Art History Abroad | The Autumn European Gap Semester Program

This program was wonderful and taught me a great deal about art history. All the tutors are immensely knowledgable, and having the opportunity to visit so many significant historical sites in person was an amazing experience. The course was also very fun socially, and provides a great opportunity to make lifelong friends. It is challenging and engaging, and is also a program that will certainly make anyone who takes it change as a person and grow. There were many different aspects of the course, and many different periods of art history were covered, making it quite expansive and informative. The quality of the information delivered by the tutors and the quantity of incredible sites that were in the itinerary, as well as the opportunities for social interaction made this a truly unforgettable program.

I attended the AHA Semester program in 2015. I completed two courses I fell so throughly in love with it. I met some of my closest friends from all over the globe that I still stay in touch with and see regularly. The tutors were extremely knowledgable and enthusiastic about teaching and inspired a life-long passion in art history in me....I am now an art history major going to university in Florence if that's any indication for you. I plan on becoming a Renaissance professor after I get my masters' degree in art history. AHA made me fall in love with art history and find what passion I wanted to follow as a career. The hotels and inns included are charming and quintessentially Italian. The groups and tutors always have engaging conversation over traditional, delicious Italian antipasti. Italy is a dream and AHA is too....don't wait, just GO!!!

This program was a dream come true. I made friendships that will last a lifetime. The tutors were amazing! I would wake up each day excited to see which new adventure I was going to embark on. This is the program for you if you are into art history and the European culture. Submerging myself into Europe made me fall in love with this continent that was so new to me at the moment. The best part of the trip was being able to take a hands on approach into different art and cultures. This trip made me more worldly and independent. I came back as a stronger person and I could not thank AHA enough. The overall experience made me grow as a person and has made me continue the path of art history into college in Florence, Italy. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life and I can’t wait to share my story with everyone!

I went on the full 3 month September throughout December trip, and it was one of the best experiences ever. Sure it wasn’t perfect, but I loved the “tutors” - the people who were leading us everyday and teaching learning sessions, and I met so many great people. I would recommend this trip to anyone who says they want to travel to Europe during their gap year. We travelled to so many cities: London, Stratford (English Countryside), Paris, Nice, Montepulciano (Tuscany), Rome, Naples, Siena, Florence, Verona, Castelfranco, and Venice. The first six weeks is a smaller group and then once in Italy- more people join- which was difficult at first because we had become settled into our original group but everything eventually calmed down and the groups integrated and we got to meet more amazing people. I would even recommend this trip to people who don’t particularly love art history- like me- because I had such an amazing time learning about it and it’s not even what I’m pursuing in college. Plus, the program gives us ample free time to explore the city for ourselves or just hang out with your new friends. Would go back in a heartbeat!

This was honestly the best three months I've had in a long time!!! I learned so much about art history, being a traveller around Europe, and about myself on this trip! And I made such good friends who cared about my contributions to the course and were simply some of the raddest people i have ever met and were amazingly fun whether we were learning or just hanging! I feel really good about being independent now and I feel like I learned a lot about Art History as well as brushed up on my European history significantly. Even though I've never had any formal training in Art history, I felt like the information was taught in such a great way that my lack of experience didn't negatively impact my overall understanding. Which brings me to the amazing, awesome, rad, super smart, fun, and interesting tutors who absolutely made this experience for me! They work really hard and care about your wellbeing and growth as a student and a friend. I feel like I am a better person for going on this trip and I would recommend it to anyone! Thanks AHA!

If you are even remotely considering joining AHA – Do it! You won’t regret it.

I joined the course having next to no knowledge of art history nor any intention of pursuing it in the future, and I can say with absolute certainty that choosing AHA was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

The tutors are all amazing. In addition to being some of the coolest human beings I have yet to encounter, they are all brilliant in their own way and offer unique and exciting ways to understand the information and to connect with the art pieces and places.

Not only have I walked away from the course with an in-depth understanding of European art and architecture within the historical context, but I have also gained an appreciation for the Italian culture – the beautiful way of life. Furthermore, in just eight weeks, I have become extremely confident as a person and international traveler, have formed life-long friendships, and have made memories I will take with me for the rest of my life.

My original intention for going on this three month long trip around Europe was to learn as much as I possibly could about art history, visit countless art museums & galleries and maybe enjoy the different cultures I was exposed to as well. Not only did I achieve my original goals but I also did something that I didn't expect to do. learn as much as I possibly could about art history. I made unforgettable bonds with people from all over the world. This is kind of a crazy thing for me because I usually am painfully shy and suffer from anxiety which made me a nervous wreck the first few days in London. I remember calling my father saying "I don't think I can do this etc." but after maybe a day or two I never had thoughts like that again. In fact my dad jokes that he barely heard from me after that just because I was so busy having the time of my life. Another huge positive to this trip is that I grew as a person, especially into someone who is incredibly independent. I am actually incredibly confident in my abilities to navigate a train system (especially if it's the London tube), take a taxi on my own etc. This again is a huge development for me because of how anxious I usually get about stuff like that. Another really funny thing about this trip was that I was incredibly nervous about the two weeks of homestay in Montepulciano. Like it was the thing that I kept going back to and worrying about. But it actually turned out to be probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. You're in one of the most beautiful little towns in Tuscany, taking really fun Italian classes, cooking classes and then you pick olives in the Tuscan countryside. Like who does all that in two weeks! The trip went by way too quickly and I will cherish every single memory and bond formed. Even the one where I was crying to my dad over the phone on the very first day.

To be honest I had absolutely no interest in art history before going on this trip and my mother forced me to do it. However I will be thanking her till the day I die for pushing me into AHA because it was by far the most incredible gap year experience. It perfectly combined intellectual stimulation with an unbelievably fun social life with a group of tight knit peers. Each tutor blew me away with their breadth of knowledge about art history and they inspired me to become absolutely fascinated by what each European city had to offer.

I entered the course knowing no one else on the trip yet quickly became best friends with all of the other students and tutors. Each day was jam-packed with cultural activities, varying from art museum exhibit tours to wild boat trips on the Thames. At night we explored other cultural aspects of the cities whether it be concerts, comedy clubs, or night clubs. Your happiness is always the top priority of the AHA tutors and the ensure that throughout the entirety of the trip you are in pure bliss. The highlight of my trip was the home stay in Montepulciano. Not only did we go olive picking at a Tuscan home but we did wine tastings and cooking classes. The food is so good it will make you cry. Get the pici for every single meal.

I would recommend AHA to anyone and everyone. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and will completely change your life for the better. Don't spend your gap year any other way, I promise you will NOT be disappointed.