Snapshot
Dates
| Term | Application Deadline | Confirmation Deadline | Orientation | Program Start | Program End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May Session 2026 | December 1, 2025 | December 8, 2025 | May 11–15, 2026 | Tentative - May 16, 2026 | Tentative - June 5, 2026 |
About the Program
*The Experiencing Italy program is accepting applications for the waitlist only. Please contact the Study Abroad office with any questions regarding your application status.
Program Overview
Cities visited: Ferrara, Foligno, Pesaro, Rome, Assisi, Florence, Urbino, and Venice
Pre-course work before departure: Class will meet the first week in May (May 11–15) prior to departure
Dates abroad: May 16–June 5, 2026
Investigate Italy's rich heritage in the arts. The program explores Renaissance visual culture, its continued cultural influences, as well as contemporary art practices. A mix of lectures, field trips, discussions, and creative activities will supplement on-site learning.
Seize the opportunity for in-depth personal research, collaboration, and interdisciplinary approaches to the course materials and content.
Activities and excursions are subject to change. Final itinerary details will be provided closer to the departure date.
Academics
Prerequisites:
- Minimum 2.0 GPA
- Students may participate in study abroad anytime after freshman year (or completing 24 college credits post-completion of high school). Note: students may apply to a program during freshman year but must have completed freshman year in good standing to participate in the program.
- Students may not enroll in a second May term course, and must choose either the Art History or Art course while abroad.
International Study in Art History (ILSA/ARTH 2892), 3 credits
Experiencing Italy study abroad course designed for students to explore visual culture and to learn how culture, faith, politics, and power impacts art and architecture. Students will keep a daily journal documenting observations and responding to prompts (through word and image), engage with scholarly material, as well as translate their experiences into creative projects.
This course is approved to count for:
- Electives for Graphic Design BFA (Studio emphasis & Marketing emphasis), Art BA, & Studio Art BFAs (General Studio; Painting/Drawing/Printmaking; Sculpture & Ceramics).
- Art History major: ARTH 3330 (Renaissance Art & Architecture requirement)
- Electives in Art History minor
- Liberal Education: Fine Arts category
- Liberal Education: Global Perspectives category
- May be taken by other students as degree credits
Independent Study: Studio Art in Italy (ILSA/ART 4255), 3 credits
Taught on-site in Italy. A hands-on studio course that explores time-based art such as video art, sound art, and animation. Students will make art on site that is informed by their independent study of early modern Italian art, the landscape, and Italian rituals and celebrations.
This course is approved to count for:
- Lower or upper electives in Art BA, Art Education BFA, Graphic Design BFA (Studio sub-plan) & Studio Art BFA, and the Art History Major requirement
- Studio BFA (Digital Art & Photography) area emphasis requirement
- Elective requirements for Art Minor and ART 2030 in the Arts in Media minor and the Film Minor
- Non-Art & Design majors may take this course!
- Liberal Education: Fine Arts category
- Liberal Education: Global Perspectives category
- Upper-level course in LSBE
- May be taken by other students as degree credits.
Note: students may only enroll in one course (either the Art History or Art course).
Cost Information
Use this cost estimate to help calculate expenses and budget for your study abroad program. This includes all program fees billed to your UMD student account and necessary out-of-pocket expenses. Please note that cost estimates and fees may change depending on international economic factors. We will post final fees once enrollments, inflation, and exchange rates are determined in order to provide the most accurate pricing. We strive to post final fees by October 1 for Winter and Spring programs, March 1 for May/Summer programs, and May 1 for Fall and Academic Year programs. This cost does not include the $50 application fee.
If more students apply, a cost reduction is likely. Final cost estimates are posted closer to the program departure; costs vary each year.*
Please note this estimate does not account for unexpected expenses such as mid-program quarantine. Students can learn more about their host country requirements by visiting the State Department website. Students should also refer to the required On Call International to see what is covered in the event a traveler needs medical attention or tests positive for COVID-19.
Scholarships & Financial Aid
- Scholarships are available!
- UMD Art & Design department scholarships
- Financial aid applies! Share the cost estimate with One Stop Student Services to understand how your financial aid can contribute to your study abroad program.
- Note: Credits taken on study abroad programs cannot be used toward the Bulldog Bundle.
Travel Documents
Get a passport right on campus! Processing times vary, but it can take several weeks to a few months receive one. If you already have a passport, make sure its expiration date goes at least 6 months beyond the end date of your program so it's valid the entire time you're abroad.
Contact
Program Instructors
Jennifer Webb, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her areas of focus are art and architecture from Antiquity through Early Modernism.
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Dept. of Art & Design
Office: 353 ABAH
218-726-8411
[email protected]
Betsy Hunt, MFA, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her artistic practice involves video art, experimental animation, and sound art.
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Dept. of Art & Design
Office: 31 Bohannon Hall
218-726-7830
[email protected]
Contact a program leader directly to learn more about this opportunity!
Study Abroad Instructor-Led Program Coordinator
Apply
Before you click on the "Start my application" button below, make sure you know how to identify the correct program by searching for the:
- Program Name: UMD - Instructor-Led: Experiencing Italy: Art & Art History - May Session;
and the - Term (e.g. May Session 2026)
A $50 non-refundable application fee will be billed to your One Stop account upon submission of an application.
The Experiencing Italy program is accepting applications for the waitlist only. Please contact the Study Abroad office with any questions regarding your application status.
After you apply
- After approximately 20 minutes, you will see checklist items for you to complete.
- All application checklist items need to be submitted by the application deadline which is noted near the top of the page.
- Your UMD Program Contact will review your application materials.
- You must complete the Confirmation of Participation form to confirm your participation.
- Once we receive your confirmation, your UMD account will be billed a confirmation deposit.
If you decide you cannot participate, you must log in to the online application system and submit the "Cancellation Request form."
Program health and safety information
is available at GO SAFE.
