Moda Burgo – fashion design taught in English and Italian

Course load and Credit: Students take between 5 and 6 courses per semester, one of which must be Italian language. The maximum number of units granted per semester is 18.

Accommodations: Most students live in shared apartments with American and Italian roommates. A limited amount of dormitory housing is available at the Colegio di Milano; applicants are chosen based on academic criteria.

Activities and Other Program Features: One- to four-day excursions to locations in Italy such as Cinque Terre, the Dolomite Alps, Tuscany and Sicily. Throughout the semester, IES arranges cultural events and guest lectures; previous activities include attendance at ballet, opera, and musical performances at La Scala Opera House, as well as lectures on the Sociology of Fashion and other topics pertinent to Milan.

IES can also arrange internships for students seeking international work experience. Previous placements have included fashion designers, newspapers, business consulting firms and financial institutions. The internship is complemented by a required seminar course that offers contextual support to students’ practical work experience. USC credit for internships is not guaranteed; please click here for internship guidelines.

Since the Università Cattolica is IES’ main partner school, students have access to many of the amenities it offers, including one of Italy’s largest libraries, study rooms, a travel agency and cultural and sports activities.


Eligibility: Minimum 3.0 GPA and at least two semesters of Italian.

Estimated Semester Cost:
Tuition............................$16,200
Additional Expenses*........$11,761
Total...............................$27,961

Cost Updated: 3/31/09
Text Updated: 3/31/09

*Additional expenses include estimated costs for airfare, room and board, books and supplies, health insurance, and personal expenses (which can vary greatly from student to student). USC financial aid, scholarships, and tuition remission may be applied to program costs. Please visit the Office of Overseas Studies for more detailed cost information.

Links:
IES Milan
USC Department of French and Italian
Italian Consulate in Los Angeles
Milan Tourist Information
Lonely Planet Italy
Lonely Planet Milan