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Department of
French and Italian

wide shot of Cinque Terre, many colorful houses on a hilltop by the ocean

Immersion and Study Abroad

Immersion Is… The opportunity to pursue intellectual curiosities through immersive experiences and culminating projects that are as creative and unique as the students themselves.

Study Abroad | Pathways | Stories | Contact

Study Abroad

Many students in the Department of French and Italian spend time abroad during their Vanderbilt experience, which is then used to fulfill their Immersion requirement.

Opportunities in France

If you are interested in French study abroad either as a student who wishes to specialize in French or a student who has no previous experience with French, please contact Director of Undergraduate Studies Paul Miller. Students may go abroad for fall, spring, Maymester, or summer terms. See the specific opportunities below for application deadlines.

For additional information, contact the Global Education Office.

Opportunities in Italy

If you are interested in Italian study abroad, with or without previous experience with Italian, please contact Director of Undergraduate Studies Anna Marra for more information. See the specific opportunities below for application deadlines.

  • CET Siena – Language of Instruction: English, Italian. Language prerequisite: No
  • CET Florence – Language of Instruction: English. Language prerequisite: No

For additional information, contact the Global Education Office.

Maymesters Abroad

Maymesters abroad are Vanderbilt courses taught by Vanderbilt faculty in another country, including many French- and Italian-speaking areas. They are typically three to four weeks in length and offered in the month of May. Maymesters offered by the College of Arts and Science are generally announced in November.

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French contact: DUS Paul Miller
Italian contact: DUS Anna Marra

Immersion Pathways: Maymester

This course introduces students to the influential French cinema industry with a survey of the development of film in France and an introduction to international film festivals via the Cannes Film Festival.

This course includes:

  1. Museum and location visits in Paris and beyond.

  2. Participation in the film festival in Cannes.

Contact: Lynn Ramey

This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of Italian cuisine from the Middle Ages to the present, examining food as a lens to understand culture, identity, and society. Through historical, geographical, and socio-economic perspectives, students will engage with key topics such as the Mediterranean diet, regional traditions, the Slow Food movement, migration, and food justice. Combining theory and practice, the course highlights food’s roles as nourishment, cultural expression, and social connection.

The course includes:

  1. On-site visits to food museums, culinary schools, markets, and producers in and around Bologna. 
  2. In-class and on-site tastings of major Italian products, focusing on their cultural significance, history, and production. 
  3. Cooking classes.

For more information click here.

Contact: Anna Marra 

International Cultures (AXLE)

May count towards the French and/or Italian minor/major under certain conditions.

This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of French and Italian fashion from the early modern period to the present, examining clothing as a lens to understand culture, identity, and society. Through historical, economic, and socio-political perspectives, students engage with key topics such as luxury and sustainability, regional craft traditions, the ethics of global production, migration and labor, and the future of conscious fashion. Combining theory and practice, the course highlights fashion's roles as creative expression, economic force, and cultural identity.

This course includes:

  1. Numerous museum visits in Paris, Florence, Milan, and beyond, including the Dior Gallery, the Armani/Silo Museum, the Galliera Museum, showcasing a collection of over 200,000 garments and accessories spanning the 18th century to the present day.
  2. Workshops and lectures at D-House Milano and other leading sustainable ateliers.
  3. Exploration of the textile mills of Prato, uncovering the supply chains that quietly power the global industry.
  4. Various activities including a hands-on perfume making workshop and a Seine dinner cruise.

Contact: Nathalie Dieu-Porter

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Immersion Stories

Four VU FRIT students standing underneath the Eiffel TowerA group of students participated in a faculty-led Maymester class on the history of French cinema that took them across France, including a stop at the Cannes Film Festival. The class began in Paris, where students heard lectures by Lynn Ramey, professor of French, about the past and present of the French film industry. The students utilized the Cinémathèque Française, a comprehensive archive of French film with a museum tracing the history of French film production, to bring their research to life.

After studying the history and economics of film, the students stepped into the contemporary film world at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, where they attended several screenings. Learn more about their experience.

 

Group of VU FRIT students in Italy smiling at cameraHear about what it’s like to spend a semester abroad studying in Italy. Watch Sydney Ross BA’21 walk you through her experience living and studying in Siena, Italy.

 

 

 

 

Screenshot from linked youtube video of Alyssa O'ConnellHear from Alyssa O’Connell BA’22 who spent a month studying abroad in Verona, Italy.

 

 

 

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Contact

For more information regarding Immersion in the Department of French & Italian, contact:

  • Paul Miller, Director of Undergraduate Studies for French
  • Anna Marra, Director of Undergraduate Studies for Italian
  • Alexis Finet, Language Program Director of French

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