It is one thing to sit in a classroom and learn the words and phrases you might need to order food in a restaurant. It is quite another to be in Bologna, Italy, and to have a real reason for using those words and phrases. Actually living in the country where the language you are studying is spoken is an invaluable experience. Vassar students pursuing either a concentration or a correlate sequence in Italian are strongly encouraged to participate in one or the other of Vassar’s study-abroad programs in Italy.

Junior Year in Bologna

Sponsored by a consortium (Vassar College, Wellesley College, and Wesleyan University), the E.C.Co program in Bologna offers either a full semester (fall or spring) or a full academic year of study at the Università di Bologna, one of the most venerable academic institutions in Europe. Students have access to a wide range of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences taught in Italian, either at the program center or at the University of Bologna. They live in university dormitories and participate in the life of the city by singing in the university chorale, playing soccer, or volunteering in local schools and community centers. For more information, visit Vassar’s International Programs website and the E.C.Co program site.