Sorrento

A small city of 16,500 in southern Italy, Sorrento is an enchanting beach town right on the water. Imagine looking out your classroom window onto the Mediterranean Sea with Mount Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri in the distance!

Because very few Americans live and study here, you can experience Italian culture in depth. Enjoy the best of both worlds – a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city with an approachable, small town feel and a history that is several millennia old. With origins dating back to the Roman Republic, Sorrento is steeped in history both figuratively and literally, as the town is built into cliffs of ancient compacted volcanic ash, rising up from the sea. Amidst the modern shops and restaurants, a stroll around town will encounter narrow alleyways, ancient ruins, and tranquil churches.

Located just 1 hour from Naples and a half hour from Pompeii, and with bus, train, and ferry transportation nearby, you can easily explore the rest of Europe and everything it has to offer.

SANT’ANNA INSTITUTE

Founded in 1998, the mission of Sant’Anna Institute is to provide a learning experience that engages students through total immersion of local language, community, and culture. Sant’Anna Institute is a community of cultural exchange, attracting students from all over the world who come here to learn Italian and experience life in southern Italy.

The Institute is housed in a historical building, perched on one of Sorrento’s cliffs of ancient volcanic ash. Classrooms overlook the school’s lush gardens and the Marina Grande, Sorrento’s main fishing port. With views of the Mediterranean Sea, Mount Vesuvius, and the Isle of Capri, it is a picturesque place to study. Field trips are part of many courses at Sant’Anna Institute.

Click here to view an interactive map of Sant’Anna Institute.

Click these links to go directly to:

• Internships
• Service Learning & Community Engagement
• Research Projects

INTERNSHIPS

Students may complete a for-credit internship in their major or minor field of study for an additional fee of $510. Internships are completed alongside coursework. An internship is a great way to meet Italian people while building your résumé and gaining hands-on experience. Internships are available summer and semester terms.

PLACEMENTS AVAILABLE IN:

• Archaeology

• Architecture / Interior Design

• Art History

• Community Health

• Culinary Arts

• Education / ESL Teaching

• Emergency Management

• English

• Environmental Science

• Event Management

• Fashion Merchandising

• Fitness Management

• Food & Beverage Management

• Geology / Volcanology

• Hospitality

• Human Rights

• Human Services Management

• International Business

• International Politics

• Italian Studies

• Journalism

• Leadership / Student Wellness

• Marine Biology

• Marketing

• Nutrition

• Studio Art

• Political Science

• Sports Business

• Social Work

• Tourism

• Veterinary Science

• Women’s Studies

SERVICE LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Community Engagement projects are voluntary and independent from courses, while Service Learning projects are designed specifically for certain courses to allow you to apply what you've learned in the classroom, and at the same time, give back to the city hosting you.

Sant’Anna Institute is very involved with the local community! They have ties to dozens of local businesses and organizations, through which they are able to offer ASA students a range of meaningful projects. In fact, due to the reputation of these projects within the town, oftentimes businesses and organizations in the community reach out to Sant’Anna looking to collaborate.

These projects are a form of experiential learning, allowing students to learn in partnership with the community and develop competencies that promote the advancement of social responsibility. Time spent working with a community-based organization becomes part of the students’ homework. In the case of Service Learning projects, the community serves as a “living text” for the class – another powerful source of information to complement course readings, lectures, and discussions.

Service Learning and Community Engagement Programs engage both students and the broader community in reciprocal partnerships to create educational projects, promote leadership through service, foster and support inclusive environments, and advance social justice and civic engagement.  For more details about service learning and community engagement opportunities, please click here!

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Semester students can complete a Research Project alongside coursework for no additional fee. A research project is a great way to meet Italian people while building your résumé and gaining hands-on experience. 

AVAILABLE PROJECTS

Research projects are available in the following areas:

• History of the Mafia: Organized crime in Italy from a Historical Perspective
• Gender Studies: Gender-based Violence in Italy
• Human Rights: Field Research on Migrants and Refugees
• Marine Biology/Sustainability – On-site at the Marine Protected Area of Punta Campanella ($500 additional fee)
• Italian Literature – Dante’s Comedy in the Contemporary Culture

For complete details, click here!

INCLUDED

• ROOM & BOARD / ROOM ONLY: Choose between these 4 housing options:

  • Option A: On-campus residence hall without meals, with kitchen facilities

  • Option B: Italian homestay with daily breakfast and dinner included

  • Option C: Shared apartment without meals, with kitchen facilities

  • Option D: Off campus residence hall with some meals included (vouchers for breakfast and dinner)

• TUITION at Sant’Anna Institute for the maximum number of credits or courses indicated on the program course offerings page. Enrolling in more than the maximum number of credits/courses (if permitted by the host institution) will result in an additional fee.

• ACADEMIC CREDITS: Students who receive pre-approval from their home institution can transfer the credits they earn to their home institution.

• OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT: Final transcript is issued by Jacksonville University. Upon completion of the program, ASA will provide one free shipment of your final transcript to your U.S. institution.

• EXCURSIONS: Semester programs include 2 day trips. Summer programs include 1 day trip.

• CULTURAL ACTIVITIES in Sorrento (museum visits, walking tours, etc.)

• INTERNET ACCESS: Students will have free Internet access at their host institution and in their program housing.

• AIRPORT PICK-UP: Group ground transportation is provided from Naples (NAP) airport for students who arrive on the official arrival date, by the designated time.

• SITE DIRECTOR: Students will have an on-site director to assist them with any academic or cultural difficulties they may encounter.

• MEDICAL INSURANCE: Comprehensive international medical insurance is included. Click here for details on benefits and coverage.

• VISA ADVISING: Students are ultimately responsible for obtaining their visa (if required for their term), but ASA will provide detailed, helpful information upon acceptance about which visa students will need and how to go about applying for one. Please click here and scroll down to “Student Visa Information” to find out if a visa is required for your program.

• PRE-DEPARTURE HANDBOOK & ON-SITE ORIENTATION

• SUBSCRIPTION TO SAFETURE SAFETY-ENHANCING MOBILE APP

• SUBSCRIPTION TO MINDHAMOK: a 24-7 service designed to support your mental, physical, and social wellbeing throughout your program. You can find out more about mindhamok in our Pre-Departure Guide for All Programs

NOT INCLUDED

• $510 internship fee (only charged to you if you sign up for an internship)

• Round trip airfare and travel expenses to and from the program location

• Books, materials, lab fees

• Local transportation

• Personal expenses

• All meals if living in the on-campus residence hall or shared apartment; some meals if living in a homestay or off-campus residence hall

• Laundry

• Meals on activities

• Transportation from the airport if the student does not arrive on the official arrival date by the designated time

• Transportation back to the airport at the end of the program

• Student Visa and Permit of Stay, if required

For academic year students and those enrolling in more than one session, housing and other ASA services and benefits are not provided during the break between sessions. For academic year students only, medical insurance during winter break is included if it is required to get your visa.

If you need a budget or Costs of Attendance for your financial aid office, or if you simply want an estimate of the not-included costs listed above.