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Florence - 2012 |
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Viterbi Summer Overseas Program
Florence, Italy
May 28 - July 14, 2012
 One of this year's two Summer Overseas Programs will take place in Florence, Italy. The seven week program provides an opportunity to complete 5-7 units of engineering related coursework as well as planned group excursions. All classes will be held in the ACCENT Florence Center located in Piazza Santo Spirito, a beautiful piazza situated in the Oltrarno neighborhood in Florence. Once one of the original quartieri of Florence, the Piazza Santo Spirito is known for showcasing some of the finest artisanal shops in Florence. Along with the ACCENT Center and several trattorie, the piazza is home to Santa Maria del Santo Spirito, a church constructed based on plans Brunelleschi designed as early as 1428. The church had not yet been completed upon his death in 1446, but plans were carried through by his followers Antonio Manetti, Giovanni da Gaiole and Salvi d’Andrea, although the façade was never finished. The piazza has also become a very popular meeting point for university students from all nationalities.
Housing will consist of multi occupancy rooms in shared student apartments with a kitchen, bathroom and general living area for the duration of the program. The program will also explore Itlay through engineering related group activities, weekend trips, and activities with most costs included in the overall program cost. A Florence Museum card will be provided to all participants, which includes unlimited entries to the Uffizi Gallery, Accademia, Bargello Museum, San Marco Museum, Medici Chapels, Boboli Gardens and other musuems.
This year's program has space reserved for approximately 35 students. However, just as with classes on campus, if the program has fewer than 15 participants we will be required to cancel the program.
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Courses of Study
Classes will be held Monday through Thursday. Late afternoons will be free for study, independent research or exploring. Students may enroll in up to 7 units, but must enroll in a minimum of 5 units. Five courses are offered in an attempt to provide flexibility.
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Course
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Title
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Units
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HIST 195
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Special Themes in History
elective credit only
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4
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ME 310
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Thermodynamics
satisfies degree requirement or techinical elective credit
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3
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| ENGR 499 |
Special Topics - Engineering Innovations in Italy
check with department to determine if course will satisfy degree credit
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3 |
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WRIT 340
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Advanced Writing for Engineers
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3
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ENGR 490
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Directed Research
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2-3
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A faculty member from an institution in Florence will teach the history course. It is anticipated that several cultural, historical excursions will be required of those enrolled in this course. Although this course cannot be counted towards your general education requirements, students are strongly encouraged to consider this as one of their course selections to enhance the cultural experience of participating in this program. A team of facutly/engineers from Italy will teach ENGR 499 - Engineering Innovation in Italy. ENGR 499 will focus on the unique engineering innovations of Italy from the inventtions of DaVinci in regards to solar, wind and wave energy to the mechanical engineering feats of Ferrari/Maserti, etc. Departmental advisors will determine if this course will satisfy degree requirements. A USC faculty member will teach (or team teach) AME 310 and WRIT 340.
Enrollment in Writing 340 will require a commitment to meet with the instructor prior to and after the end of the program in order to prepare for and get as much out of this course as possible. More information on this particular course will be provided at a later date. Enrollment in this course is limited. Upper-division students will be given priority for enrollment in this course.
Engineering 490 is an independent study/research course. Not all students will be eligible to participate in this course. Students who are eligible will be involved in an independent study project related to global engineering practices and concepts. Students interested in this course must have approval of their major department, have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, be at the junior level, must enlist a faculty member who will be responsible for evaluating and assigning the final grade, and must submit a proposal outlining a possible research topic prior to receiving final approval for enrollment. Students enrolled in this course are expected to work independently on their assigned topic. In some cases, students will work in teams. It is expected that students enrolled in this course will spend at least part of one day each week working on their project.
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Online Application
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The deadline for applying for the Florence, Italy program is by 5:00 PM, January 20, 2012.
NOTE: Although we are offering 2 programs this summer, you may only apply to ONE PROGRAM (MADRID or FLORENCE). If a program fills, you may be considered for the other.
Priority will be given to the earliest applications submitted as well as those students who will be juniors or seniors in Fall 2012.
A $300 non-refundable deposit will be required upon acceptance to the program. The deposit will be applied to the total cost of the program.
Prior to departure, two on-campus orientations sessions will be held that will be mandatory for all participants. An on-site orientation will be held upon arrival.
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Tentative Calendar
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Sunday, May 27
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Depart U.S.
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Monday, May 28
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Arrive Florence
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Tuesday, May 29
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Orientation/City Tour
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Wednesday, May 30
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Classes begin
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Thursday, July 12
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Classes End
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Saturday, July 14
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Depart Florence
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Final arrival and departure times have not yet been fixed. All dates are subject to change. Students wishing to participate in extended travel before or after the program start or end dates will be responsible for making their own travel arrangements. Students arriving or departing with the group will have transportation to and from the airport provided for them. Those not traveling with the group will need to provide their own transportation to and from the ACCENT office in Florence for check-in. We will provide specific instructions for students traveling on their own to and from the program office.
Costs
The following are tentative costs for the seven-week program. Final costs have not yet been determined and may be higher or lower for airfare and/or housing. The costs listed below do not include personal expenditures, meals or additional travel beyond that outlined above.
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Round-trip airfare (LAX to Florence)
Housing (7 weeks)
Tuition (5-7 units -$1249 per unit)
Total Program Costs
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$1500
$700
$7100-9940
$9300-12,140
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Financial Assistance
We would like this program to be accessible to students having different levels of financial resources. Students currently receiving Trustee or Presidential Scholarships can contact Noosha Malek to determine if partial summer funding might be available to assist with the cost of the Program and must meet all published deadlines for exceptional funding. There are no full scholarships, however, we will make an effort through the resources of the University Financial Aid Office and the limited resources of the Viterbi School of Engineering to help, as we are able. For further evaluation of your situation after admission to the program, please set up an appointment with Louise Yates, Senior Associate Dean. |
Excursions & Additional Info
In addition to the excursions that may be required of students enrolled in the History course, we have planned approximately two, day-long excursions that are included in the program to historical cities near Florence..
One three-day, two-night excursion to Rome will be planned for the group with tours of the Colosseum, Vatican and the DaVinci exhibit included. Transportation and accommodations (double or triple rooms in two star residence) for this weekend excursion are included in the total program cost. Breakfast will be included, but students will be expected to provide other meals on their own.
In addition, a three day, two night excursion to Venice is planned, which will include a two-day vaporetto pass, entry and tour of Doge's Palace, and a visit to the innovative algae-based power plant. Transportation and accommodations (double or triple rooms in two star hotel) for this weekend excursion will be included. Breakfast will be included, but students will be expected to provide other meals on their own.
The following cultural enrichment programs, excursions, performances and passes are also included in the price of tuition:
- One Performance of Ballet, Opera or Classical Music related to Italian culture
- Florence Museum Pass
- One Cooking Course at the Apicius culinary school
- Survival Italian Language Course
There will also be additional, optional activities offered by ACCENT that will not be covered by tuition. In addition, two weekends of free time are planned into the program to allow students to explore Italy and other parts of Europe on their own at their own expense.
Housing will consists of double occupancy rooms in shared student apartments with kitchen, bathroom and general living area will be provided within the city of Florence for the duration of the program.
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