Location
  • Italy
    • Florence
Length
8 to 12 weeks
General grants/scholarships, BIPOC funding
Health & Safety

Program Details

Compensation
Non-Monetary Benefits
Timeframe
Fall Spring Summer
Housing
Apartment
Language
English
Weekly Hours
40
Age Min.
18

Pricing

Price Details
Program fee includes: guaranteed internship, social events & excursions, Italian language courses, centralized housing, personalized support before and during the internship program, support and orientations from local staff, medical/travel insurance, and an international SIM card.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities SIM cards
What's Not Included
Airfare Meals
Feb 21, 2024
Jul 16, 2024
156 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Florence is an incredible city full of history and fantastic internship opportunities. In Florence, there are international internships in nearly every career field. Some of the most popular internships include event planning, journalism, marketing, business administration, and fashion.

As an intern, you’ll have the chance to immerse yourself in your approved career field and Italian culture. You will develop language skills and gain professional experiences all while enjoying everything Tuscany has to offer. We do our best to tailor an internship that matches your background and future goals. We are dedicated to making your international internship in Florence an unforgettable experience.

This is the perfect internship program for students and young professionals from the U.S. or Canada. Included in the cost of your tuition is a guaranteed internship, housing, social events, our career development program, and more.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

At AIFS Abroad, we want to support all participants in their study/internship abroad journey, inclusive of gender, race, religion, age, physical ability, or sexual orientation. Everyone has a complex identity, and faith, spirituality, and religion are important factors when deciding on a program location.

LGBTQIA+ Support

At AIFS Abroad, we want to support all participants in their study/internship abroad journey, inclusive of gender, race, religion, age, physical ability, or sexual orientation. Everyone has a complex identity, and faith, spirituality, and religion are important factors when deciding on a program location.

Accessibility Support

Everyone’s experience is unique. We recognize the location you choose can have an impact on your sense of belonging. We encourage you to use the information below as you review your options to select the program and location that will be the best choice for you. If you do not hold the identities that are amplified here, this information is still a great resource for you as well. It will give you a better understanding of those who have this identity.

Impact

Sustainability

In response to the overwhelming global climate crisis, AIFS Abroad is pleased to make Sustainability a key priority when considering organizational, operational, and programming decisions. We understand that the only way to effectively combat this crisis and mitigate the effects of climate change is to drastically reduce our environmental impact. Therefore, AIFS Abroad has committed to reaching carbon neutrality by the year 2025. AIFS Abroad is proud to announce we have signed the CANIE Accord, becoming the first US provider to make this commitment.

Program Highlights

  • Guaranteed Internship: As part of the AIFS Abroad program you are guaranteed an internship in your host city. We do our best to tailor your internship to match your background and future goals.
  • Personalized Attention: We want this experience to be as fulfilling as possible. From the first phone call, we support you and give you all the resources you need to make sure your internship is a success.
  • Centralized Housing: You’ll be living in accommodations centrally located in Florence with other AIFS Abroad interns. Your housing will have access to public transportation, ensuring it is easy to get to and from your internship.
  • Professional Development: Through one-on-one coaching and webinars, we assist you in improving your professional documents, prepare you for an interview with potential employers, establish internship goals, and discuss your strengths.
  • On-Site Staff and Social Events: Our Location Coordinator lives in Florence year-round and provides you with an insider's glimpse of the city. The LC is there to provide 24/7 emergency support and takes all interns on a range of social events.

Popular Programs

Digital Marketing Internship Experience

If you would like to earn academic credit for your internship and ​your university does not offer academic credit for your internship, it’s possible that you can receive transfer credit through our School of Record, Fairfield University.

Program Reviews

4.92 Rating
based on 111 reviews
  • 5 rating 93.69%
  • 4 rating 5.41%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0.9%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.8
  • Support 4.85
  • Fun 4.9
  • Housing 4.6
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 111 reviews
Default avatar
Matthew
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Summer in Florence

I had a really good and fun time while getting to live and work here in Florence. I was really pleased with my living arrangements and my job placement. My job placement was better then I expected, I feel like I was pushed in my job and given responsibility which I was really satisfied with. With that being said I got to meet a lot of cool people in and out of the program and I got to travel a lot with the friends I made here and I was really grateful for those experiences. The staff at AIFS in my opinion was very helpful and easy to communicate with if anything came up. I think ultimately the experience is what you make it so if you make the most of it and put yourself out there you and take advantage of what Italy has to offer then you will have the time of your life and your experience will be positive.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
I would say definitely take advantage of everything that Florence and Italy has to offer. I would definitely recommend you make and effort to travel to different places or attractions and to make the best of the Italian culture and experience
Pros
  • Great food
  • Had really good job placement
  • Made good friends
Cons
  • Super hot
  • A language barrier depending on where you go
1 person found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mary
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Unforgettable experience

This summer I had the opportunity to intern abroad in Florence, Italy. I met so many friends and it was amazing to get to intern full-time during the week and travel on the weekends. Interning abroad is such a unique experience, there is absolutely nothing like it. In the evenings after work you get to meet up with your friends, explore the city, enjoy an aperitivo, and there is truly no opportunity to be bored which was amazing! Italy is a beautiful place and being here for this amount of time in the summer allowed me to see so much of it. Also, interning allows you to meet a lot of locals that give you and your friends a lot of recommendations for what to see/eat/do!!!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Getting on the plane! Going so far away for so long without anybody I knew was really daunting, it was my first time travelling abroad alone but you make friends that have a similar outlook on goals and making the most of the time in Italy. Almost everyone in my program left the city on the weekends to explore and everyone is really open to making friends and adventuring which was so much fun.
Pros
  • yummy food!!
  • great people!!
  • getting to experience all of Florence
Cons
  • a little bit pricey
  • accomodations can be far from workplace
1 person found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Cannon
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I learned so much while here in Florence!

Being able to come abroad for 2 full months was such an eye opening experience! I got to learn so much about myself, and really get out of my comfort zone! I have gotten to meet such amazing friendships that will last a lifetime, and so many memories! I have been able to make professional connections and learn so much from my employer! This was such an awesome experience, that I will cherish and remember forever! I would recommend this experience to anyone, especially if you are in college!!!!!!!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would bring less clothes!!!! I brought too many clothes, and ended up buying so much here! I was here in the summer time, and it was so hot! I recommend very few pants, and more shorts!! Also being comfy shoes, that you don’t mind getting messed up, you will walk so much!
Pros
  • Netting new people
  • Getting to see the world
  • Be independent!!
Cons
  • Cultural adjustment
  • Very hot!!
  • Can be a lot of money!
1 person found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Laurel
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Semester in Florence

I loved my time in Florence, and I feel like I grew so much as a person. I would do this semester again in a heartbeat. Cassidy Fickes and AIFS made it easy from start to finish and were always so helpful. I made so many friends and memories this semester. My internship was fun, but I wish I would have been a bit busier and that it would have been more applicable to my career that I want to have in the future, but it was still a valuable experience. I would recommend this program to anyone, and I will never forget my time abroad.

30 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Brittany
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Intern Abroad Florence

Hi! I was apart of the Spring 2024 intern abroad program in Florence. I had the best time ever! I will be honest though, the experience is not easy. As an intern abroad you have to balance time very well with social life and work life. I worked 40 hours weeks most weeks and traveled on the weekends. It is exhausting. Luckily I had a great group of girls I was living with and we really bonded over our experience in the program and helped each other vent and get through the hard parts. The placement I had was the perfect type of internship, which is great because I needed the experience. Although, working in a different countries does have some hardships. I am a pretty personable person and the language barrier made it very hard for me to make connections with the people in the office with me, a lot of the time they would speak in Italian and I knew very little. It felt a little lonely and I have never been in a work environment where I wasn’t friends with those who I was working with. It definitely became a really tiresome feeling and I dreaded going to the internship towards the end. I also did not need credit and was doing this for experience so working as much as I did burnt me out kind of fast. I had hoped there was a part time position or option but that was not possible. But in all I had a really great time, the experience was once in a lifetime and I would definitely recommend!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Just take everything as it is. You can’t change anything but you just have to learn to appreciate it.
Pros
  • I had so much fun
  • Traveling
  • Living in Florence!
Cons
  • Tiresome
  • Expensive
  • Language Barrier
38 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Brooke
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Time As An Intern In Florence, Italy

I greatly enjoyed my time living and working in Florence! This was my first time in Florence, and I am so appreciative to have gotten to experience all the beauty, art, and history that the city offers. Through AIFS Abroad, I got to learn Italian language from an Italian instructor among other foreigners, take cooking classes and learn authentic Italian recipes, and venture to cities nearby Florence for day trips. The AIFS staff appropriately matched me to an internship with a company that provides marketing services for local Florentine businesses. While working there, I learned new skills in marketing and design, got to practice my freshly learned Italian, and developed an understanding of the business world in Italy. I had to return home abruptly due to unforeseen circumstances in the middle of my time as a program participant, but I am greatly appreciative that the company for whom I was interning allowed me to continue my internship remotely. I learned valuable skills while working in person and remotely which contributed to my understanding of how I want to proceed in my future career. I am grateful to AIFS for the opportunity to embark upon such a meaningful experience and for accommodating me when my circumstances changed.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice to future travelers on this program is as follows:
1) Use this internship as an opportunity to test out a professional interest; pick a field about which you are curious and excited. You are going to spend a lot of time dedicated to this work, and it does shape your experience. You may want to consider the type of lifestyle you want to live while in the city and what type of work contributes to it.

2) Be prepared and comfortable with uncertainty in a new city. AIFS provides you many resources to adapt and feel confident going about life in your city, but there are some things that you simply have to experience to learn. It will take some time, but you will assimilate these cultural-specific norms and feel more comfortable as time goes on.

3) Consider travelling with a friend or group of friends. AIFS does provide you a cohort of people that are also interning in the same city, so you immediately have friends to make and people with whom to explore. Part way through my travel experience, some difficult and unforeseen circumstances arose in my life outside of this program. Having someone that I knew already that could more deeply understand what I was experience would have definitely made my experience easier. I had solo travelled a fair amount prior to this trip and consider myself someone who easily makes friends and adapts to new environments. Depending on the duration of your program, this may be something you want to consider.

3) Do some research before you arrive in your city of specific activities you want to do or trips you want to take. You have flexibility in your schedule for day trips, depending on your work and class schedule, but it becomes overwhelming while you are there trying to choose specifically where to go because there is so much to see. I do not recommend planning any excursions before you arrive because your program will have set activities, but it is a good idea to start thinking of what you may want to do.
Pros
  • Experience a new language and culture.
  • Gain professional experience.
  • Meet new people.
45 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Gabriella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Interning in Florence was the Highlight of My College Career!

I just completed interning in Florence, Italy with AIFS this past semester and I would do it all over again if I could! I loved my boss at my internship, however, I feel like the placement could have been slightly better to help me learn and develop professionally. The position would have been perfect for someone with a beginner level experience but I had previously done 2 very similar jobs so there wasn’t a lot of room for me to grow in the position. There were 10 of us total in the fall program and each of us had different placements that fit the different personalities so there are a lot of internship options and they do try to pick the best fit for every intern. If you’re wanting to go abroad and gain work experience I would absolutely recommend the program!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
I really embraced the food and culture in Italy and as a self proclaimed foodie I used the opportunity to try new restaurants all over Florence and try new foods I wouldn’t normally try. The most “surprising” thing I ate was probably pork neck and tripe. The best thing I ate was a truffle and sausage pasta that I had to go back and eat multiple times!
Pros
  • Amazing Food
  • Becoming more Independent
  • Gaining work experience
Cons
  • Internship placement didn’t help me learn
52 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Celine
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

AIFS Abroad Florence Internship - Great program!

I decided to participate in the AIFS Florence Internship program as a recent college graduate. I wasn't quite ready to dive into the workforce and I wanted to travel, so this gave me the perfect opportunity to live abroad while still gaining professional experience. I definitely recommend this program to someone who is looking to experience living abroad but still wants to build their resume at the same time. However, it's important to expect that your main priority during this INTERNSHIP program should be showing up to work and not just prioritizing traveling/leisure, so be ready to work!!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Like I mentioned in my review, be ready to work!! This program is amazing and they offer plenty of opportunities/events to have fun, but at the end of the day, this is an internship, so your main priority is to show up for work. You will have time for travel/exploring on weekends!
Pros
  • Gaining work experience while living abroad
  • Lots of opportunity to travel within Italy and out of country
  • Lots of opportunity to meet people and make new friends
Cons
  • Housing is Italy is not always the best quality
  • Culture shock
  • Not getting paid for working full time
54 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

No, their is no age limit to the GE programs. However, in order to qualify for the GE internship program, you have to have been within some schooling program within the last two years. It could be any level of schooling- bachelors, master, etc. But that is a requirement to being accepted into the GE internship program.

No, there are no virtual internships in the Architecture field. GE has virtual internship opportunities in Business, Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Graphic Design, IT/Computing, SEO, and Journalism.

Thanks for your response, Jill! Isidora, yes, we do offer internships in International Law and International Relations. Please see all available career fields here: https://www.globalexperiences.com/students/internships-abro…

We do offer internships in architecture but for specific fields such as architecture heritage and restoration, you can state these as your interests in both your application Program Goals and your Admissions Interview with your Admissions Counselor. However, it's not something we could guarantee as it depends on employer opportunities at the time. Hope this helps!