Umbra at a Glance

As a study abroad administrator 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 approving it for your students. And if you can handle more paperwork, we’ll be happy to send along one of our Perugia poster brochures, as well.

 

    • 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 an institution of higher learning, and by the University of Perugia as a provider of credit-bearing courses.

 

    • Dedicated Focus on Community Engagement and Outreach

True to the Umbra Institute’s mission of immersing students in the local culture and developing students’ skills and motivations, community engagement in Perugia offers hands-on interpersonal and intercultural experience. The Umbra Institute strives to provide a transformative, student-centered learning environment through feedback, personal reflection, and experiential opportunities. We offer a wide array of immersion initiatives including courses with service learning, living and studying with Italians, academic internships, volunteer projects and more.

 

Umbra students go beyond the casual engagement with the local community that is often associated with study abroad; it offers them an opportunity to give something back. The chief objectives are to immerse students in the local community and culture, to broaden their cultural perspectives as a way of developing intercultural awareness and sensitivity, and to help them see their own communities and society from a more comparative, global perspective.

 

    • Diverse Curriculum with Substantive Content

We are extremely proud of our consistent course quality – many of which contain service learning components. And most importantly, we provide an updated Course Syllabi Book so that you can review our academic program in detail. Umbra proudly provides full academic transparency. Contact us for download information.

 

    • Reputable 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.

 

    • Selective Admission Standards
      • Sophomore or higher status
      • Cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher
      • A letter of recommendation from a previous professor
      • A personal essay

 

Admission into the Umbra program is selective and we adhere to our standards.Our honors courses accept only students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and a special letter of recommendation.

 

    • An Impressive 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. In addition, Umbra is the only US study abroad institution offering credit-bearing courses to the local university, which means that each semester we host a number of local Italian students as well, fostering further integration.

 

    • The Right Size and Authentic Location

Each semester, Umbra hosts between 100 and 125 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.

 

    • Well Appointed 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.

 

    • Unparalleled Student Services Foremost in Health and Safety

Umbra maintains an average 12:1 student to staff 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.

 

    • Truly Italian University Experience and Endless 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.

 

    • Self-Assessment and Outcomes Studies Performed Periodically

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 11th 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.org with any questions. We hope we can work with you to ensure a once-in-a-lifetime study abroad experience for your students!