Academic Programs at Umbra

The Umbra Institute offers a variety of distinctive academic programs designed to serve the needs of a diverse range of students. A general studies program provides students from any discipline or major the opportunity to choose liberally from a selection of courses taught by Umbra faculty. For those students eager to pursue deep integration within the local community, academic internships, service learning, independent research and honors courses are available to challenge even the most academically ambitious. Our new food studies program explores the past, present, and future of food with emphasis on sustainability and new technology. And finally, for the culturally ambitious, we offer direct enrollment programs including the Italian Language and Culture Program at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia, or direct enrollment at the Università degli Studi di Perugia. Our direct enroll programs are reminiscent of “study abroad as it used to be”—when students came to Italy to study at a host-country university with local students in Italian, and participate fully in Italian life, culture, and scholarship.

 

And, as the Umbra Institute is also recognized as a provider of credit-bearing courses for the Università degli Studi di Perugia and other local academic institutions, a number of Italian students join us each semester, providing further opportunities for cultural exchange and enrichment. Umbra not only brings students to Perugia, Italy, but also Perugia and Italy to the students with a focus on community engagement both in and out of the classroom. Umbra programs are characterized by:


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Immersion through Language Study
The main vehicle through which people approach and begin to understand a different culture is the language. This is why all Umbra students are required to study Italian. As they hone their linguistic skills, students are able to communicate and feel more at home, ensuring a successful immersion experience. Our tandem language exchange means they will learn from their Italian student peers as well. The desired outcome of language study at the Umbra Institute is to increase students’ motivation and enthusiasm for Italian, as well as heighten their curiosity about the city and its local culture. 

 

Using Perugia as a Classroom
Perugia is a mid-sized city with a strong tradition of hosting students from around the world who come to study the Italian language. Each semester begins with a week-long program of immersion: afternoons are dedicated to “getting around town” and include outside-the-classroom exercises and excursions, all conducted in Italian. Because of the authentic regional environment, Italian can and often must be used, setting the stage for a richer study abroad experience.

 

Focusing On Community Engagement

True to the Umbra Institute’s mission, our programs foster community engagement opportunities through variety intercultural initiatives designed to deepen the overall cultural experience. Umbra strives to provide a transformative, student-centered learning environment through experiential learning, personal reflection, and analysis.


 

Choose your Path

When you study with Umbra, you decide what kind of academic experience you want. The Institute encourages you to take control of your time abroad and to follow the course of study best suited to your individual needs. The main programs are briefly summarized here, but you can mix and match courses to fit your curricular needs. Our academic staff will assist you in designing the program that’s right for you, and in many cases assign a professor(s) to guide your studies during the semester particularly with community engagement projects. For detailed information on each, please visit the details links:

 

  • General Studies Program
    The general studies program is the most flexible option for students studying for a semester at Umbra. Students may choose freely from the varied list of courses offered each semester at the Institute, selecting the courses that interest them or creating curricular concentrations. All general studies students must take an Italian Language course or a course(s) in Italian as part of their curriculum and enroll in full-time study (minimum of 12 credits). This program is the most flexible, and not only allows students to choose their own courses, it also encourages curricular concentration by allowing students to work on one larger project satisfying the requirements for two or more courses with the permission and guidance of your instructors. Our academic advisers will be pleased to assist you in designing the most rewarding program for you.
  • Experiential Learning and Academic Internships
    This course has two main components, one experiential and one reflective. The first component is an internship placement with a local school, cultural institution, or business. The internship is a means of applying intercultural communication skills and gaining practical field-specific experience. The second component is a seminar that provides students with a theoretical framework and develops critical thinking skills through guided journals, reaction papers, and the completion of a final project.
  • Italian Language & Culture Program
    Direct Enrollment at the Universita’ per Stranieri
    This program is exclusively dedicated to the study of the Italian language and culture. Students who select this program are direct-enrolled at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia in one of six levels of language instruction. The program is conducted entirely in Italian, but is open to students at all levels of language proficiency, from the beginner to the advanced student. The levels of instruction are based on The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Level A1, for example, is designed for beginners and assumes no prior study of the Italian language. Levels C1 and C2, on the other hand, are designed for linguistically advanced students and offer elective courses covering a variety of subjects related to Italian studies. This program is open to all students and yields 16 semester credits in the Italian language and culture.
  • The Food Studies Program
    The Food Studies Program at the Umbra Institute is a new curricular concentration that applies an interdisciplinary approach to the study of food – history, sociology, cultural studies, business practices, literature, politics, science, agriculture, and sustainability – to discover how the individual, the community, and society relate to food in Italy, America, and elsewhere. The program consists of three courses in food studies, Italian language, and an optional elective (for a total of at least 15 credits).
  • Independent Research & Honors Program
    This program is designed for students who wish to work on a thesis or senior project while studying abroad in Italy. Students are required to take a 4 or 6-credit Italian language course, a 2-credit Research Methods course, and a 4-credit Field-Study Research course. This program course consists of regular one-on-one consultations with a pre-assigned Umbra instructor, who assists and guides the student through their thesis. Students may also choose to work with instructors from their home institution if approved. Students may also choose one or two additional courses for a minimum of 15 semester credits. Honors courses may be taken by students who qualify. This program is open to all students.
  • Direct Enrollment at the Universita’ degli Studi di Perugia
    This program is available to students with high intermediate and advanced proficiency in Italian language. Umbra facilitates direct enrollment at the Universita’ degli Studi di Perugia for full-time study in the fall semester, spring semester or for an entire academic year. Students studying at the Universita’ di Perugia will regularly meet with academic tutors and faculty advisers at the Umbra Institute who will guide them through their program of study at the Italian university and help with academic and bureaucratic concerns.
  • Summer Programs
    Umbra offers two distinct summer programs, a 5 1/2 week general studies program in which students choose one or two courses from a variety of offerings all taught in English, and a 7-week intensive Italian through culture program focused exclusively on language acquisition and Italian cultural studies through through the liberal arts philosophy. No prior study in Italian is required to participate in either program.