The city of Florence is an iconic international city famous for art, architecture, history, food, wine and ambiance. Though the city is home to almost 400,000 people, the compact city center makes the city feel intimate and accessible. Housed within this city center are some of the world's most significant treasures including the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (informally known as il duomo), the Ponte Vecchio, Michelangelo's David and the Uffizi Gallery. Florence, capital of the Italian region of Tuscany, is known as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, making it an ideal city in which to study the liberal arts.
This program is offered in partnership with the Accademia Europea di Firenze (AEF). The Elon Center in Florence promotes experiential education by connecting class room content with the sites and sounds of Florence and Italy. Students on this program will live in apartments in the historic center of Florence, commuting to class through the old city. Classes are held at AEF's historic palazzo, three blocks from il Duomo and one block from the Medici palace. Courses will primarily be with other Elon students, but other US and international students will be mixed in. Five weekend study excursions, numerous class trips, cultural events, and more are woven into the semester program to enhance your study abroad experience. Each semester cohort of students are joined by an Elon faculty member in residence, who teaches a COR Capstone Seminar. Students looking to fulfill core curriculum requirements--expression, civilization, world languages, etc.--will find this academic program advantageous.
Some extracurricular activities included in the cost of the program are:
Note: Students can only transfer a maximum of three courses toward the Italian Studies minor from their semester in Florence.
This program offers a significant discount for the spring term! View the budget sheet for details.
Costs for study abroad vary program to program and will not be exactly the same as on-campus costs of attendance at Elon.
For cost information for this program, please view the budget sheets:
Need-based scholarships are available for Elon semester programs through the GEC. For additional information on scholarships or other funding for study abroad, see the Funding for Study Abroad page.
If you qualify for a travel grant through any of the fellows or scholars programs, see the appropriate program director for more information on how to apply the grant to your study abroad program. Visit the Deadlines and Events Calendar for travel grant deadlines.
Students will live in privately-owned apartments within the historic center of Florence. Apartments will be within walking distance (maximum commute time of approximately 30 minutes) of classes, restaurants, and shops. Elon University students will be placed in apartments that hold 2-10 students, and could be roomed with one to two other students.
The apartments include:
Students must complete the online Elon University study abroad application by the published deadline. See the Deadline and Events Calendar for the most up-to-date deadline information. Applications are generally accepted up to one year in advance.
A successful semester abroad is dependent upon adequate preparation. Students will participate in a series of mandatory orientations during the semester prior to studying abroad. These orientations will address issues of academic, cultural, logistical, financial, and personal preparation, as well as health and safety. Failure to participate in the required orientations will result in dismissal from the program. Any financial losses incurred by this dismissal, including program fees and international airfare, are the student's full responsibility.
View the pre-departure orientation schedule for semester programs.
Global Ambassadors (GAs) are GEC student representatives who have participated in one or more study abroad programs, and have been trained to speak about their experiences. You can be in touch with current GAs via email.
Embassy, Consulate, and Visa Resources
| My experience was made much better by my involvement with both private voice lessons and chorus in Florence. My ability as a vocalist grew incredibly with the help of an amazing professor who is also a well-known singer in Europe. My work with the chorus enabled me to meet and befriend people from many different countries all over the world and learn about their experiences. The chorus was also taught entirely in Italian, which helped to immerse me in the language. |
| — Colleen O'Connell, Spring 2012 |
| Read what others have said about this program. |
| Term | Year | App Deadline | Decision Date | Start Date | End Date |
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| Spring | 2021 | 09/10/2020 ** | Rolling Admission | 02/05/2021 | 05/14/2021 |
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NOTE: Below are the application deadlines for this program.
Early Action Period: Apr. 7 to May 7. Students that would like an early answer on their application status and scholarship support may apply Early Action. Students that apply Early Action will be notified of their status by May 26 and GEC Access Scholarship support by early summer. Rolling Period: May 26 to Sept. 10. Applications submitted within these dates will be reviewed within two weeks of submission in the order received as space is available. Students must complete the GEC Access Scholarship questionnaire by Sept. 10 to guarantee consideration. Students will be notified of GEC Access Scholarship support by October. Applications lock on deadline day after 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Applicants must click “submit” in their application by 11:59 PM Eastern Time to meet the deadline. All applications for this program, whether submitted Early Action or Rolling, are non-binding until the deposit refund deadline, Nov. 5. Please view the deadlines page for payment and cancellation information. The start date and end date listed reflect the dates students are expected to arrive in and depart from the host location and reflect the best information available to the Global Education Center. Please do not purchase plane tickets based on these dates. Individual programs will provide updates after your acceptance to the program. |
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| Fall | 2021 | 02/11/2021 ** | Rolling Admission | 08/20/2021 | 12/03/2021 |
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NOTE: Early Action Period: Oct. 6 - Nov. 19. Students that would like an early answer on their application status and scholarship support may apply Early Action. Students that apply Early Action will be notified of their status by Dec. 8 and Elon Global Scholarship support by January.
Rolling Period: Dec. 10 - Feb. 11. Applications submitted within these dates will be reviewed within two weeks of submission in the order received as space is available. Students must complete the Elon Global Scholarship questionnaire by Feb. 11 to guarantee consideration. Students will be notified of Elon Global Scholarship support by April. Applications lock on deadline day after 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Applicants must click “submit” in their application by 11:59 PM Eastern Time to meet the deadline. All applications for this program, whether submitted Early Action or Rolling, are non-binding until the deposit refund deadline, Apr. 16. Please view the deadlines page for payment and cancellation information. The start date and end date listed reflect the dates students are expected to arrive in and depart from the host location and reflect the best information available to the Global Education Center. Please do not purchase plane tickets based on these dates. Individual programs will provide updates after your acceptance to the program. |
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** Indicates rolling admission application process. Applications will be reviewed on a space-available basis and applicants will be notified of their application status within two weeks of submission. |
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Indicates that deadline has passed |
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