History, art, culture, and style - Italy’s got it all!
Italy is a modern, industrialized nation, at the forefront of style, fashion, and design. It is a Mediterranean country with a strongly family-oriented culture and has more historical monuments than any country in the world, superb museums, and incredible cuisine.
Located in a stunningly beautiful medieval building in the heart of Milan, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is a renowned private higher education institution as reflected by its degrees, international reputation, rankings, and global network.
This dynamic yet traditional university offers young people not only the opportunity to engage in professional development but to grow through personal experience promoting an interdisciplinary approach which helps students gain scientific knowledge in a responsible and independent manner.
Cattolica is where great minds connect. Where enthusiasm meets innovation. Where dedication creates outcomes.
This program is best for a student that is independent. A student must be comfortable with advocating for themselves on campus and comfortable with the local language to thrive in this location. Please be aware that there may not be the same access to internet or amenities to which you may be accustomed. Student services and especially class registration may not be at all similar to what is done at the College and may be difficult for some students to adjust.
Learn more about Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore here! Read the ISEP Country Handbook to learn more about visa requirements, educational system, and culture.
Experiences of Former Students
WHAT PAST STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY
“Why am I studying in Italy at UCSC?: I actually started as an exchange student thanks to one of my friends’ recommendation. I ended up transferring to Cattolica and am now taking a degree in applied languages and linguistics with a specialization in communication.” -Josh, Williamsport, USA
| Eligibility | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
To be eligible to participate in this program, students must meet the following requirements:
Students applying to ISEP must apply for an Exchange option (in any country) as a first choice but may apply to a Direct option as a back-up. Direct options may have an additional cost (see a financial section for more information). |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The historic city of Milan is the capital of Lombardy in the central Po valley, which is Italy’s richest, most populated and most economically active region. Milan has always been forward-looking. During its 2,000 year history, it has been a driving force for great social, economic, cultural and political events. Milan is also a city of art, with a wealth of monuments, palaces, churches, and museums, not to mention, the Duomo and La Scala, the temple of Opera. In 2013 Milan was ranked as the top student city in Italy by QS Best Student Cities Ranking! Check out the New York Times’ video 36 Hours in Milan. To learn more about the visa process for this country, please visit the ISEP Country Handbook for Italy. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Academics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, founded in 1921 by Father Agostino Gemelli, is one of the most comprehensive and complete higher education institutions in Italy. Università Cattolica excels in the diverse study opportunities that it offers in the humanities as well as scientific fields. Through the courses offered, combined with strong research programs, the university values and promotes an interdisciplinary approach that helps students gain scientific knowledge in a responsible and autonomous fashion.
Located in a stunningly beautiful medieval building in the heart of Milan, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is a renowned private higher education institution as reflected by its degrees, international reputation, rankings, and global network.
Fields that are especially appropriate for ISEP participants include Humanities, Business/Economics, Languages & Literature, Political and Social Sciences. Winter-sport athletes may wish to participate in the School of Economics Term 3, which traditionally runs mid-April - late-July; they would earn ~3 Lake Forest credits. These students can work with a professor on campus to determine if they can complete an independent study project in order to fulfill one of the requirements to live on campus and/or to stay on track to graduate. PROGRAMS
There are two program options at Sacro Cuore for a semester or full year placements. Please clearly indicate on your Host Site Request List which option you prefer:
Courses available in OPTION 1: UCSC University Academic Curriculum (coursework in Italian) COURSES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH
Courses available in OPTION 2: There are two opportunities to take courses in English at UCSC offered on both ISEP Exchange and ISEP Direct: Language Courses: Italian language courses are offered in addition to regular classes during each semester for lower intermediate, upper intermediate and advanced levels. These classes are 45 total hours of course work for 6 ECTS credits, which appear on the university transcript. Students may also request a certificate upon completion.
Pre-session: A 3-week pre-session, intensive Italian language course is offered for absolute beginner, lower intermediate and upper intermediate levels. 45 hours of course work for 6 ECTS credits. Pre-session includes tuition, housing, and meals.
HINTS FOR RESEARCHING COURSES
For the UCSC University Academic Curriculum (coursework in Italian):
STUDYING AT AN ITALIAN UNIVERSITY
Classes and Credit Hours ECTS credits are allocated to each course and represent the student workload required to achieve learning outcomes or course value within a degree curriculum (a core curriculum course usually weights more than an elective course). To Earn 4 Lake Forest credits, students must take 27 ECTS credits. To Earn 3 Lake Forest credits, students must take 21 ECTS credits. The number of credits listed here is estimated, and GEO will work with you, your advisor, and the registrar to ensure you are earning enough credits to keep you on track for graduation. Students taking courses in the International Curriculum at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore should note that course credits are awarded in US credit hours. Typically these courses bear 3 US credits unless otherwise noted. In this case, students will need 15 US credits to earn 4 Lake Forest credits.
Study Habits
Teaching Style/Interaction with Professors
Grades and Assessment While grading policies will vary by course and university, many courses taught in Italian will have an important final exam, the esame di profitto, which will determine a large portion of your grade. Many of these exams are oral, but some may be written. The minimum passing grade is 18.
Registration IMPORTANT: In order for you to receive grades and credits for the courses you complete, you must follow the explicit instructions of your host ISEP Coordinator. You may be required to present a libretto, a booklet, or other documentation, for your professor’s signature after completing the course. Academic Environment and Teaching Style Please understand that the academic system is quite different. Classes are usually lecture-based, instead of discussion or group work. Classes are often much larger than those found at Lake Forest College. Grades are based heavily, at times almost entirely, on one end-of-term exam, though some courses will also offer a midterm. Professors are often more formal than those in the United States. All courses/modules may have prerequisites. Some departments may have limitations on numbers of courses that can be taken within or outside it. Be aware of these limitations. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Student Life | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The campus offers a complete range of services, all of which share a common goal: meeting the needs of a large student population. The campus may best be described as “a city within a city,” where finding your way and learning the ropes is easy thanks to effective tutoring services and competent academic advisors and coordinators. Total enrollment: 30,000. ORIENTATION
UCSC International offers two orientation events for international students at the beginning of each semester. Students will be given useful information about Milan, UCSC campus, academic programs, registration, extracurricular activities, and permit of stay procedures. During the orientation, students will also meet student associations. Airport pickup may be available for a group of students. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Housing and Meals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
ORIENTATION
UCSC International offers two orientation events for international students at the beginning of each semester. Students will be given useful information about Milan, UCSC campus, academic programs, registration, extracurricular activities, and permit of stay procedures. During the orientation, students will also meet student associations. Airport pickup may be available for a group of students. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial Information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
For all approved programs for guaranteed financial aid transferability, students pay their Lake Forest College tuition plus a program fee. The program fee for a semester with the ISEP Exchange to Universit Cattolica del Sacro Cuore includes orientation, on-site director, university fees, housing, and the equivalent of 19/meals per week. The Direct fee includes orientation, on-site director, university fees, housing, plus insurance. ISEP costs for Exchange are usually the most cost-effective, as it is intended to promote mobility of students around the world. Direct options are available for those students that prefer to attend a school with limited availability for Exchange, though costs may be different as they are set by the host school. However, the program fee may be different than that of Exchange, which tend to be less expensive to promote more exchange opportunities for all schools. Here is an estimated budget for the Fall 2019/Spring 2020 programs:
Tuition rates and program fees are subject to change each year, but this information was up-to-date as of February 2019. We will notify applicants, and update this page if the program fee or other estimates change. You can discuss with Financial Aid your specific aid package and your expected family contribution. Deposits to other programs, if required, are paid by the student to the host program, and will appear as a credit on your study abroad term bill from the College. Keep in mind that you may spend more or less in certain areas like personal expenses, travel, meals, or airfare, depending on exchange rates and your own spending habits. Classroom or lab fees are not included in this estimate and will depend on your course registration choices. Don’t forget to apply for scholarships! A great listing can be found here.
|