Loyola University Maryland

International Programs

Syracuse University Affiliation in Florence, Italy

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FlorenceContact: Renee Harris
School:  Syracuse University

History

Loyola students have the opportunity to study abroad in Florence through Syracuse University. Loyola and Syracuse began this affiliation in 1999 and Loyola has been sending groups of students to Florence since this time. The Syracuse Florence program has been firmly established in Florence since 1959. It provides students with a strong academic program along with excellent student services.  

Criteria for Applying

  • Loyola students must meet the Loyola cumulative QPA requirement of 2.75 to be considered for clearance to apply.
  • Students must be admitted by Syracuse University. Each student must submit an online application, an official transcript, a recommendation form from a professor, and a study abroad clearance form.
  • Disciplinary records will be taken into account when determining eligibility.
  • Students interested in applying to the Syracuse Florence program must submit a study abroad application by December to the office of international programs at Loyola to receive approval to apply directly to Syracuse University.
  • Once your Loyola application has been reviewed, you will receive a clearance letter from the office of international programs giving you permission to apply directly to Syracuse.
  • Syracuse will review all of the admission materials before rendering a decision.
  • Students who have not declared a major will not be cleared to use this affiliation.

Academics

  • Students typically take five courses and 15 credits in Florence.
  • All students must take a 4-credit Italian language course, and a 2-credit culture and community course. Students who have taken intermediate Italian or have placed out of Italian 104 abroad should take a 3-credit language course.
  • Students can participate in three options while in Florence. Option I offers all courses in English, with the exception of the mandatory Italian language course and culture class.
  • Option II and III offer courses taught in Italian.
  • Previous knowledge of Italian is not required for Option I.
  • Syracuse offers courses in humanities, social sciences, and a limited number of business courses.
  • There are a limited number of core courses approved on the Syracuse programs.
  • The program is good for the following majors: English, history, fine arts, political science, economics (in the Loyola College, formerly known as the College of Arts and Sciences), international business, and management.
  • Other majors may be able to go, but it is important to plan your Loyola courses early.
  • Students register for 15 credits.
  • Academic scholarships through Syracuse are available. Students need at least a 3.7 QPA or higher to be considered. The scholarships are based on the competitive pool for that particular semester.
  • Students can apply for either the fall or spring semester.
  • The fall semester runs from late August to mid-December, and the spring semester runs from early January to early May.

Housing

  • Students live with Italian hosts. There are two Americans per homestay.
  • Five dinners and seven continental breakfasts are provided by the host family.
  • Some Italian hosts speak English, and some may not.
  • Italian hosts come from various walks of life and live all around the city and in surrounding areas. Bus transportation may be required.
  • Italian hosts are assigned once you are in Italy.

Cost/Financial Aid

  • Students pay the Syracuse tuition and program fee (not Loyola) for the semester they are abroad.
  • All payments are made directly to Syracuse.
  • Institutionally-controlled forms of financial aid including academic/athletic scholarships, need-based grants, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Supplemental Grants, and Federal Work-Study cannot be used to assist with educational expenses incurred on this program.
  • Federal aid and some state aid can be used on this affiliation. Contact our financial aid office for specific information.
  • Accepted students may receive a Tuition Differential Grant from Syracuse. If received, this grant will be applied to the Syracuse bill. 
  • Students must pay an application fee to apply and submit a study abroad deposit to hold their place in the program after being accepted.
  • Students are also financially responsible for their flights to and from Italy. Students have the option of making their own travel arrangements or participating in a group flight offered by Syracuse. The majority of our students participate in the Syracuse group flight.
  • Lunch and weekend meals are not included.
  • Students will have to pay for a mandatory Italian health insurance and student visa. The mandatory Italian health insurance plan does not cover students outside of Italy.

Requirements for the Program

  • Students must have at least a 2.75 QPA or higher to be cleared by Loyola.
  • Students interested in studying abroad either in the fall or spring semester must apply to Loyola by Dec. 1, of sophomore year.
  • Students must apply to Loyola first. Once you apply to Loyola, you will receive the clearance letter to apply to Syracuse.
  • Students must be able to find a minimum of four courses/12 credits that work in their degree program.
  • All students studying abroad must have a comprehensive U.S. health insurance plan, including hospitalization, for abroad.

Course Equivalencies

This is a working list of the course equivalencies for the Loyola-Florence affiliation with Syracuse University.

The course approvals and equivalencies provided are the most current for the office of international programs. Once accepted to a study abroad program, students will have an academic interview with the appropriate director and will be advised on their course selection.

Please be advised: All students are solely responsible for informing themselves about the status of these courses. Course approvals and equivalencies may change at a moments notice. This means you should confirm if the following courses are approved, or if the courses have been removed.

If there are other courses you desire to take, and they are not on the course equivalency list; you must get written course approval by the department chair. The courses that you choose should fit into your degree audit and enable you to graduate on time.