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 facilities 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 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 share an apartment or off-campus residence, live in a home stay in the heart of the city, 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 small city, so you can easily walk or use public transportation to get almost anywhere. The freshman class is required to live on-site while upper-class students live in homestays, apartments and residences around the city center. Students reside in singles, doubles, triples, quads, and multi-person rooms.

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. 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.

To complement the curriculum, many professors organize local site visits as well as out-of-town field trips. These activities are mandatory and appear on each professor's syllabus. Most art history classes include visits to churches, museums, and villas in Florence and Italian cities to view pieces of art in context. Local museums are an integral part of many classes, and past visits have included the Uffizi Gallery, the Bargello Museum, l'Accademia, San Marco Museum, and the Medici Chapels. Recent trips outside of Florence have included visits to the Vatican museum and Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome and a viewing of Leonardo's Last Supper in Milan. The Etruscans class regularly visits the archeological museum in Bologna and stops at nearby ancient ruins; the Italian opera course supplemented in-class discussions by attending a performance of Puccini at Verona's opera house. Students often opt to take advantage of local holidays and the weeklong spring and fall breaks to travel through Italy and Europe. 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, student theater and a student radio show are also 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 Services

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 Community Resource Assistants 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.