CET Italy

CET Italy

Location
  • Italy
    • Florence
    • Siena
Term
Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer
Subject Areas
Anthropology Archaeology Art History Arts Business Communications Computer Science Economics Education English Environmental Studies European Studies Finance Food Science and Nutrition Gender Studies Global Studies History Humanities International Business International Relations Journalism Language Studies Liberal Arts Linguistics Literature Marketing Mathematics Medieval Studies Philosophy Political Science Psychology Public Relations Social Sciences Sociology Visual Arts +25
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, LGBTQIA+ funding, BIPOC funding
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Apartment Host Family
Language
Italian

Pricing

Price Details
The CET program fee covers tuition, housing in the city center, activities and excursions (day trips), medical insurance, and course materials/textbooks. The program fee does not include transportation to/from Florence or Siena, visa-related fees, meals, homestay fees and a refundable housing deposit.

Still wondering how to budget for your time abroad? CET offers scholarships, and CET staff is happy to provide advice on keeping discretionary purchases to a minimum (i.e., they can tell you where to get cheap eats).
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Classes Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare
What's Not Included (Extra)

Personal expenses includes personal care/hygiene items, laundry, cell phone plans/usage, medical expenses, other incidentals. This does NOT include personal travel.

Jul 09, 2026
Jun 07, 2026
37 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

CET Italy programs offer more than just academics—they deliver a truly immersive cultural experience. With small class sizes, dedicated faculty, and personalized support from on-the-ground staff, you’ll get the individual attention that makes learning come alive. Choose from a wide range of electives—from Marketing and Economics to Art History and Psychology—all while exploring Italy’s rich history and vibrant culture through hands-on activities and excursions. Whether you’re in Florence or Siena, you can live with a local host family for a deep cultural connection, or share an apartment with fellow CET students for a more independent experience. Either way, you'll feel right at home in Italy!

COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

Students appreciate the supportive staff, passionate professors, and immersive cultural experiences in both Siena and Florence.

Program Highlights

  • Academically engaging courses that suit a variety of majors
  • Group excursions around Italy
  • Out-of-classroom learning & assignments
  • Italian language classes
  • Live in the beautiful areas of Florence or Siena: apartment or homestay

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

CET believes in making study abroad accessible to students of all races, religions, origins, abilities, gender identities, and sexual orientations. We’ve gathered experiences from BIPOC students to share as resources such as the Identity Abroad pages, Perspective Pieces, and Identity Abroad Support Networks. We are also dedicated to becoming a more anti-racist organization by transforming our workplace, programs, and industry with our Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI) Action Plan.
CET supports and welcomes students of all identities on our programs. We provide program-specific information under the cultural climate section of our Identity Abroad webpages for LGBTQ individuals in each of our program locations.
CET makes every effort to offer accommodations comparable to that of the students’ home institution. Disclosing early helps us to make proper preparations. The accommodations offered at each program can be found on each program location's Identity Abroad page. These pages can provide a good idea about what classes are like in terms of workload and class time. Initiating one-on-one conversations with Student Service Coordinators can also help inform students' decisions and determine if a program will be a good fit.
CET makes every effort to offer accommodations comparable to that of the students’ home institution. The levels of accessibility, from wheelchair accessibility to extra time on exams, are under each program location’s Identity Abroad page. Initiating one-on-one conversations with Student Service Coordinators can help inform students' decisions and determine if a program will be a good fit.

Impact 🌎

CET is an environmentally conscientious organization at our headquarters in DC and programs all around the world. In each of our centers, we adopt local measures to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to sustainable practices. As part of our ongoing efforts towards sustainability, we’ve partnered with Cool Effect, a nonprofit focused on reducing carbon emissions through scientifically-proven, hand-selected carbon projects worldwide. For each trip taken by one of our staff members, travelers, or students, we donate to support three carbon projects chosen by staff volunteers every year.
When we set up a program overseas, we become a part of that local community. And as a community member, we are responsible for contributing to local initiatives in meaningful ways. Our website lists some local philanthropic organizations that help us fulfill this responsibility—they host our students, and we support their missions.

Popular Programs

View of Florence

Whether you're fulfilling a major requirement or exploring Italy-focused courses like History of Modern Italy or The European Banking System, there's something for every interest. During the fall or spring semester, experience Italy beyond the classroom through a variety of day trips. In the summer, customize your experience by studying abroad for 3 weeks or 6 weeks!

Students in Siena

Choose from electives in subjects like computer science, economics, international relations, art history, and politics—perfect for diving into Italian culture or staying on track with your major. Explore a local contrada and uncover the traditions behind the iconic Palio horse race. Housing options include living with local roommates or joining a homestay—each offering an authentic window into everyday life in Siena.

Program Reviews

4.75 Rating
based on 83 reviews
  • 5 rating 78.31%
  • 4 rating 18.07%
  • 3 rating 3.61%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 3.85
  • Support 4.6
  • Fun 4.65
  • Housing 4.45
  • Safety 4.85
  • Growth 5
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Housing 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 57 - 64 of 83 reviews
McKenzie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CET Florence Spring 2018

This has been the best semester of my life! CET offers an array of interesting courses. Although the professors don't always speak perfect English, they are usually very helpful and the classes are enjoyable. CET is very helpful preparing you for the journey the semester before you leave and also in integrating you into the culture of Italy once you get there. Not having any classes on Friday was PERFECT because it made traveling so much easier. I was not very well traveled before but now I have been all over Europe! Florence itself is amazing. There are so many awesome restaurants, bars, clubs, and things to do. The food is incredible. If you are into art, this is the perfect city for you! The school work was challenging but not so much that I did not have time to enjoy other experiences. I have learned so much about the world and also myself this semester. Nothing can replace the people I've met and the experiences I've had. I wish I could stay longer!

What would you improve about this program?
We had a lot of problems with the wifi, toilet, gas, and some other issues in our apartment. CET tried their best to help us but wasn't always the most responsive. Of course, these are the issues that occur when living in a very old city, and when there was a point in the semester where we could no longer live in our apartment, CET located us to a new one very quickly.
132 people found this review helpful.
Maria
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Beautiful Program and People

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with CET Siena for the Spring 2018 semester. The people, both staff and other students, made my time in this program absolutely delightful. The program manager, Vicky, was a delight to work with. She helped all of use if we ever needed it, and was always supportive of our wants and needs. Each professor that I had was amazing. They really cared about us as people and about our academics. They were all very engaging in our courses and very approachable. The courses themselves were at a challenging level that I was looking for in a study abroad program. They were challenging enough to make me know that I was still working hard enough and learning many new things. Yet, they were not overwhelming or super stressful, so that I could also enjoy my free time to travel around Italy on the weekends and get to know Siena better during the week. I must say, however, that the other students definitely helped increase the ambivalence of the ambiance that was set up by the staff. I think this is an excellent program for studying abroad, but the other students do make it or break it. I would still recommend this program for anyone interested about learning Italian, specifically Sienese, culture and art. Many if not all courses are also very interactive and many times hands-on.

What would you improve about this program?
I am not entirely sure what I would improve about the program. Perhaps, just the course selection process at the beginning of the semester. For the Siena program there was no option to change classes once the semester began. I know that there was some confusion and a little bit of frustration because the process was not well-explained. Neither were the Italian class options (taking one semester versus two semesters of Italian language). Better direct communication before class selection would have been nice, but also explaining or removing the incapacity for an add/drop period. Even if it was just 1-3 days at the beginning, would be appreciated.
123 people found this review helpful.
Kamaria
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Incredible Staff

Florence has been more amazing than I could have ever imagined. Being in a city filled with such a rich culture has enabled me to grow in many ways. CET has definitely been a major factor in this experience. CET allowed me to explore many of the gems of Italy and Florence, and make the most of my academic experience. The staff are some of the most welcoming, charismatic, and knowledgeable people I have encountered during my experience. The professors are well-versed and passionate about their respective fields and challenge us learn more about Italian culture. The staff also were tremendous help in making my adjustment to Florence very comfortable and helping me navigate this city. Thank you CET!

What would you improve about this program?
I would have liked to see more interactions with Florentine students.
125 people found this review helpful.
Mary
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great program in Florence

CET Florence is a great program for those wishing to study in Florence. All of the housing is in the center of the city, which is a great way to immerse yourself in the Florence culture. The academics are relatively difficult, and do a good job of exposing you to many aspects of the city and culture of Italy. The program also organizes a few trips and activities for the students, which are not required but are available, which is nice. The staff is very nice and goes out of their way to get to know you, although I think that they could have been more supportive when it comes to absences for cases that should be excused (such as sickness, this is not excused). CET was a great program for me, an art history student, who wanted to learn more about the culture and history of Florence.

What would you improve about this program?
I think that the absence policy could be improved.
134 people found this review helpful.
Jordan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Semester in Florence

My semester abroad was fantastic, and CET was a big part of it. The program offered interesting classes that I could take with my friends, and they also do a good job of offering activities outside the classroom to give students the Florentine experience. I spent a little less than half my weekends in Florence, but I still found things to do while I was here, and being here really made me appreciate the Italian culture. While it might be nerve-racking committing to spending 4 months on the other side of the world, I've had the absolute best time, and I also got the chance to grow personally. Coming to Florence was the best decision I ever made, and I'm thankful I got the chance to cross so many things off my bucket list!

120 people found this review helpful.
Caitlin
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Siena

My time in Siena this summer was incredible. I loved waking up and starting my day with a cappuccino or expresso from down the street. After the bar, classes started at 9 and then by 12:30 I was out finding an authentic lunch down a random street or cooking in my apartment. On Wednesdays there was a big market with fresh vegetables and fruits and some of the best baked chicken. I was only a short walk from the campo where much of the tourist would crowd during the day, but then by night all the locals would be having an aperitivo or dinner later. Siena was a great place to study abroad for me, because I really wanted an authentic experience. Siena had tourists, but for the most part they only were on a day trip to the city. Also many of the shop owners and waitresses would speak Italian with us to allow us to apply the skills we were learning in class. However, I noticed this was not always the case in other places we travelled to in Italy, therefore Siena was a great choice. Classes were Monday through Thursday with an exception of one or two Fridays which was very helpful when traveling. Because of the longer weekend, I was able to travel to Budapest, Amsterdam, Capri, Venice, Cinque Terre, and many other little towns or cities. This was amazing because I was able to compare cultures to the Sienese culture I was living in everyday. I would highly recommend this program if you are looking to learn a lot through classes and then be able to use your knowledge out on the streets in your free time.

What would you improve about this program?
The only critique of the program would be the living situation. I wish I had lived with fewer americans and more Italians. I felt that five american girls to one Italian girl was not as immersed as I had hoped for by living with an Italian student.
123 people found this review helpful.
Perry
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CET Florence Spring 2017

CET Florence provides an amazing abroad experience. Florence is such a beautiful city filled with so much history and delicious food. I didn't speak any Italian going into the program, and the teachers and staff were more than happy to help me translate and get around. Also, taking classes at the CET center makes it super easy to meet all of the other students on the program and make new friends. The classes aren't too difficult either, which makes it easy to travel every weekend too. It was definitely my favorite semester of college!

115 people found this review helpful.
Isabella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An unforgettable summer

This summer in Siena with CET was everything I could ask for and more. Siena is a great place to be, especially during the summer. It's a small enough city that I was able to feel adjusted in only two months without running out of new places to explore. I loved being a part of the preparations for Palio, including a contrada dinner and tour organized by CET. My professors were great and I especially enjoyed the excursions part of my Sienese Art and Architecture class. My Italian class helped me reach a new level of confidence speaking Italian and taught me a lot about the culture of Siena and Italy. I loved being able to travel on the weekends and even got to connect with some relatives in Italy. My Italian roommate Giada is the sweetest person ever and it was great having the opportunity to learn about each other's cultures.

135 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi Kimberly, After you're accepted to CET Florence, we provide a packing guide resource on what to bring and what not to bring. Generally, you just need a laptop for coursework, clothes, and personal items. Your apartments are fully equipped with linens, blankets, pillows, towels, and kitchen equipment, so there's no need to bring any of these supplies from the US. Get in touch with us if you have...

The program had no classes that were specifically geared toward education, but the year I went (2014) we were all given the opportunity to teach English to Italian elementary school students. This would be great experience for a teaching major. Otherwise, the program was focused on Italian language, history, politics, art, and architecture. So humanities-based in general, which of course is great...