Discover the Real Italy while Taking Classes Toward Your Degree!

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Welcome to the Umbra Institute

Experience the Real Italy: Each summer and semester, students take advantage of the Umbra Institute’s beautiful location in historic Perugia, Italy. At Umbra, students complete courses, taught in English, that count toward their degree. Courses are designed to use Perugia as a classroom and to give students ample time to travel elsewhere in Italy and Europe.

Live Like an Italian: Learn to appreciate the Italian lifestyle. Umbra provides students with shared apartments within a 5-15 minute walk of the Institute, allowing for innumerable opportunities to enjoy mid-day siestas, eat a panino on the fountain steps, and walk the city center like a native. Apartments are furnished with full kitchens so that you can try to duplicate your favorite new Italian dish. WiFi is provided both within the Institute and in each student apartment.

The Umbra Institute Highlights

No prior study in Italian required
Accredited academic programs in both in English & Italian
Immersive field trips & activities
Centrally-located facilities and housing
International student city – Perugia

Community engagement program
Extra-curricular activities series
Volunteer opportunities
Experienced & dedicated staff & faculty
Assistance from pre-departure to return

Browse Popular Courses

Click here to view a full list of courses across all disciplines. Click any course to access its description, sample syllabus, field trip highlights, and course fees. Have questions about how these transfer to your home university? Contact a member of our advising team!

AI/BUS/PSYC 320: AI and Human Behavior in Organizations

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ANTH/ENV/GEOG 362: Environmental Anthropology

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CS/STAT/BUS 315: Applied Data Science – Discovering Consumer Insights from Everyday Data

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ECON/BUS 305 – The Art of The Nudge: Behavioral Economics in Action, from Theory to the Streets of Perugia

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EDUC/PSYC 325: Multicultural & Intercultural Education: The Psychology of Cross-Cultural Development

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ENV/PSCI/FSST 370: Food & Environmental Policy in Italy & Europe

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FLM/ITAL 305: Modern Italian Cinema

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HEB/HIST/GSCI 310 – Plants, People & Civilization

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PSYC/AI 305: It’s All in Your Head: The Cognition of Everyday Life

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PSYC 315 – Pathways to Wellness: Exploring Mental Health, Diagnosis, and Clinical Interventions (Psychopathology)

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PUBH/NUTR 345 – From Plate to Policy: The Mediterranean Approach to Diet, Lifestyle, and Public Health

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EXPLORE OUR
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

SEMESTER
YEAR-LONG
SUMMER

Health and Safety – Dedicated Support
Immersive Opportunities – Inspiring Academics
Unparalleled Student Services

Program Options

The Umbra Identity

Umbra students distinguish themselves with a fervent desire to explore the less travelled paths and immerse themselves in their environs. For our students, its difficult to think of a more inspiring backdrop than Perugia – a city that attracts tens of thousands of Italian and international students. If the Umbra identity describes you, then you will be right at home studying with us.

 

 

Interested in joining the Umbra community?

Get in touch with a member of our advising team. 

REQUEST AN ADVISING CALL APPLY NOW

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An opinion piece by Emma Riggs, University of Connecticut Umbra Rep for Spring 2026 Tips on Learning and Using Italian...

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Seeking New Experiences, But Finding Myself

An opinion piece by Sophie Sares, Springfield College Umbra Rep for Spring 2026 There are many things that studying abroad...

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Rethinking Food Systems: Insights from the FSE Capstone Trip

An opinion piece by Elke Schrenk, Spring 2026 Students in the Food, Environment, and Sustainability (FSE) program concluded the semester...

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