The Academic Program

Students participating in the Discovery Florence program will enjoy a rich and varied introduction to Italy through a challenging semester-long curriculum. The program fulfills the same curricular requirements as those pursued by freshmen studying on Syracuse University's main campus, while providing a course schedule unique to the Florence experience. Upon return to Syracuse in the spring semester, Discovery Florence participants will be on equal footing academically with their main campus peers.

The Discovery Florence academic program

Five courses are typically offered for the Fall term, including the First Year Forum and Italian language, for a total of 16 credit hours. The Fall 2009 offerings listed below are typical of the courses regularly offered.

CAS 101, First Year Forum (1 credit)
This seminar welcomes new students to Syracuse University. The course helps one develop closer relationships with peers and a professor, and eases the entrance into University life. Special topics will introduce and orient students to Florence and Italy, and discuss adjusting to a new culture.

CAS 100.1 - First Year Seminar: Writing and Study Abroad (3 credits)
Florence is your muse as you develop your own unique voice and critical approach to writing. You'll process your intercultural experience through intensive writing assignments that include short stories, poetry, journal entries, creative non-fiction, and editorials, as well as participation in student readings and class discussions. Writing and Study Abroad will introduce you to various forms of writing encountered throughout college, and equip you to undertake future writing projects with confidence and creativity. This is a writing-intensive course required of all first-year students.

FIA 100 Italian Art and Society from Ancient to Modern Times (3 credits)
Explore centuries of Italian art and culture amidst the joyous living museum that is Florence. This course provides an introduction to the study of art history with some of the world's most celebrated buildings, sculptures, and paintings as your real-life examples. You'll also examine corresponding cultural contexts via topics that include Ancient Rome, the rise of Islam, Humanist Florence, Futurism, and more. Includes field trips to Venice and Rome. This course satisfies a Core Curriculum requirement for humanities.

NSD 225 Nutrition in Health (3 credits)
This course looks at our nutrient requirements, functions, and sources, and the interrelationships and applications to food selection for healthy individuals. Weight control, sports nutrition and dietary supplements are also discussed. Aspects of the Mediterranean diet will be considered to take advantage of local resources. This course satisfies a Core Curriculum requirement for the natural sciences and mathematics.

ITA 101, Italian I (6 credits). Introductory proficiency-based course which prepares students to understand, speak, read, and write in culturally authentic contexts. Activities are conducted in Italian. This course meets daily, Monday through Thursday. Intermediate and advanced Italian courses are available for students with varying degrees of fluency.