IES Abroad Siena

Name: IES Abroad Siena
Brand: IES Abroad
SKU: 16002
Rating: 4.83 (12 reviews)

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4.83 Rating

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Location

Italy
- Siena

Term

Academic Year, Fall, Spring

Subject Areas

Anthropology Archaeology Art History Cultural Studies Economics Engineering History International Relations Law Literature Mathematics Philosophy Political Science Sociology +4

Financial Support

Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, BIPOC funding

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Degree Level

Bachelors

Housing

Apartment Host Family

Language

English

Pricing

Price Details

Contact IES Abroad or see website for details: www.IESabroad.org/siena

Last Updated: Jul 07, 2022

Last Reviewed: Sep 12, 2019

Wish List

2 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

As a quaint town of about 70,000 residents, Siena, Italy feels like a best-kept secret.
Nestled in the breathtaking Tuscan countryside, Siena is an amazingly well-preserved medieval city. Create your own intimate Italian experience when you study abroad with IES Abroad in Siena!

Siena will be your classroom. Explore the many piazzas, cathedrals, and distinct contrade inside the city walls that harken back to the Middle Ages. This isn’t just an exhibit at a museum—this is where you live and learn!

Explore the business and economics of food and wine, or study up on history, language, and culture firsthand with an integrated curriculum of engaging English- and Italian-taught courses led by Italian faculty. IES Abroad Siena offers you the opportunity to increase your Italian language skills no matter what your proficiency level. Customize your academic experience by possibly adding a part-time internship or take a course at the Università degli Studi di Siena.

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Diversity & Inclusion

LGBTQIA+ Support

Today, and every day, we celebrate who you are and who you will become. We take pride in simply getting to know you, and look forward to adventuring through this incredible world with you.

Studying abroad as part of the LGBTQIA+ community can present unique opportunities and challenges in exploring a new culture, so we have compiled resources on sexual orientation, gender identity, and allyship to help prepare you and support you along the way.

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Neurodivergent Support

Going abroad, whether this is your first time or your umpteenth, can be a trip both literally and figuratively. Seeing something new or being someplace unfamiliar has its own challenges, especially when it comes to mental health and physical accessibility. With IES Abroad, you won't handle these concerns on your own.

We have not only compiled resources on mental health, physical health, and self-care to help prepare you and support you along the way, but we also have a dedicated Student Affairs staff that are available for you to contact from the United States and once in your host country.

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Accessibility Support

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Impact

Sustainability

As part of IES Abroad's Global Good Commitment, IES Abroad employs sustainability measures in the following ways:
-Moving toward more sustainable Headquarters and Centers abroad
-Producing printed materials mindfully
-Hosting events and conferences in LEED-certified buildings
-Purchasing carbon offsets for staff air travel
-The formation of the IES Abroad Sustainability Team - a dedicated group of volunteers responsible for implementing sustainable practices across our organization. The team comprises of members across our Centers, departments, teams. It is truly a global effort, and we are better for it.

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Program Highlights

You’ll have an individual IES Abroad Program Advisor to guide you before your study abroad adventure. From visa requirements to travel details, they are your #1 resource for preparing to study abroad
Make new friends with local residents, international students, and fellow students from all over the U.S. inside and outside of the classroom during orientation, activities, and excursions!
From health insurance included in your program fees to a worldwide crisis management team, we work 24/7 to keep you safe, healthy, and happy abroad.
To help you feel at home and safe in Italy, we offer well-located, comfortable housing for all students because we know securing housing independently can be challenging.
Customize your schedule with courses options taught by world-class professors at our IES Abroad Centers and at the prestigious local university or a part-time internship.

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Students smiling on a field trip in the rolling Tuscan countryside.

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The intersection of culture and cuisine is taken to the next level in Tuscany, where traditional food and wine are not only a large part of the cultural identity, but also a primary economic contributor. You’ll enroll in four courses for a total of 12 credits where you will explore how business and economic concepts are woven into the fabric of the Italian food industry. Imagine exploring global marketing strategies one day and visiting a local Brunello wine producer the next!

Scholarships

IES Abroad Scholarships and Financial Aid

Financial limitations shouldn't prevent you from studying abroad with us. That's why IES Abroad offers more than $6 million in scholarships and aid. IES Abroad offers a number of diversity scholarships and grants to provide opportunities for traditionally underrepresented communities in study abroad.

Value

$500 - $5,000

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Program Reviews

4.83 Rating

based on 12 reviews

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Rating Spread Study

5 rating 83.33%
4 rating 16.67%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Academics 4.2
Support 4.75
Fun 4.85
Housing 4.7
Safety 5

Showing 9 - 12 of 12 reviews

My experience in Siena was absolutely incredible. I did not know much about this small city before I arrived, and instead had the opportunity to discover what it means to be Sienese in the city itself. I had no sense of Il Palio, or the importance of the contrada (neighborhood) until I was living with a host family in La Civetta (the owl contrada), who had won Il Palio just three weeks before I arrived. The members of the neighborhood were eating huge dinners that lined the streets in celebration for the first month I was abroad, and I could hear them celebrating and singing long after I'd gone back to the apartment. Pro Tip: If you hear Christmas carols in August, it means you're in a Contrada that won, who are bragging by telling the other contradas through song that their year is over, and they'll have to wait to have another chance at glory until next summer.

What would you improve about this program?

Because the program is very small, it can feel isolated from Siena at times. On the program you study in a separate building and on a separate schedule from the University of Siena, so if you're not an outspoken person, willing to introduce yourself to strangers (I was), then it can be a bit difficult to meet and connect with the local students. The program provides language tandems and community service opportunities to help bridge this gap, but I think if they advertised more local events where you could meet people naturally, it would facilitate meeting locals.

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Walking to class on cobblestone in a town that is rich in history is something I'll always cherish. Siena was my home for over three months and even though it was an adjustment in the beginning, I met people and saw places that I wouldn't trade for anything. If you study in Siena, you have to go to the cafe in Piazza Del Campo for great espresso. The best part about eating in Siena (aside from the delicious cuisine itself) is that the workers will remember your face and who you are for the next time you go in.

What would you improve about this program?

I think I would change the orientation process. Our orientation was two weeks long and one week would have been plenty.

Initially, I was a little worried about choosing a program in a smaller city but I couldn't have made a better decision. This city became a second home to me and transformed my life. I was really able to get to know the city and become familiar with its traditions and history. I was also able to dramatically improve my Italian and immerse myself in the culture. From my amazing host family, to the wonderful professors and the people in my program, everything was absolutely perfect!

What would you improve about this program?

Nothing!

Going to Siena was the best decision I've made since I started college. The people and the program were amazing. When dealing with the professors and the program I felt like I was talking with my friends and not my superiors. Siena is small as far as abroad destinations go but every day I felt like I stumbled on a new statue or restaurant that made my day. Of all the things I did in Europe, hanging out in the Piazza del Campo, Siena's center, at night was the thing I'll remember most. People think Siena is a city you can see in a day. I don't even think a semester was enough time.

What would you improve about this program?

A little less class time. But I'm being greedy. I traveled whenever I wanted and saw all of Europe I wanted to.

Questions & Answers

What language are the classes in?

Hi Iris, All students take an IES Abroad Italian language course and can build the rest of their schedule with either English- or Italian-taught IES Abroad area studies courses. You will also have the option to take courses at our partner university, Universita degli Studi di Siena, where both Italian and English courses are available in certain disciplines. For more information, check out the...

By IES Abroad on June 7, 2021

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I’ve always wanted to study in Italy because I have family from there. I also thought it was important to choose a city that wasn't too big or filled with too many tourists and one that allowed me to really immerse myself in the culture. Since Siena was so much smaller, I had to speak the language more and really learn how to respect the people in the community.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Penn State did a great job at making sure the whole visa process was easier on us. They had a person come to the university and collect all of our files so we wouldn't have to deal with the embassy ourselves. My program assisted me with any other questions I had for the visa and planning process. I had to gather all my paperwork on my own and just make sure I was on top of things, but IES did a really great job at reminding us of deadlines and providing us with checklists.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

As a Penn State student, I think we get wrapped up in the college life and don't want to miss out on opportunities there (football games in fall and THON in the spring), so many of us choose not to study abroad.

Yes, I did miss being with my friends from home but I never regretted studying away from them.

Studying abroad is a once in a lifetime chance that not many people are able to do. I think it's important to do it if you can.

I can always go to a football game or return to Penn State for THON weekend, but I have no idea when I will be able to not only go to another country but to also live in it long term too!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

My program in Siena was about 30 American students separated into two programs for business and studying Tuscany. I was in the Study of Tuscany with about 10 students where we learned mostly about art and history of both Siena and the entire country of Italy.

I took about five classes that semester; each day, I would have about 2-8 hours in the facility. Some days, the professors would lecture to us; other days, we would walk around Siena and learn more about the rich history of it. We rarely had Friday classes which was nice because my friends and I got to take extended trips to other cities and countries.

Some nights, IES would host movie or cooking nights which was a great way to hang out with fellow IES students as well as other Italian students who studied in the local University. Personally, I stayed with a host mother so I spent every night eating dinner with her family and watching the local Italian news with her. It was simple but I enjoyed every moment of it.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I had so many fears while going into my trip, and I don't think I was fully able to overcome those until I arrived in Italy. I had the little fears like forgetting items or saying the wrong thing in Italian, but my biggest fear was just feeling alone or out of place.

Every student feels that way, whether it's for the first hour, first day, or first week. However long it takes you to get over that hump, it's important to note that you will get through it. The only way you can do it is by forcing yourself to be incredibly active within your community, with friends, and with your family (if staying with one).

Would you recommend a homestay?

If there is an option for students to do a homestay, I highly recommend they do it. There were so many students in my program who chose to live in apartments instead of with a family, and they regretted that sort of cultural immersion. Doing a homestay allowed me to learn the language, eat authentic food, and build relationships with another family for a lifetime of memories.

Taylor Baciocco

2014 Alum

About IES Abroad

IES Abroad offers 140 programs worldwide for college students. We are a highly charged force of study abroad enthusiasts. Every day we have the privilege of witnessing how study abroad changes our students’ lives. We also believe that every student should have the opportunity to go abroad—especially in a fun, safe, and superior academic and...