The Italian Language & Culture Program offers the unique opportunity for students to focus exclusively on the Italian language and culture. Participants are enrolled at the Universita' per Stranieri di Perugia for a semester-long program and study along with university students from all over the world whose main goal is to become fluent in Italian. It's intensive, it's international, but most of all it's widely recognized as the best way to become properly fluent in Italian and to appreciate fully everyday life in Italy!

The program includes approximately 27 hours per week at the Universita' per Stranieri di Perugia coupled with weekly recitation classes with Umbra instructors. The Umbra instructor's role is to guide, assist and assess students through their learning experience at the Italian university.  They will set weekly assignments, exams, and will determine the student's final grades in the program.

Students are housed with Italian and/or international students where the lingua franca is Italian.  The program allows students to experience Perugia's university life as a local, and although the program is taught entirely in Italian, it is open to students at all levels of language proficiency, from beginning to advanced.  

During Orientation in Perugia, students will take an assessment exam (test d'ingresso), and be placed in one of six levels of language proficiency. Students start a particular level, and depending on their performance, may proceed to the next level or continue at the same level for the duration of the semester.  The six levels of instruction are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, namely: 

Level A1 (Beginner)          Level A2 (Advanced Beginner)
Level B1 (Intermediate)     Level B2 (Advanced Intermediate)
Level C1 (Advanced)         Level C2 (Mastery)

The program's curriculum yields 16 semester credits in the Italian language and culture. At each level of language proficiency the curriculum is fixed and may not be modified. For more information, download the Program Outline which provides details on the structure of the program, the material covered, and the transcripts awarded for each level completed.

Students are encouraged to take this document to their faculty and/or study abroad advisor to gain permission to attend the program and ensure that proper transfer credit will be awarded. Advisors are encouraged to contact the Institute directly with questions or to learn more about the full-immersion program.

This program is ideal for:

• Any student who wishes to gain proficiency rapidly in Italian through an intensive full-immersion experience in Italy;
• Intermediate students who wish to perfect their lingusitic skills and move to the advanced level; 
• Advanced students who wish to practice and perfect their skills in a wide variety of courses taught entirely in Italian including culture, linguistics and the social sciences;
• Students who wish to complete the equivalent of two years of language study in one semester abroad;
• Italian studies majors at the intermediate level who seek to become fluent enough to be prepared to return to their home institution and enroll in advanced level area-studies courses taught entirely in Italian;
• Students who desire a traditional study abroad experience, studying and living with international students at a foreign university taught in a foreign language;
• Any student seeking a full-immersion Italian language and culture experience . . . learning Italian by living Italian.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at info@umbra-institute.com should you have any questions or inquiries about this unique and special program. In bocca al lupo!

To apply for this program now simply Click Here!