UMN-Design in Sicily
Program Details
| Program Location |
Siracusa, Italy
|
| Sponsor |
University of Minnesota |
| Program Type |
Co-sponsored |
| Duration |
Summer
|
| Upcoming Program Dates |
| To Be Announced |
| Current Program Dates |
| Summer 2025 |
05/18/25 to
07/12/25 |
Please Note: Programs may be altered or adapted with little notice
Application
Details: Application Currently Closed
Applications are closed for 2025. Check back soon to apply for 2026!
Overview
Known for its unique blend of cultures especially in the arts, architecture, and food, Sicily is a fascinating place to spend a summer.
With historical influences from the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and many more, it is a location unlike any other. The city of Siracusa, where the program is based, is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the outstanding Greek, Roman, and Baroque monuments, archaeological sites, and architecture. Spend the summer using your design skills to create your own images of this beautiful city and island.
This program will appeal to you if you are a design student who wants to engage with Sicily in a meaningful way. Participate in the Italian Design Studio to really use Siracusa as your classroom as you use the city to work on your image-making, and explore the many ways that design is incorporated into this city. The collaborative practicum allows you the opportunity to engage in the design process with local and international designers as well as fellow design students from a wide range of design backgrounds.
For more program information, please visit the
program website.
This program is sponsored by:
University of Minnesota.
Eligibility
Students must have taken at least one foundational (100-level) course in art or design before participating in the program. This program is not appropriate for students with no art or design background.
The program is open to Purdue students in good standing who have completed at least two semesters of university study by the start of the program. Successful candidates will demonstrate academic success, maturity, and a desire to experience another culture.
GPA Requirement:
2.5 on a 4.0 scale
Language Requirement: none
Purdue Credit
Direct Credit
available from the following:
[
College of Liberal Arts]
Students interested in completing courses while abroad from Purdue colleges or departments that are not listed above should discuss this with their study abroad advisor before applying to the program.
Academic Program
You will take either 6 or 7 credits on this 7-week program.
The Italian Design Studio: Image-Making course and the Collaborative Practicum in Sicily courses are required. If you haven't taken Italian before, you will also take the 1-credit Survival Italian course, to assist with your adjustment to life in Italy.
The Collaborative Practicum course is an exciting way for you to develop skills and confidence by working in multidisciplinary teams on a project based in Siracusa. Each summer, the design project will be new, or beginning a new phase of work from another design team. Regardless, you will work with local community partners and professional Italian designers as mentors to help shape a design response to an unmet need or opportunity in Siracusa.
Check out the Course List for brief course descriptions.
Excursions
This program includes several full-day excursions to other parts of Sicily. Some possible excursions are the Baroque cities of Modica and Noto, the Valley of the Temples, and the Necropolis of Pantalica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating from the 13th to 7th centuries BC. These excursions are designed to provide context to the history and culture of Sicily.
Housing
You will live in furnished apartments with shared bedrooms with other students on the program. Generally, apartments are 2–4 bedrooms, with 4–8 students per apartment. Meals are not included, but kitchen supplies are available for you to cook your own meals.
Estimated Program Costs
Students pursuing program participation accept financial responsibility. Purdue will take measures to mitigate financial risks, although will not be liable for loss. Students should carefully note what costs need to be paid to Purdue University or to a co-sponsor or agency, and what costs need to be paid at the overseas study location. This will vary by program.
Costs for this program are estimated and subject to change. The cost figures listed below are
for: Summer 2025
|
Costs per term to be billed by Purdue
and Co-sponsor
|
| Program Fee |
$8,562.00
|
| Study Abroad Fee |
$609.40 |
| Housing |
$1,925.00 |
| Insurance |
$113.00 |
| Program Discount for Purdue Students |
- $500.00 |
|
Approximate additional costs per term
|
| To be paid by the student.
|
| Round-trip Airfare |
$2,400.00 |
| Visa |
$10.00 |
| Books and Supplies |
$100.00 |
| Meals |
$1,200.00 |
| Miscellaneous Personal Expenses |
$0.00 -
$600.00 |
| Travel Documents (passport, photos) |
$175.00 |
Financial Aid
Purdue University financial aid may be applied to the costs of studying abroad. Students interested in receiving financial aid should
NOTE: Recipients of certain tuition remission and scholarship programs should pay careful attention to the regulations for using those benefits for study abroad. Ask your financial aid advisor about any limitations.
Click here for a list of scholarships and grants available to assist with the costs of studying overseas.
Application Deadlines
For full consideration, students must submit all supporting documents (typically an essay, transcripts, 1-2 recommendations, and copy of passport) before or by the application deadline. Popular programs fill quickly, often before the deadline. To ensure a place in a program, apply early.
As soon as a student submits an online application, a My Study Abroad account is created. Applicants should consult this page often to check on the status of the application.
| Program Application Deadline
|
| Summer |
Feb 1 |
Returnees Information
Click below to search for Purdue students who have participated in this program and are willing to be contacted. If you get no results, you can use the search form to find people who studied in the country you are interested in.
Resources
The websites listed below contain information about this program. The accuracy of information at external sites cannot be guaranteed.
For more information on this program, please contact the Study Abroad Office by phone (765) 494-2383
or email
studyabroad@purdue.edu.
