Visit our NYU in Florence photo gallery for images of the program and city.
Orientation
The NYU in Florence staff will greet arriving students at the airport and transport them to their housing assignments upon arrival. Over the next two days an in-depth orientation will cover all the topics pertinent to every day life in Florence—from banking and cell phones, to local customs, navigating the city, the academic policies and facilities, particular courses that involve the city in specific ways, and the role of the student life staff. A survival Italian course, a neighborhood tour, a welcome reception and a day trip to a nearby Tuscan city conclude your first few days.
By the time you arrive in Florence, you'll already have registered for your classes. Advisers from the Office of Academic Support will assist you with changing your schedule or, for approved students, registering at the University of Florence if you've decided to take a course there. You'll buy your books at local bookstores; many required readings will also be available on reserve at the Villa Ulivi library.
Housing and Meals
All NYU in Florence students are required to live in NYU-arranged housing. Whether you live on NYU’s breathtaking estate, share an apartment or off-campus residence, live in a home stay, or enhance your Italian language skills through cultural immersion living, our housing options will help make your stay in Florence truly memorable. Florence is a city where you can easily walk or use public transportation to get almost anywhere. Upper-class students live on the estate, in homestays, or in apartments and residences around the city center. Students reside in singles, doubles, triples, quads, and multi-person rooms. The freshman class is required to live on the estate in Villa Natalia or Villa Colletta that includes a meal plan, air-conditioned rooms, reading rooms, computers labs, and a fully equipped exercise room.
Apartments, off-campus residences, and home stays are leased by the University and are considered part of the New York University-Florence housing program. Apartments house approximately four to six NYU students in double or single rooms. Each apartment has its own kitchen where students can cook some or all of their meals. Off-campus residences are higher-density living arrangements than most apartments but offer amenities not usually found in standard Florentine apartments. Bedrooms consist only of doubles or triples.
Home stays come with or without a meal option. These offer great opportunities to learn Italian quickly and to get to know Italian life and cooking and to still be able to participate in all of the NYU in Florence activities. Students who live in home stays without a meal option are given kitchen privileges.
Students in the Italian Culture and Immersion Program live together, in an apartment or residence with an Italian-speaking Resident Assistant.
Trips and Activities
In the beginning of the semester, the Office of Student Life staff will arrange day trips to local sites of interest that reflect the history and culture of Tuscany. Each semester, day trips to the nearby towns of Lucca and Siena include guided tours of historical monuments and sites of interest as well as free time to do some exploring on your own. Many trips are arranged to complement what you are learning in your courses.
Each semester, the NYU in Florence staff coordinates events and excursions to make you feel welcome and connected to Florence. The staff takes advantage of local resources, introducing students to lesser-known museums, local craftsmen and the regional cuisine through extra-curricular activities. Wine tasting sessions, cooking classes, and student theater are organized among other activities. On campus clubs are started every semester based on student initiative, and can range from a book or travel club, to a student run talent show, game nights and a student publication.
Student Life Services
A knowledgeable student services staff assists students with their adjustment to Italian life outside of class. The staff assigns housing and attends to the maintenance of student housing, plans activities and sees to the general well-being of the student body. Being away from home and familiar surroundings can sometimes be disorienting, and the student life staff is prepared to respond to any questions or concerns which may arise throughout the semester. In addition to full-time professional staff, a group of Resident Hall Managers live amongst students and is always available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on an emergency cell phone to respond to any unexpected events that may present themselves in off hours.
Health and Safety
The NYU Student Health Center and the Department of Public Safety work closely with program staff to plan for safe, healthy, and enriching opportunities long before you arrive. You will be introduced to many of these services in the months leading up to your program abroad while others will be explained in detail during the mandatory on-site orientation such as meetings with local health care providers, presentations of local laws and crime prevention techniques, and examples of cultural differences.
While an issue is unlikely to surface, should an emergency situation arise, there is a contact person designated for wellness issues on call 24 hours a day located locally; as well, the Department of Public Safety in New York will assist with international emergencies (212-998-2222). For medical situations, the University provides coverage by HTH Worldwide, an international insurance company, to ensure that treatment is available to you by qualified professionals when needed with no out of pocket expense. Students are also required to maintain insurance with their home policy. For assistance in extremely rare situations, the University has contracted with International SOS, the world's leading provider of international customer care, which includes evacuation services.
The Department of Public Safety in conjunction with the Office of Global Programs works to create a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors to pursue their educational and professional goals and aspirations. The annual security report for NYU in Florence contains useful and relevant information.
Before you depart for the semester you will be instructed on how to use NYU Traveler, a Web-based information collection tool where flight and travel details, local and U.S. telephone numbers, and emergency contact information can be stored so that NYU staff can assist you if needed.