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Culture & Career Exploration in Florence, Italy

Exploratory students will have the opportunity to take a semester long course on Culture & Career Exploration with travel to Florence, Italy over spring break to experience the culture and explore different career paths. 

Application open soon! Apply first through the Exploratory application by October 31 and wait for approval, then complete your Office of Global Education application by November 10, 2025.
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Location

Florence, Italy

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Term

Spring Break

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Housing

Hostel

Program Highlights

This is a special section of Career Confirmation with a Spring Break trip to Florence, Italy that will provide students with a cultural and career exploration. The course is designed to support students as they develop a professional self-image, explore their personal work values, and learn about important decision-making skills needed to navigate the workforce.  Students will:

  • Visit iconic sights such as the Florence Duomo complex, Galileo Museum, and Uffizi Galleries
  • Take part in a cooking class
  • Participate in career shadowing
APPLY NOW Schedule an Advising Appointment

Program Contact Information

Desiree Dube

Sr. Education Abroad Advisor

Email: ddube1@kent.edu

Office Phone: 330-672-7989

Important Dates & Billing

Program Travel Dates: Spring Break, March 6 - 14, 2026

Application Deadline: Complete Exploratory application by October 31 and Office of Global Education application by November 10, 2025

Deposit Deadline: November 10, 2025

You can pay your deposit online here:

  • Under "Categories" select "Student Travel Deposit: University College"
  • Under "Items" select "Faculty-Led: Culture & Career Exploration in Florence, Italy"
  • From there, you can add the item to your cart and complete the payment.

Withdrawal Deadline: TBA

Final Payment Deadline: The remainder of the program fee will be billed to your Kent State student account. The program fee deadline aligns with the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center's summer due dates. You should refer to the first Spring due date.

Application Process

You will need to complete a Kent State Education Abroad application. These quick steps will help walk you through the process.

1. Start an Education Abroad Application

When you click the "Apply Now" button (located towards the top and bottom of this page), you will be brought to the Education Abroad application system where you can view program costs and start an application. Be sure to submit your application before the deadline!

2. Guest Application (If applicable)

Are you a student at another university? To apply for a Kent State education abroad program, you will first need to apply for admission to Kent State University as a “Guest Student”. Please apply as either an “Undergraduate Guest Student” or as a “Graduate Guest Student”, depending on your course level.

Once you have applied and been accepted as a Kent State University student, you will receive an email with your FlashLine login credentials. Activate your account and then proceed to the next step, which is to apply to the Education Abroad program of your interest. You can return to this page and follow the “Apply Now” button to start that application.

You can also refer to the FAQs for Guest Students if you need further help.

3. Wait for Acceptance

Once you have submitted your study abroad program application, it will be reviewed by the faculty leader. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis. You should hear back from us within one month.

4. Commit to the Program

If you are accepted, you need to log back into your application by going to educationabroad.kent.edu and clicking LOGIN. Once you see the name of your program, you need to click on it and commit (i.e., accept your offer of admission). 

Academics

Course Information

Course Name and CRN: UC 20011 Career Confirmation 

Number of Credit Hours: 1

KSU Sponsoring College: University College

Course Language of Instruction: English

Faculty Contact Information

Professor's Name: Dr. John Jewell

Title: Professor

Email: jjewell5@kent.edu

Phone: 330-672-1902

AND

Professor's Name: Jordan Edelman, M.Ed.

Title: Professor

Email: jedelma1@kent.edu

Phone: 330-672-4725

Eligibility

Eligibility

  • Completion of Exploratory application and approval from University College
  • 2.0 minimum GPA. Students with a lower GPA will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Tentative Itinerary

This program is designed to take place over Spring Break.

Below is a tentative itinerary; however, the exact sequence and sites are subject to changes in availability and cost.

March 6

  • Leave Kent and fly out of Cleveland

March 7

  • Arrive Florence afternoon
  • Check-in to lodging
  • Rest but stay awake!
  • Dinner at hotel (1)

March 8

  • Breakfast at hotel
  • Welcome - KSU Florence Center
  • Rest and Self-exploration of Florence
  • Lunch on own (per diem)
  • Group “Welcome Dinner” (part of program fee)

March 9

  • Morning – Tour/overview of KSU Florence, meet KSU staff, what KSU Florence offers
  • Morning – Tour of Duomo, Santa Reparata, Dome, Tower, Baptistry
  • Late lunch (per diem)
  • Afternoon – Galileo Museum 
  • Free for remainder of the day
  • Dinner on own (per diem)

March 10

  • Morning - Ufizzi tour
  • Late lunch (per diem)
  • Volunteer activity
  • Galleria
  • Free for remainder of the day
  • Dinner at hotel

March 11

  • Career Shadowing (choose from 1 of three pathways)
    • Helping Professions
    • Business
    • Healthcare
  • Free for remainder of the day
  • Lunch and dinner on own (per diem)

March 12

  • Maker Day – Cooking class
    • Tour and purchase items at the Mercato Centrale
    • Cooking class and meal
  • Free for the remainder of the day
  • Dinner on own (per diem)

March 13

  • Free day to explore
  • Must return to Florence by 9:00pm (21:00)
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on own (per diem)

March 14

  • Early morning – Leave Florence and arrive in Cleveland
Location, Transportation & Housing

Florence, Italy

Located in central Italy, Florence is a highlight for all travelers. It is the capital of the region of Tuscany and contains many iconic landmarks such as the Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery, and the Ponte Vecchio bridge. The city is known as the birthplace of the Renaissance and is famous for its advancements in art, science, literature, architecture, and politics. Split by a river and surrounded by rolling hills, Florence offers an idyllic countryside view while also providing a bustling city life.

Located in the center of the country, Florence is just a couple of hours from Italy’s other world-renowned cities, like Rome and Venice. You can also get a taste of rural Italian life as the vineyard-covered hills of Tuscany are just miles from the city’s center.

Many people speak English in Florence, but it is not difficult to pick up the native Italian language and even try your hand at speaking it. In Florence, you can find a combination of history and culture in an urban center that is just a bus ride away from picturesque Tuscan views.

Transportation

Included: Flights, airport transfer to the Florence hostel

Not included: Transportation to and from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and local transportation during free time in Florence, Italy.

Airports

Cleveland (CLE) to Florence Petrola (FLR)

Local Transit

While traveling throughout the city of Florence, walking will be the main mode of transportation used for most students. However, there are various transit options for students who wish to travel throughout Italy or Europe and even within the city center of Florence itself.

Train: Traveling throughout Italy by train is very accessible as Florence is a central hub for the train system. Tickets may be purchased in advance online or at a kiosk in the train station.

The main train station in Florence is the Santa Maria Novella (SMN). Other train stations in Florence include the Campo di Marte and the Rifredi.

Tram Line: The Florence Tramway is located just outside of the Florence Airport, Petrola and takes passengers from the airport to the city center, connecting at the Santa Maria Novela (SMN) train station.

Buses: Outside of the historic city center, local buses run throughout the city operated by ATAF.

Taxis: There are many taxi services available. Taxis must be ordered ahead of your departure by phone or arranged at an official taxi stand. 

Financial Aid & Scholarships
Health & Safety

Pre-Departure Orientation

Prior to your study abroad experience, you will participate in a mandatory pre-departure orientation hosted by the Office of Global Education. During this orientation, you will be provided with information including but not limited to:

  • international travel procedures;
  • in-country resources;
  • health and safety resources and information;
  • culture shock and resources to help prepare for living abroad.

All students are encouraged to register with the Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) prior to departure.

You can also review a wide variety of resources we’ve pulled together for you on our “Before You Go” page.

Country Profile

You can learn more about your destination(s), including travel advisories, through the U.S. Department of State website.

In addition, we encourage you to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel page for information about any vaccinations you may need or health and safety tips for traveling to your destination(s).

If vaccinations or medications are needed according to the CDC, you should make arrangements for appointments with your healthcare provider or the DeWeese Health Center as soon as possible. Appointment openings at the DeWeese Health Center are limited and vaccines may need to be ordered, which takes time. Please note that not all immunizations are available at the DeWeese Health Center. 

Costs and Funding

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Costs for the program will differ for every student. You can use our Cost Calculator to get an estimate of what you might expect for your program. 

We also encourage you to meet with your Education Abroad Advisor and the Financial Aid Counselor for Education Abroad to see how your aid may apply to an international program by emailing finaideducationabroad@kent.edu. 

Get Cost Estimate

 

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