Global Education

Program Dates

Term	Start Date	End Date
Fall 2024	August 29th, 2024	December 14th, 2024
Spring 2025	January 16th, 2025	May 2nd, 2025

These dates are tentative. Confirm program dates before booking travel.

Eligibility

This program is open to students who are at least first-semester sophomores. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required to participate.

Where: Siena, Italy

Siena, located in the Italian region of Tuscany, is about one hour south of Florence and has around 50,000 inhabitants. Siena is known for its small-town feel, having a true sense of community, its medieval brick architecture, less spoken English than other more touristy areas of Italy, and the yearly Palio horse races. Siena is connected to cities like Florence and Rome via bus and train networks helping Siena be very well connected within Italy and the rest of Europe.  

CET Siena is a small program with about 25 students. On-site staff know who you are and you develop close connections with the other CET students in the program.

Academics

In Siena, all students take an Italian language class whether they’re complete beginners or advanced speakers. CET also offers intensive Italian language classes whereby students can complete two semester’s worth (8 credits) of Italian in one term.

In addition to language, students choose three or four other classes taught in English in the fields of Art History, Computer Science, Global Studies, Italian Studies,  Political Science, and International Relations. They typically have five computer science courses in Siena each semester. 

Academic Structure

Students enroll in classes from a select list of classes taught at the CET Center in Siena.  Class sizes are small and they are taken alongside other study abroad students in the programs from Allegheny and other US colleges and universities. Classes are taught in a US-style with interactive sessions and continuous assessment throughout the semester, including quizzes, midterms, and finals. All classes include at least one site visit per semester to a location within the city.

Course Credit

CET uses the same credit system as Allegheny. So, four credits at CET equals four credits at Allegheny.  The normal course load at the University is 12-18 credits per semester.  

Courses

In addition to language, art history, Italian studies, global studies, Political Science, and international relations coursework, this program is unique in its offering of five computer sciences courses.  These have been reviewed by Allegheny’s Computer and Information Science Department and can be transferred as CMPSC courses at Allegheny. The computer sciences courses typically offered each semester are:

• CS3120 Discrete Mathematics and Theory 2
• CS3130 Computer Systems and Organization 2
• CS4414 Operating Systems
• CS4710 Artificial Intelligence
• CS4750 Database Systems

Check out these and many other CET Siena offerings by scrolling through the curriculum & syllabi section of their website.

Housing & Student Life

In Siena, students have the option of a homestay or apartments with local Italian roommates from the local Sienese university.  Students who live in the apartment option in Siena live in double rooms with other CET students and one local roommate.  The local CET staff manages all housing facilities and issues from roommate placements to apartment maintenance, etc.  Students in apartments typically live in doubles (though singles, when requested in advance for medical or personal reasons, can be arranged) with 2-6 other students. In apartments, students cook and grocery shop or eat out on their own and/or with their roommates. Students have access to washing machines but since dryers are not common in Italy, students typically hang clothes to dry on large drying racks. 

In a homestay, students live in single or double rooms with another CET student. Students living in a homestay eat breakfasts and dinners with their host family and lunch on their own as they’re out and about during the day. The homestay program carries an extra fee to cover the cost of an extra member of the household.

The program also includes a three-day overnight trip 3-day excursion to the Emilia Romagna region. Visit FICO Eataly World and immerse yourself in Italian food in Bologna. Spend the day taking in beautiful Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna. Visit an Acetaia and understand the art of making balsamic vinegar. Check out the Ferrari Museum before returning home to Siena.  In addition, at least one optional extracurricular activity per week is arranged for students by the Italian roommates/buddies that could include, for example: dinner with Italian friends, cooking classes (pizza, stracciatella), tours to places of interest in Siena, etc.  

Application Process

Allegheny students must apply for approval to study off-campus from the Global Education office AND apply directly to their chosen program. For this program, students should work on the Allegheny approval application at the same time as the host program application. The Allegheny approval application deadline is February 20 for fall programs and September 20 for spring programs. Study away approval applications will be reviewed immediately following the appropriate semester deadline. The separate application deadline to apply directly to this program will vary and could be before or after Allegheny’s approval application due date. Check directly on their website (linked at the top of this page) for deadline information. For more information about the study away application process, please visit the application steps page.

Visa Information

U.S citizens need to apply for a student visa in advance of their study abroad period in Italy. Non-U.S. citizens should consult their home country’s Italian embassy or consulate.

Fees & Costs

Below find information on estimated costs for a semester abroad. You will receive a bill from Allegheny College, as you normally would, for the amount shown under “Costs Paid to Allegheny College.” All other study away program costs will be paid directly to a non-Allegheny entity and are listed in part two below. These amounts are estimates and will vary depending on individual choices. A total estimated cost of attendance for this program is shown at the bottom.

All financial aid awards can be applied to study abroad costs with the exception of federal work-study awards and certain tuition exchange scholarships. For more information, visit our page about Financing Study Away.

Part One: Costs Paid to Allegheny College

Part Two: Costs Paid to non-Allegheny Entity

TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE

NOTES:

Study Away Fee includes: administrative support, transcript translation and processing, pre-departure orientation, and emergency travel insurance.