Academics

• All classes are in Italian. Before the start of your study abroad semester and/or year, HC students must have completed at least ITAL 202. 

• All students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher prior to studying abroad in Florence and no academic deficiencies.

• Enrollment in certain classes while at UniFl is required. For example, you must take a pre-University Language & Culture class (this course is an overload; it does not count for HC credit). Once the semester formally begins, you are further required to take one Language & Culture course, plus 3 UniFl courses (electives). You will register for classes after you arrive in Florence.

• All students are required to remain in Florence until the end of the examination period. NOTE: Holy Cross students are NOT allowed to submit special requests to sit exams early, for any reason. 

• Completion of an ICIP is required. A student who fails to submit their ICIP paper will automatically receive an "Incomplete" for their Italian Language class, which translates into a Deficiency on their Holy Cross transcript.

Any Holy Cross major can study at the University of Florence. However, there is a language requirement since all course are taught in Italian: you must have completed at least ITAL 202 (Intermediate Italian 2) to be accepted, with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.

As for classes, it is an excellent idea to consult with both your advisor and the Study Abroad liaison in the department of your major to discuss what kinds of courses you may or may/not take abroad that will count towards your major. Being communicative, staying informed, and planning ahead are the best ways to avoid miscommunications that may negatively affect your academic trajectory when you return to Holy Cross. 

You will register for classes after you arrive in Florence. Once enrolled, you will need to obtain course approval from the HC Registrar for any and all courses you take. You can read more about the course approval process in the following sections. For now, this list of courses will give you an idea of the kinds of classes at UniFi (not the only classes!) for which HC students have earned academic credit.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Sue McCrory to make an advising appointment. 

Study abroad students normally take four classes per semester, as detailed above. The Language & Culture class is a requirement; the other three classes are electives driven by your interests,  requirements for your major/minor, approval from the HC Registrar, and any relevant input from the Florence Program Director, Lucia Ducci. 

UniFi's course catalog is available here for your perusal.

You will register for classes after you arrive in Florence. Once enrolled, you must receive course approval from the HC Registrar for each course. After receiving approval, you may remain in those classes for the duration of the semester.  

The Holy Cross credit/course approval system works like this: 

1. After you arrive in Italy, you will receive an email from Jared Chapman in the Registrar’s office with instructions for submitting Course Approval Forms (CAFS). You'll submit one CAF per class you are taking. Remember, you need to take 24 total ECTs credits (or 90 hrs/semester at UniFi plus the Language & Culture course), which typically means 4 classes. You'll submit your CAFs as soon as possible, and no later than 1 week after the start of classes in Florence. 

2. Once the Registrar's Office receives your CAFs, they will send classes you'd like to count towards your major(s) and minor(s) to the official Study Abroad Course Evaluators in the relevant department(s) for approval. The Registrar's office will manage the approval of Common Area requirements themselves. 

3. Once the Study Abroad office hears back from the relevant parties about all of your classes, you will receive an email detailing which classes have/have not been approved. (Note: If you talk to your advisors before you leave and stay in touch during the course selection process, you should not receive any 'surprise' rejections!) 

Courses that are NOT accepted for Holy Cross Credit:

1. Online or hybrid (partially online) courses;

2. Pre-professional, business, law, and marketing courses;

3. Other non-liberal arts courses;

4. Courses of similar content to those you have already taken;

5. Any major courses required by your major department to be taken at Holy Cross;

6. Courses taken without a letter grade (e.g. auditing, pass/no pass, etc.)

One of the most common questions we get in the Office of Study abroad is whether or not a certain class abroad will count towards a student's major, minor, concentration, etc. The answer is ... maybe! Here's how it works:

If you think a class might work for your major...

You need to talk to the official study abroad course evaluator in your department.  

You should obtain a syllabus or some information about the class before contacting the course evaluator. They appreciate as much context as possible!

If you think a class might work for your minor...

You need to talk to the official study abroad course evaluator in your department.  

You should obtain a syllabus or some information about the class before contacting the course evaluator. They appreciate as much context as possible!

If you think a class might work for a Common Area requirement...

You need to talk to the Registrar's Office! You can send an email to Jared Chapman (jchapman@holycross.edu) to gain clarity on common areas requirements abroad. 

You should obtain a syllabus or some information about the class before contacting Jared. He appreciates as much context as possible!

24 credits at UniFl = 4 Holy Cross credits. If you earn less than these totals, you will incur an academic deficiency. 

Students are required to enroll in 3-4 courses per semester (depending on the number of ECTs/course). 

Click here for Letter Grade Equivalencies/Numerical Grade Conversions for the University of Florence 

All of the classes you take when you study abroad will be listed on your Holy Cross transcript, just as they are for any normal semester. Next to each class you take abroad, the letter grade you earned will appear, just as it does for any normal semester at Holy Cross. 

The difference is that the grades you receive abroad will not factor into your cumulative GPA. This means if you leave for study abroad with a 4.0, and you get all 'B's when you are in Florence, your GPA when you return to Holy Cross will still be a 4.0. The system is designed with you in mind! Opting to spend a semester or year studying in a completely different academic system is brave. We want to celebrate the work you do abroad by reflecting the letter grades you earn on your transcript.  We also understand that it's normal to struggle in a new academic system or foreign cultural environment, therefore we don't factor your grades into your overall GPA. The goal behind this policy is to encourage more students to study abroad without fearing for what a semester or year away might do to their GPA! 

NO. You cannot, and will not, take any class abroad pass/fail. This is one of those "study abroad myths" that seems to be passed down from generation to generation of study abroad students for unknown reasons! No pass/fail. 

After your study abroad semester or year, your HC transcript will reflect the grades that you earn abroad. What will NOT be affected is your GPA.

The grades you earn abroad will not factor into your cumulative GPA. This means if you leave for study abroad with a 4.0, and you get all 'B's when you are in Rome, your GPA when you return to Holy Cross will still be a 4.0. The system is designed with you in mind! Opting to spend a semester or year studying in a completely different academic system or cultural environment is brave. We want to celebrate the work you do abroad by reflecting the letter grades you earn on your transcript. We also understand that it's normal to struggle in a new setting, therefore we don't factor your grades into your overall GPA. The goal here is to encourage more students to study abroad without fearing for what a semester might do to their GPA! 

If you have any history of accommodations for learning disabilities or anything similar, you must let the Office of Study Abroad know immediately so we can help make arrangements in conjunction with the Florence Program Director. It is very important that you take personal ownership of your study abroad experience; therefore, it's a good idea to think about the support you might need in advance so we can start planning now.