Florence

Application Deadlines: See this page

Language Requirement: Open to all levels of Italian

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Students attending Florence University of the Arts can earn 3-6 credits for an Internship or Experiential Learning Project alongside their classes - at no additional fee!

Internships and Experiential Learning Projects are not stand-alone, but take the place of one or two of your classes at Florence University of the Arts.

BENEFITS

Participating in an Internship or Experiential Learning Project (ELP) during your study abroad program in Florence, Italy, is a fantastic way to gain work experience, meet Italian people, and add a unique bullet point to your résumé! You will have the opportunity to experience Italian culture in a much deeper and more hands-on way than your classmates who aren’t doing internships!

Students may apply for an Internship or ELP after being accepted to the ASA program, during the course pre-registration process. More on this, as well a list of available placements, can be found below.

INTERNSHIP OR ELP?

An Internship has an Italian language minimum requirement. Internships are reserved for students who meet the language requirement. The required Italian level varies by placement – for example, some internship placements require an Elementary or Low Intermediate level of Italian, whereas others require an Advanced level. During an Internship, the student actively assists professionals in fulfilling daily tasks at external companies or organizations. The student does not receive academic instruction but learns by performing tasks. Internships typically take place at external companies or organizations outside of Florence University of the Arts, at various locations in the greater Florence area.

An Experiential Learning Project (ELP) does not have an Italian language requirement. During an ELP, the student learns by doing and observing the assigned tasks while receiving academic instruction. An ELP takes place at Florence University of the Arts or at one of Florence University of the Art’s CEMIs listed below (Community Engagement Member Institutions). This allows the ELP to be conducted in a primarily English-speaking environment. The CEMI will provide a challenging environment, where responsibilities and learning objectives will be assigned to the student from the very beginning.

Although FUA does their very best to place students in their top choice internship or ELP, we can’t guarantee a particular placement, company, or organization.

Internships and Experiential Learning Projects are for-credit and unpaid.

CREDITS

Students can earn 3-6 semester credits for completing an Internship or Experiential Learning Project (ELP). The Internship or ELP will take the place of one or two of your classes and counts toward the total number of credits you are allowed to take during your term. Semester total credit load: 12-15. Summer total credit load: 3-6. Summer students who who want to do an Internship or Experiential Learning Project must enroll in the 6-week Summer session.

HOURS

Students are required to complete 150 work hours outside of your class hours. Work hours typically take place on weekdays (Monday through Friday), but some internships and ELPs may require a few weekend hours as well. Your assigned hours won't conflict with your classes.

Some internships and ELPs are worth 3 credits and do not have regular class meetings in addition to the 150 work hours, while other internships and ELPs are worth 6 credits and have regular class meetings, in addition to 150 work hours. Number of credits, requirements, and details can be found in the placement descriptions further down on this page.

PREREQUISITES

Prerequisites vary by placement. Some placements require previous work experience and/or coursework in the field, and some do not. Some placements are open to specific majors. Any Italian language requirement will be indicated in the placement description. For certain Internships or ELPs, it may be mandatory to take an Italian Language class. Please scroll down for a list of available placements and click the links to read the placement descriptions.

EXAMPLE LOCATIONS

Experiential Learning Project placements are located at the following CEMIs (Community Engagement Member Institutions) of Florence University of the Arts:

• CCIS: Center for Cultural and Italian Studies

• Corridoio Fiorentino: Photography and Design Gallery

• Dimora B&B: FUA’s student-run Bed and Breakfast

• EntrepreLearn Lab: Housed within FUA’s International School of Business

• Fedora Pastry Shop: FUA’s pastry shop, open to the public

• Florence Artist in Residence: Housed within FUA’s School of Arts and Sciences

• FLY (Fashion Loves You) and FAST: FUA’s Fashion Retail Store and Fashion Event Venue, open to the public

• FUA Student Life and Development Office

• FUA Communications Office / Ingorda Campus Press: FUA’s Publishing & Communications Office and Journalism School

• Ganzo Restaurant: FUA’s culinary arts creative lab, hospitality event venue, and student-run restaurant, open to the public

• La Palestra: FUA’s on-campus gym

• Sorgiva Spa:  FUA’s on-campus full-service spa, health, and wellness facility, open to the public

SPRING 2025 ELPs

Please click the links for a description of each placement, including prerequisites, requirements, and number of credits:

• Art Therapy Service Learning

• Baking Techniques II: Italian Pastry Techniques

• Book Publishing

• Community Garden Management

• Consumer Behavior and Retail Strategies

• Digital Communication

• Digital Photography

• Entremets

• Entrepreneurial Marketing

• Entrepreneurship

• Fashion and Accessory Design

• Fashion Buying Strategies: From Personal Shopper to Retail Merchandising

• Fashion Retail Management

• Fine Arts Gallery Assistant

• Food and Beverage Operations and Management

• Graphic Design

• Hospitality Industry

• Hotel Management Operations and Front Office Procedures

• International Education – Field Learning Assistant

• International Education – Resident Assistant

• International Education – Study Abroad Assistant

• Introduction to Accessory Design: Shoes, Bags, and Belts

• Introduction to Creative Videomaking

• Journalism

• Learning in a Local Restaurant

• Library Sciences

• Local Community

• Mediterranean Cuisine and Ingredients

• Pastry Shop

• Public Relations

• Real Estate Management

• Real Estate and Property Management

• Restaurant Management (6 credits)

• Restaurant Management (3 credits)

• Social Media

• Spa Management

• Special Event Management - Hospitality

• Sport Management

• Video Production

• Wine Service and Beverage Management

• Wine Communications and Marketing

• Worldwide Cuisine

SUMMER 2025 ELPs

Please click the links for a description of each placement, including prerequisites, requirements, and number of credits:

• Consumer Behavior and Retail Strategies

• Digital Communications

• Entrepreneurial Marketing

• Event Planning & Production

• Fashion and Accessory Design

• Fashion Retail Management

• Fine Arts - Gallery Assistant

• Food and Beverage Operations Management

• Food, Culture, and Community

• Gallery Exhibition and Curating

• Graphic Design – Visual Communication

• Grow, Cook, Heal: Therapy for Wellbeing

• Hospitality - Learning in the Hospitality Industry

• Hospitality - Special Event Management

• Introduction to Digital Photography

• Learning in the Local Community

• Learning in a Local Restaurant

• Learning in Public Relations

• Real Estate & Property Management

• Social Media

• Visual Communication - Video Production

• Wine Service & Beverage Management

FALL 2024 ELPs

Please click the links for a description of each placement, including prerequisites, requirements, and number of credits:

• Baking and Pastry Industry

• Bibliotherapy: Reading, Healing, and Wellness

• Book Publishing

• Community Garden Management

• Consumer Behavior and Retail Strategies

• Digital Communication

• Digital Photography

• Digital Photography (Intermediate)

• Entrepreneurship

• Entrepreneurial Marketing

• Fashion and Accessory Design

• Fashion Industry - Fashion Retail Management

• Fashion Photography

• Fashion Retail Management

• Fine Arts Gallery Assistant

• Food and Beverage Operations and Management

• Gallery and Exhibition Curating

• Graphic Design – Visual Communication

• Hospitality Industry

• Hospitality - Spa Management

• International Education - Study Abroad Assistant

• Introduction to Digital Photography

• Introduction to Professional Cooking

• Italian Pastry Techniques

• Journalism

• Learning in a Local Restaurant

• Pastry Shop

• Product Design

• Public Relations

• Real Estate and Property Management

• Restaurant and Production Desserts

• Public Relations

• Restaurant Management

• Restaurant Management – Front of the House

• Social Media

• Special Event Management

• Special Event Management - Hospitality

• Sport Management

• Video Production

• Wine Communications and Marketing

• Wine Service and Beverage Management

SPRING 2025 INTERNSHIPS

Please click the links for a description of each placement, including prerequisites, requirements, and number of credits:

• Accounting and Business

• Architecture Studio and Interior Design Assistant

• Art Gallery Assistant

• Baking and Pastry Industry

• Culinary Arts

• Education and Childcare

• Fundraising

• Hospitality Industry

• Teaching English as a Foreign Language

FALL 2024 INTERNSHIPS

Please click the links for a description of each placement, including prerequisites, requirements, and number of credits:

• Accounting and Business

• Architecture Studio and Interior Design Assistant

• Art Gallery Assistant

• Baking and Pastry Industry

• Business Management

• Culinary Arts

• Education and Childcare

• Fundraising

• Hospitality Industry

• Marketing

• Music and Performing Arts Administration

• Photography

• Pre-Clinical Research - Dependence and Abuse

• Public Relations

• Special Event Management

• Sport Venue and Training Center Assistant

• Teaching English as a Foreign Language

• Video Production

• Visual Communication

WHAT TO EXPECT

An Internship or an Experiential Learning Project is a job that gives you the opportunity to gain experience in the given field. It is also a great opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in your classes and gain networking contacts. Please remain open-minded about the type of work you’ll be doing. Know that you will come away with transferable skills!

You will participate in a mandatory Orientation after you arrive in Florence. This will help you understand what is expected of you, what resources you have for support, and how to have a successful internship. Any academic obligations associated with your internship or ELP, such as papers, projects or reports, must be submitted to your supervisor or coordinator by the given deadlines. You may incur reasonable commuting expenses to and from your internship location, up to one hour’s duration each way, at the student’s expense.

Please be aware that Internships and ELPs cannot be dropped or changed once you have been assigned a placement.

Please be aware that by hiring you, the company or organization is making a significant investment of their time and resources. By accepting an internship, you are making a commitment to that organization, which must be taken seriously. You will be expected to complete your internship in full and put forth your best effort. Just like going to class is required and any absences are documented, your work attendance will be counted. Repeated no-shows or general lack of commitment to your internship can result in your placement being revoked, in which case you would receive a failing grade and not receive the credits.

HOW TO APPLY

Once accepted to the ASA program, you will be prompted to pre-register for classes at Florence University of the Arts by completing ASA’s Course Pre-registration Form. Simply list the internship/ELP, including the course code and title, on your ASA Course Pre-registration Form.

After submitting your ASA Course Pre-registration Form, simply submit the following additional application materials to ASA, and we will forward them to Florence University of the Arts. Internship/ELP application materials include:

• CV (résumé). Must be focused on any academic and professional experiences related to your internship field.

• Cover Letter/Letter of Motivation exploring the reasons for your application, your goals and expectations, and ideal outcome of the internship/ELP.

• Depending on the field of your placement, a portfolio may be required. Fields that require a portfolio can include Fine Arts, Photography, Graphic Design, Fashion Design, Theater Arts, etc. If required, a portfolio should contain relevant work from previous academic/professional experience. We will let you know if a portfolio is required.

• If knowledge of Italian is required for your desired internship or ELP, an Italian language proficiency exam, which can be assessed via interview with a certified Italian language instructor or a placement exam.

Once Florence University of the Arts has reviewed your application materials listed above, they will email you directly to schedule an online interview. During the interview, your interest and suitability for the position will be assessed. You are strongly encouraged to write down a list of questions before your interview so that you understand the requirements of the position, work location and distance from school, work hours, scheduling, dress code, and other details. Please dress appropriately for your interview and have it somewhere quiet where you won't be interrupted or distracted. Consider what will appear behind you on the screen. Please take the interview seriously – you are applying for a job!

Students applying for an external Internship placement will be evaluated by the FUA Experiential Learning and Internship Department as well as the external placement supervisor.

In certain cases, at the discretion of FUA’s Experiential Learning and Internship Department, a student may be required to take a preparatory class before being assigned to a placement. This will not only provide the student with the necessary theoretical background, but it will also allow the student to fully benefit from the experience. After successful completion of the course, the student may be re-evaluated for admission to an internship or ELP.

Most students receive confirmation of their placement 2-4 weeks before their program starts, but the placement process could be longer or shorter.

Upon completing an internship or ELP, the student may request the following documentation to verify their participation:

• An official document confirming the student’s attendance

• Letter of recommendation from the on-site placement supervisor

• Any other document that is required by the student’s home institution must be filled out by the on-site placement supervisor. It will reflect the on-site placement supervisor’s opinion on the student’s performance and will refer strictly to the tasks carried out by the student during their placement. Any such documents may only be completed after completing the internship or ELP.