Milan - Italy Today

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Overview

Quick Facts

City:

Milan [1]

Country:

Italy [2]

Program credits:

15-19 per semester (4-6 courses)

Language(s) of Instruction:

English

Italian

Language prerequisites:

None

Ciao! Pack your bags and get ready to indulge your creative side in this modern city, known for its world-class art, architecture, design, and fashion. Absorb all that Milan has to offer through IES Abroad Milan’s wide variety of courses and internships.

No matter what level of Italian you speak, we invite you to study here and experience Milan’s rich culture. You are placed in an Italian language course that’s been designed for you based on your language level.

Our Italy Today Program offers you courses in liberal arts and social sciences, all of which address aspects of contemporary Italian society. The courses are taught by highly qualified experts in their fields. You can also take courses at a local university—maybe you’ll even make some Italian friends while you’re at it.

Milan will also be your classroom. Only in Milan can you marvel at the grandeur of the Duomo, see the artistic detail of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” in person, and find classical manuscripts at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. Welcome to study abroad!

We want you to feel at home in Milan. We invite you to immerse yourself in the language and culture of Italy through extensive learning opportunities around the city, by attending guest lecture series and classes at local universities, and going to social events and activities planned for you and your fellow students throughout the semester.

Program Dates

These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.

Academics

Our mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences.

You take 15–19 credit hours per semester, and all courses are worth 3 credits unless otherwise specified.

You are also placed in a required Italian language course tailored to your proficiency level. Language courses are taught in Italian, and all other courses are taught in English or Italian.

Create your own academic experience by selecting from the following required and optional program components:

Courses for Beginning and Intermediate Level include:

IES Abroad Italian language course (required, 6 credits)
IES Abroad Italian language electives (3 credits)
English-taught IES Abroad area studies courses (3 credits)
Italian-taught IES Abroad area studies course (3 credits)
English-taught courses at local universities (3 credits)

Courses for Advanced Level include:

IES Abroad Italian advanced language course (required, 4 credits)
IES Abroad Italian language electives (3 credits)
Italian-taught IES Abroad area studies courses (3 credits)
Italian-taught courses at local universities (3 credits)

Courses

This is a list of planned course offerings. After you are accepted, you will see a list of final course offerings in your MyIESabroad account.

To learn more about IES Abroad’s innovative theoretical and pedagogical approaches to teaching language abroad, refer to the IES Abroad MAP for Language & Intercultural Communication [3].

Partner Institution(s)

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
www.unicattolica.it [4]
With five campuses throughout Italy (Milano, Brescia, Piacenza-Cremona, Roma, & Campobasso), Cattolica enrollment nears approximately 42,000 students. From 68 students in 1921 to the 30,000 currently enrolled, the Cattolica campus in Milan fosters a major academic community of 12 departments, 19 internal departments, and 35 research centers. Located in the old city center, the Cattolica is one of the largest private universities in Europe.

Note: The Corsi Singoli application is not required for enrollment at the Cattolica.

Courses
A variety of English-taught Business courses are offered, past courses have included:

EC/PO311 The Italian Economy: Economic Miracles and Malaise [5]
EC/PO312 The Political Economy of European Integration [6]
IB/CM350 Total Business Communication [7]
IB/EC320 Business, Government, and the Global Economy [8]
IB/FI315 The Globalization of Finance: Managing Returns and Risks [9]
IB/MG340 Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship: The Italian Perspective [10]
IR/PO321 International Relations and the Middle East [11]
IR/PO322 The European Union in the World: A Superpower in the Making? [12]

Italian-taught courses are available in the following disciplines:

Accounting
Art History
Business
Communications
Language & Literature
Economics
Education Sciences and Sociology (Educational Sociology)
Finance and Insurance
Foreign Languages and Literature
Humanities & Philosophy
International Economy and Relations
Law
Literature
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology
Social Sciences
Social Services

Most courses in the departments of Foreign Languages, Literature, Philosophy, Economics, Psychology and Education Sciences are semester courses. Most courses in the departments of Law, Sociology, and Political Science are offered on an academic-year basis.

For further information on Italian-taught courses and to get an idea of what types of courses may be offered, click here [13]. Choose the facoltà you are interested in, and you may see a list of courses for each laurea listed on the Guide delle Facoltà.

Location & Commute Time
The Università Cattolica, located in the old city center, occupies the former cloister of the medieval church of Saint Ambrose, Milan’s most famous basilica. It is also a short walk from Santa Maria delle Grazie, the church where Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” is located. The surrounding neighborhood of winding, narrow streets blends with the Renaissance architecture of the Cattolica and its charming courtyards. The Cattolica campus is a short 5-minute walk from the IES Abroad Milan Center.

Università degli Studi di Milano - Bicocca
www.unimib.it/go/102/Home/English [14]
Bicocca is a state university that was officially created in 1998 as a sciences-oriented part of the original Università degli Studi di Milano.

Assistantship and Courses
Even if you have no previous study of Italian, you can participate in a unique science research assistantship at the Bicocca. Past students have assisted in the departments of Biology, Microbiology, and Experimental Medicine. In addition to serving as a lab assistant for 10 hours each week, you conduct independent research that is supervised by a member of the lab. You receive 3 credits for the combined research and independent study.

Students with advanced Italian can take courses in the Natural and Social Sciences.

Location & Commute Time
The University is located in the northern part of the city. The commute time from Bicocca to the IES Abroad Center is approximately 30 minutes.

Istituto di Moda Burgo
www.imb.it [15]
For students interested in pursuing options in Fashion Design, a limited number of courses are available at the Istituto di Moda Burgo, a local and well-known school of fashion design. The Istituto di Moda Burgo developed from the increasing professionalization of the fashion design world in Italy.

Courses
Courses at Moda Burgo are taught in both Italian and English on a semester or academic year basis. There is no entrance exam but you must show sufficient aptitude for the subject during an interview with the instructor, who makes the final admissions decision. You may choose to study either of these areas, but not both:

Fashion Design [16]: Jewelry Design, Men’s Wear, Women’s Wear, Children’s Wear, Beach Wear, Underwear, Theater Costume, Accessories and Shoe Design
Pattern Making [17]: Computer Cad-Cam, Pattern Making, Men’s Wear, Women’s Wear, Children’s Wear, Beachwear, Underwear, Wedding Dress

Benefit from the one-on-one attention students receive from instructors in workshop-format courses.

Location & Commute Time
The Moda Burgo is located in east central Milan in the Piazza San Bablia. You can reach the Milan Center from the Istituto di Moda Burgo in 15 minutes by walking across Central Milan.

Course Offerings
Course offerings vary from semester to semester. Exact course availability is determined shortly before the start of each semester. For this reason, it will not be possible for you to officially register until your arrival in Milan. Once on-site, you are given a comprehensive course catalog as soon as it is made available from the IES Abroad Milan.

Internships

While adding study abroad to your resume is impressive enough, adding an international internship experience is even more powerful, and can help distinguish your application for graduate school or a job opportunity in today’s competitive job market.

An internship provides an invaluable cultural experience, and helps you develop professional and personal skills. Placement depends upon availability, your background skills, your resume, and language ability.

Placement examples include:

Art - Lorenzelli Arte, Invernizzi Arte
Business - Attila & Co., Baba Consulting, Cargill, Ceriani e Associati Sudio Legale, Crawford & Co., E-consultant, Ernst & Young, Fineurope, Mandarin Capital Partners, Warnaco, JP Morgan, MSL Group, Asian Studies Group, Ulaola
Education - U.S. and U.K. higher education, Fondazione Milano
Media - Havas Media, Hello Milano, Easy Milano, Kernel Studios, Reply-Bitmama, Neri Pozza, Luxos, Biblioteca Della Moda, Milano Fashion Media
Parliamentary, Politics - British Consulate, Comune di Milano, New Zealand Consulate
Fashion - Calvin Klein, Boom Model Agency, Future Models, Independent Men, Jeckerson, Joy Yaffe, Mint, Why Not?, Atelier Bergnach, Sabine Valente Atelier Spose
Social Work - Fondazione Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Humanitas, Gariwo, La Stravaganza, Transparency International

The internship is complemented by a 3-credit seminar that offers contextual support to your practical work experience in the European setting.

Field Study

We organize field study trips that complement IES Abroad courses and contribute to a better understanding of the Italian culture and society. Past field study excursions include:

Sala della Asse, a room at the Castello Sforzesco with ceiling paintings by Leonardo da Vinci
Visiting Fossoli concentration camp with a History course
Attending a fashion show and Milan Fashion Week events
Visiting the Museo del Novecento with an Art History course
Visiting a collaborative housing and agriturismo in the city to learn about sustainability and preservation

Housing

Our job is to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding what landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Milan, it will feel like home.

Homestays - A limited numbers of placements are available in Milanese homes throughout the city. This is a priceless opportunity to learn about Italian families first-hand and engage directly with Italian culture. You will have a private room at your homestay and you will receive breakfast and dinner daily. Enjoy your other meals at university cafeterias, bars, or restaurants.

Apartments - Share a furnished apartment in the city with four to seven students. These apartments are single-sex, and you generally share a bedroom with another student.

You can request to live with an Italian roommate who is either a college student or young working professional called a Community Assistant (CA). These assistants can help you with directions to scenic sites, lend a hand with Italian homework, share advice on the best places to go shopping, and offer many other useful hints and tips. Not only do the Italian CAs live in roughly half of the apartments, but they also spend time at the IES Abroad Center answering questions and working for the program. If improving your Italian is your highest priority, you may also ask to live in an Italian-language only apartment.

Meals are not included, so you normally eat lunch at a local café or one of the university cafeterias and prepare your own breakfast and dinner at home. Located on main public transportation routes near the Center, apartments are fully equipped with washing machines, Internet access, and other amenities.

Collegio di Milano - This residence for Italian and international honors students offers single rooms with private bathrooms and balconies. The facilities include a computer room, library, small gym, cafeteria, private park, and an auditorium for special cultural programs. Three meals are provided daily. Space is limited, and students are chosen by the Collegio based on academic merit. Because of the additional amenities, this option carries an additional fee. Visit their website [18] for details.

Student Life

Part of making you feel at home in Milan is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is an orientation program that prepares you, housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.

Orientation

The program begins with a four-day orientation to familiarize you with the IES Abroad Milan staff and your fellow students. Topics such as academics, housing, transportation, and health and safety are covered during orientation.

Additionally, CORE™, IES Abroad’s Comprehensive Orientation & Re-entry Experience, begins during orientation and continues throughout the semester with activities focusing on cultural adjustment, goal achievement, and preparing for the return home.

After orientation, you participate in a two-week intensive language program designed to help beginning-level students gain practical language skills and to acclimatize them to the local environment. IES Abroad schedules several field studies and tours to introduce you to the history, culture, and districts of Milan.

Extracurricular Activities & Cultural Events

Redefine the way you live and learn in Milan through cultural events, such as:

Participating in language exchange with local Italian students and young professionals
Engaging in fun activities sponsored by Italian peers, such as visits to museums, attending sport events, local fairs in the Navigli area and aperitivi
Playing soccer
Learning Italian folk group dances
Participating in a hands-on cooking lesson

Field Trips

Although your adventure begins in Milan, our field trips take you to other great cities in Italy to provide contrast and context for what you are learning in Milan. You share a portion of the cost with IES Abroad. Past destinations are listed below.

Lake Maggiore
1 Day | Fall
Don’t miss the beautiful city of Stresa, located on the shores of Lake Maggiore. It’s here you’ll take a ferry to the Borromean Islands to see enchanting houses and gardens of Isola Bella.

Tuscany
3 Days | Fall
Tour the Tuscany countryside and visit the medieval towns of Pienza, Siena, Montalcino, and Arezzo. Hear the Gregorian chant of the monks of Sant’Antimo Abbey and soak up the knowledge you will learn at the museum of wine.

Sicily
4 Days | Fall
Experience the cradle of Western Civilization, the home of Magna Grecia, a unique place full of art, archeology, myth, history, folklore, and breathtaking sceneries. Visit baroque Catania, Europe’s highest active volcano, Etna; and the magical mountaintop town of Taormina.

Northern Italy
3 Days | Spring
Dive into the culture and cuisine of Northern Italy with guided tours of Cremona, Parma, and Mantova.

Ski Trip
3 Days | Spring
A charming town in the Alps is your destination for skiing, ice skating, and hiking on Europe’s highest mountain.

Lombardy
1 Day | Spring
Explore the Romanesque and Gothic heritage of Lombardy by visiting abbeys and castles located on the outskirts of Milan.

Center

IES Abroad Milan [19]

IES ABROAD MILAN
Via Carducci, 26 | 20123 Milano, Italy
The IES Abroad Milan Center is located in the city’s bustling historic center, near the prestigious Università Cattolica.

Features include:

High-quality multimedia classrooms
Fully equipped music practice rooms
Student lounge
Digital photo facilities
Library and reading rooms
High-speed wireless Internet access

Center staff:

Roberto Andreoni
IES Abroad Director
Roberto Andreoni, Director, IES Abroad Milan, holds a doctorate in Music Composition from the University of California, Berkeley. His undergraduate degrees were earned at the Conservatorio G. Verdi in Milan and the Accademia Internazionale della Musica. He previously served as the Director of the Civica Scuola di Musica in Assago and of the Accademia Internazionale della Musica in Milan. Dr. Andreoni is an active composer whose works are regularly performed and recorded. In addition to his responsibilities as Program Director, he also serves as the Music Coordinator for IES Abroad Milan.

IES Abroad Staff

Irene Baldoni
Assistant Director

Laura Carrera
Internship Coordinator

Luca Blumer
Academic Advisor for Outside Institutions & Customized Programs

Maria Bond
Academic Assistant

Walter Muto
Student Services Coordinator

Manuela Nigrelli
Housing Coordinator

Anna Salandini
Fiscal Administrator

Faculty

Costanza Asnaghi
Italian
Master’s in Teaching Italian to Foreigners, Università Ca' Foscari, Venezia. Degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures (Specialization in Information Sciences and Social Communication), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano

Anna Belloni
Italian
Degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures, Università Statale degli Studi di Milano

Chiara Bodini
Italian
Master’s in Intercultural policies, Università degli Studi di Firenze; Degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano

Daria Cantù
Social Innovation and Sustainability
Master’s in Service Design, Politecnico di Milano; Doctoral Student in Design and Innovation for Sustainability

Marco Capovilla
Photography
Degree in Information Sciences, Università di Pisa; Doctorate from the Scuola Normale di Pisa; Researcher at the University of California – Berkeley

Gianluca Capuano
Music
Musicologist, Conductor, Director, Orchestra Milano Classica

Laura Carrera
Internship Seminar
Worked for Hewlett-Packard for 16 years as Marketing Communication Specialist, responsible for magazines, catalogs and the Italian website. Now a Consultant in various areas: website start-up, stock exchange market, marketing communication, accounting, new media advertising, luxury merchandising. Degree in Economics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano

Gabriele Cavallini
Art History
Doctorate from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano; Degree in Art History, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano

Francesco Colombo
Music
Conductor; Conducted orchestras in Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Albania, South Korea, the United States, Mexico and Argentina. Works regularly with the Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi in Milan

Erica Corbellini
Managing Fashion and Luxury Companies, International Business
Degree in Business Administration, Università Bocconi, Milano; Professor at the Università Bocconi

Simone Fontanelli
Music
Composer and Conductor; Degree in Composition, Conservatorio "G. Verdi", Milano

Silvia Francalanza
Italian
Degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures, Libera Università di Lingue e Comunicazione (IULM), Milano; Professional Translator with a specialization in Insurance and Medicine

Giovanna Fungi
Psychology
Master’s in Clinical Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Doctorate in Transcultural Psychotherapy, Fondazione Cecchini-Pace (Milano)

Enrico Girardi
Music History
Doctorate in Musicology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano; Degree in Modern Literature, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano; Post-doctorate work at the Università Cattolica, Conservatorio "Giuseppe Verdi", and Accademia Internazionale della Musica, Milano; Music Critic for "Il Corriere della Sera"

Silvia Gobbi
Italian
Degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures, Instituto Universitario di Lingue e Letterature Moderne, Milano; Master’s in Italian, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano

Silvana Greco
Sociology
Degree in Economics from Università Bocconi, Milano; Doctorate in Sociology, Università degli Studi di Milano

Angela Lazzaroni
Music
Degree in Piano and Harpsichord, Civica Scuola di Musica and Conservatorio “G.Verdi”, Milano

Sante Maletta
Italian History
Doctorate in Philosophy, Università degli Studi di Roma; Degree in Philosophy, Università degli Studi di Milano; Lecturer, Philosophy, Università degli Studi della Calabria

Elena Marangione
Italian
Degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano

Nazzareno Mazzini
Cinema
Degree in Philosophy, Università Statale, Milano; Professor of Graphics adn Digital-Virtual Design, IED (Istituto Europeo di Design), Milano

Kevin McManus
Art History
PhD program at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Master’s in Art History, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano

Renata Palermo
Italian
Degree in Communication Sciences, Università degli Studi di Catania and in Culture and Languages for Communication, Università degli Studi di Milano; Master’s in Italian Literature, University of Virginia, USA

Francesco Parrino
Music
Violinist, PhD in Italian Music, Royal Holloway College, University of London; Master’s of Music, Royal Academy of Music, London; Degree in Music, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Utrecht; Degree in Violin, Conservatorio “Giuseppe Verdi”, Milano

Mara Perbellini
Film Studies
Master’s in Screenwriting, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano; Degree in Letters and Philosophy, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano; Founder of Studio metaphora, script development and consulting company

Marco Pisoni
Modern Art and Design, Music
Degree in Letters and Musicology, Università degli Studi di Pavia; Degree in Guitar, Conservatorio; Professor at the Scuola Politecnica di Design, Milano

Francesca Pola
Art History
Doctorate in Contemporary Art History, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano; Degree in Modern Letters, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano; Lecturer, Contemporary Art History, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Brescia

Stefano Procacci
Political Science
Doctorate in Political Representations and Behaviors, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano

Liat Rogel
Social Innovation and Sustainability
Doctoral program at Politecnico di Milano; Master’s in Service Design, Politecnico di Milano

Rocco Ronza
Political Science, Sociology
Doctorate in Sociology and Social Research, Università degli Studi di Trento; Degree in political Science, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano; Professor, Centro Interuniversitario Italiano, Pàsmàny Peter Catholic University, Budapest and the Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca

Maria Sepa
Italian Literature
PhD in Italian Literature, Brown University; Degree in Letters, Università degli Studi di Roma; Consultant, Bompiani publishing company, Milano

Carlotta Soffiantini
Italian
Degree in Modern Letters, Università Cattolica di Milano; Diploma DITALS (Teaching Italian to Foreigners),Università per Stranieri di Siena; Master’s in Italian, Università Cattolica di Milano; Doctoral Program in Linguistics, Università Cattolica, Milano

Francesco Tanzilli
Italian Politics
Doctorate in History, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano; Degree in History, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano; Visiting Scholar, Notre Dame University and New York University

Luca Toccaceli
Communications
Degree in Philosophy from the Università degli Studi di Milano; Music consultant and publisher

Caterina Zaiontz
Psychology
Doctorate in Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy, Scuola di Psicoterapia psicoanalitica (IPA), Milano; Degree in Clinical Psychology, Università degli Studi di Padova; Degree in Applied Linguistics, Institute of Linguists of London; Director, International Studio of Mental Health, Milan Clinical Psychologist/Psychoanalyist

Patrizia Zanardi
Voice
Soprano - Extensive international performances, Diploma Conservatorio "G. Verdi" Torino, Cum Laude, M.A Verdi's Repertoire, Conservatorio "G. Nicolini" Piacenza, Cum Laude, M.A Art Song and Vocal Chamber Music, Conservatorio "G. Nicolini" Piacenza, Cum Laude, Voice Prof. Conservatorio "G. Frescobaldi" Ferrara.

Donatella Zappieri
Managing Fashion and Luxury Companies, International Business
Degree in Foreign Languages (English and French), Geneva University; PR manager and design director

Cost