As a study abroad or faculty advisor, you probably bear daily witness to the myriad of brochures, websites, and promotional material available for study abroad programs today. Opportunities for international study are increasingly numerous, and American students' peaked interest in going abroad is a phenomenon to be heralded. But sifting through all the data is tedious at best, utterly overwhelming at worst. To aid you in your quest to match students with challenging, innovative study abroad programs, we've highlighted the essential areas of the Umbra Institute's program below for your review. We hope this page will provide you with the basics and answer any preliminary questions you may have about Umbra. And if you can handle more paperwork, we'll be happy to send along one of our Perugia poster brochures, too. 

• Accreditation and Recognition The Umbra Institute is a division of and accredited by Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Umbra is also recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education as a institution of higher learning, and by the University of Perugia as a provider of credit-bearing courses. • Curriculum and Quality of Courses We are extremely proud of our consistent course quality. And most importantly, we provide an updated Course Syllabi Book so that you can review our academic program in detail. Contact us for download information. • Faculty Credentials The Umbra Institute boasts a highly-qualified faculty of exceptional scholars who are passionately dedicated to teaching, providing courses of substantive content and quality. Our Faculty CV Book documents the credentials of Umbra instructors and is available for review. Contact us for download information. • Admission Standards Admission into the Umbra program is selective. We require:     - Students who are matriculated at an accredited college or university     - Sophomore or higher status      - Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher     - A letter of recommendation from a previous professor     - A personal essay Our honors courses accept only students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and a special letter of recommendation. • Constituency Umbra students define themselves by outstanding academic performance and an exceptional desire to be challenged, explore new paths, and delve into their surroundings. Visit our student body page to see the impressive list of schools that Umbra has attracted students from in the past. • Size and Location  Each semester, Umbra hosts between 160 and 250 students, 20% of whom are Italian or international students from the local university. We consider our size one of our best assets; Umbra is large enough to support a diverse student body and an ambitious academic program, yet small enough to provide an unparalleled level of personal attention. The city of Perugia provides an incredible backdrop for a study abroad in Italy, and Umbra's location is one of its biggest boons. Beyond Perugia's charming character and beautiful panoramas, the city is just the right size for a semester or year abroad, maintaining its attractive "Italian feel" and boasting endless opportunities for language and culture immersion. Most importantly, Perugia is THE university town in Italy: tens of thousands of local and international students create a vibrant college scene. To learn more about this jewel of a city, visit our Life in Perugia page. • Library and Academic Resources Above and beyond the libraries at the local universities, the Umbra Institute maintains its own library with over 2000 well-selected holdings, a collection that continues to grow. We also offer newspapers, journals, and a large CD and DVD collection. Umbra has computer labs (20 PCs) as well as wireless access, allowing students to utilize online databases and journals for research purposes. • Student Services and Health and Safety Umbra maintains an average 12:1 staff to student ratio and offers incomparable attention to students' needs. With our 24-hour emergency hotline, there is always someone available if a situation arises. At Umbra, we are resolutely committed to the welfare of our students, and we've developed comprehensive health, safety, and emergency policies and procedures to ensure our students' well-being at all times. • Immersion Opportunities The Fab Four - The Umbra Institute, the City of Perugia, local universities, and local student group E-Generation - have all agreed to work together to provide an environment that fosters close interaction with the local Italian and student community. Umbra students benefit greatly from studying with both Italian and international students, and together they organize cultural activities and events including art shows, talent shows, play readings, volunteer opportunities, trips and excursions, internships, and more. • Assessment and Outcomes The Umbra Institute is visited regularly by representatives from Arcadia University and other US colleges and universities. In addition, Arcadia works closely with Umbra to perform periodic assessments by members of its National Advisory Board.  Like most accredited institutions, Arcadia and Umbra also perform a five-year self-assessment review, hosting experienced professionals from various institutions who perform an extended and comprehensive program assessment. Our most recent assessment was performed in February 2006 by representatives from Cornell University, University of Denver, Tufts University, Arcadia University, Reed College, and Stonehill College. The review was based on the criteria established by the Forum On Education Abroad, and we are pleased to report that the team found the Umbra Institute to be of exceptional quality in all fundamental areas.  In addition to the assessment review, Umbra performs its own outcomes assessment by testing students upon arrival and departure. This helps us document the Umbra learning experience, one that consistently outperforms the standards. • Testimonials We've all heard the catch phrase “don’t take our word for it.” At Umbra, it's our mantra. We encourage all prospective students to contact current and former program participants directly. We want potential students to understand clearly what Umbra and the city of Perugia have to offer; this ensures that our program meets each student's needs and expectations. Likewise, we appreciate your desire to speak with peers about the Umbra program. Upon request, we will provide you with the names and contact information of our college and university partners who will be pleased to discuss their experiences working with the Umbra Institute. • Experience The Umbra Institute is enjoying its sixth year as a provider of quality academic programs, producing over 1500 alumni since its inception. And although we have firmly established ourselves, we continually seek new horizons. Our newly added full-immersion program, independent research program, and honors courses are exemplary of our commitment to provide an innovative academic program with a multitude of integration opportunities for our students. Please see our academic programs for more details. • Affordability Umbra is priced approximately at or below the average cost for study abroad programs in Italy. Given the multiplicity of covetable features that define our Institute, that makes Umbra not only affordable, but of exceptional value as well. For details, see our Tuition and Fees.

We invite you to explore our website and learn more about the Umbra Institute. Please don't hesitate to contact us at info@umbra-institute.com with any questions. We hope we can work with you to ensure a once-in-a-lifetime study abroad experience for your students!