Studio Art, Printmaking & Fashion Design
Spring 2024 Semester CEA & SRISA Hybrid Florence

About the Program

Designed for both art and non-art majors, this program challenges you to transform your Italian experience into art. Choose from printmaking, fashion design, painting, drawing, and more; close instruction by practicing artists encourage your contemporary work in response to Florentine traditions. Italy’s history, culture, and art are typical themes of complementary elective courses. Studio art courses are taught at our partner institution, Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA). Semester students choose to attend elective courses at SRISA or at both SRISA and the CEA Florence Center; over the summer you will take courses only at SRISA. At the end of your program, you will exhibit your work at SRISA’s highly visible art gallery.  

Program Structure

Choose to take courses at both the CEA Florence Center and SRISA, our partner institution, or take all your courses at SRISA:

• By selecting our CEA & SRISA Hybrid program, you’ll enroll in 1 CEA language course, 1-2 SRISA studio art courses, and 1-3 CEA elective courses. 
• By selecting our SRISA Only program, you’ll enroll in 1 SRISA language course, 1-3 SRISA studio art courses, and 1-3 SRISA electives.

CEA and SRISA language courses meet for 60 contact hours/4 credits; CEA and SRISA elective courses meet for 45 contact hours/3 credits; and SRISA studio art courses meet for 45-90 contact hours/3 credits.   

Each semester, you may earn a total of up to 16 credits (up to 240 contact hours). Over an academic year, you may earn a total of 26-32 credits (up to 480 contact hours). 

CEA language courses meet 4 times per week, Monday-Thursday. Elective courses generally meet 2 times per week, Monday-Thursday; some SRISA classes may only meet once per week. Active learning components required by your courses may be scheduled for Fridays. 

Prior to departure, you will select your preferred courses and indicate your estimated Italian language level. After you arrive in Florence, you'll take a language placement exam to determine final placement. You will be enrolled into courses based on their availability.  It is in your best interest to have multiple alternative courses approved by your home university prior to your departure due to course availabilities. To ensure that you receive credit for the language level you place into, have your home school pre-approve courses at several levels before you leave for Italy.

Please note that SRISA is affiliated with a School of Record, Maryville University in St. Louis, which grants credit for courses successfully completed at SRISA. As such, course details on the CEA website include both Maryville University and SRISA course information, including course code, subject area and course level, as recommended by each institution.

While CEA recommends using the Maryville University course code designations and transcript for credit transfer purposes, it is at the discretion of your home institution to determine the transfer of credit for SRISA courses. Please consult with your academic advisor at your home university on credit pre-approval guidelines. 

Excursions

Get out and explore! Excursions are offered for most semester, year, and summer programs*. Semester students are typically offered between two to three excursions and summer study students are typically offered between one to two excursions. You'll receive a calendar of excursions during orientation; here are a few day and overnight excursions we've offered in the past.

Rome

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A fusion of ancient, baroque, and modern architecture, tradition and the cutting-edge, Rome has been a center of power, culture, and religion for millennia. CEA guides bring you to must-see sites, such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel. Rome truly has something to offer everyone and more-than lives up to its nickname: “The Eternal City.”

Amalfi Coast

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On this three-day tour, you’ll discover two famous coastal towns: Amalfi and Sorrento. Spend a day exploring the ruins of Pompeii, a city preserved under lava since 79 CE, and climbing Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that buried Pompeii. This region of Italy is known for its cuisine, and CEA will take you off the beaten path to a farm to taste the best cheese in the world: fresh buffalo mozzarella.

Cinque Terre

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The Cinque Terre National Park spans 4,300 acres across five picturesque villages (the cinque terre), connected by hiking paths and a train line. The area boasts delicious basil, lemons, and grapes. Spend a day hiking or at the beach, soaking up the sun, and enjoying the breathtaking stretches of beautiful coastline. Your Instagram followers will be green with envy!

Siena

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One of Italy’s most picturesque and international medieval cities, Siena is home to well-preserved Gothic architecture and is the birthplace of one of Italy’s patron saints. Siena may be best known for its annual summer horse races, whose origins go back to the 1300s (Think the horseracing scene in James Bond’s Quantum of Solace.)