US Student Mobility - Studying Abroad in Italy

Italy

Italy, also known as the Republic of Italy, is located in Southern Europe, and includes the territories of the two biggest islands in the Mediterranean Sea- Sardinia and Sicily. The country shares borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. While having quite a lot of neighboring countries, Italy is also surrounded by the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Mediterranean seas, which was very essential in the country’s early history due to the easily established trade through sea routes. Moreover, such a favorable location allowed not only for the exchange of goods, but for the fast spread of ideas, religious beliefs, and other movements, such as the Renaissance or the Enlightenment.

However, because of the advantages the territory provides, Italy has been under the control of different foreigners, such as France, Spain, and others, but was finally able to gain independence after many unsuccessful attempts in 1861. Although the country fought on the losing side in the World Wars, and was under the strict totalitarian regime of Mussolini, its economy managed to overcome most of the damage, leaving Italy as a quite rich, strong, and stable nation even nowadays.

Politics in Italy
Later, in 1946, the monarchy was abolished thanks to a popular referendum, which resulted into Italy becoming a democratic republic in 1948, meaning that the power is separated in between three branches. These are the Legislative power, which is responsible for the writing and accepting of all laws, the Executive power, which is responsible for the government, and the Judicial power, which accounts for the control in the country. However, all branches help with the shaping of the education.

Education in Italy
       Education has been available in the area of Italy since early ages. The oldest university in Europe is the University of Bologna, established in 1088. Another old university is the University of Padua, founded in 1222. However, schools were mainly private and only for children from the ruling class with better social status and more money. Because of this, a large amount of the population was left uneducated and illiterate.
       In the beginning of the nineteenth century, the rates of illiteracy were even greater, especially in Southern Italy, and Sicily more particularly. The first attempt for public education was in 1859 when the government issued a law that obligated all children to go to elementary school, with the first four years being free. Rates of illiteracy began to decrease, but that was still not sufficient enough. About 40 years later in 1904, another law was issued. Law 407 made it mandatory for children through the age of twelve to attend school. Moreover, as the country was becoming more industrialized, the government realized people needed to be prepared for jobs as well so they introduced something called "vocational training". Vocational training prepared individuals for the work force by providing them with knowledge in crafting, trading, and others. A few years later, in 1923, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades were separated from the elementary school and branched off into the so-called "technical schools". Elementary schools were divided into two parts: three lower grades and two upper. Meanwhile, kindergarten did not become an official grade until 1986.
       Another important point that should be mentioned is that during Mussolini's Fascist Party, even though media, teachers, and children were manipulated as victims of propaganda, literacy greatly increased. This was because although Mussolini wanted to keep everyone under his control, being an extreme nationalist, he was a strong advocate for his country's history and encouraged all students to learn history and critical inquiry.
       After the end of Mussolini's dictatorship, the country needed a strong economy in order to regain stability and power. This promoted the further development of industry, with an establishment of more schools, universities, and other education institutions.
       Nowadays, the Italian education system has divided classes into a few categories. There is Primary school, which is attended by students between ages six through eleven. Until 2004, in order for students to go from Primary school to Secondary school, they had to complete a standardized test in both written and spoken Italian language, and math. Now, student can directly enroll in middle school at age eleven and after they complete primary school. From age eleven until nineteen, students attend Secondary school. Secondary school is divided into two levels - lower (Scuola Media) and upper (Scuola Superio). Lower level Secondary school is also known at middle school, which is meant for student from ages eleven to fourteen. Upper level Secondary school is for students from ages fourteen to nineteen. For upper level Secondary school, students decide between a liceo (similar to British grammar school) or instituto (vocational) depending on which subject they want to stress. In total, there are seven kinds of secondary schools throughout Italy - classical high schools, scientific high schools, fine arts high schools, teacher training schools, artistic schools, technical institutes, and professional institutes. Graduating from each of the following provides the student with a diploma, which one can use to further their education. For example, continuing onto a Tertiary School, or in other words, a university. Italian universities generally follow the classic tertiary standards of education, meaning they include courses for bachelor degrees, 1-year and 2-year master degrees, and doctorates.

Grading System

       There is little difference in the grading system, depending on the level of education a student is in. In primary and secondary schools the grading system goes as the following: 

While in universities, a grade of “D” is added:

Some schools and universities are influenced more or less by the American grading policy of using percentages, and the grades go as the following:

       Finally, in some schools the grading system is in letters, similarly to most American Schools:

Admission Requirements for Citizens

       Although every university may have its own admission requirements, there are some more general requirements that apply to most, if not all, universities. Some of these requirements are:

• Secondary School Diploma, obtained after at least twelve years of schooling, when applying for an undergraduate course.
• Bachelor of Science or equivalent, when applying for Masters programs.
• Masters Degree, when applying for doctoral programs or medical specialization schools.

Admission Requirements for non-Citizens

• European citizens, and non-EU citizens, resident in Italy with a current, valid residence permit, and natives of Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, San Marino can apply directly to the Universities, are included in the same ranking lists of Italian citizens in case of admission test, and are not required any specific language competence.
• Non-EW citizens and residents abroad must submit a pre-application request to the Italian Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence, are included in reserved ranking lists in case of admission tests, and unless differently specified or exempted, must pass an Italian language competence test before enrolling.

Popular Fields of Study

       Italy is considered one of the cultural capitals of the world. Italy is the homeland of some of the most famous artists, architects, poets, sculptors and writers, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and Dante Alighieri. When studying abroad in Italy, your learning experience is not simply confined to the classroom because Italy is technically an open-air museum. Anywhere you go, you are enriched in the countries culture and history that contribute to your knowledge gain.

       Because of the rich culture of the country, some of the most popular fields to study in Italy are humanities, arts, fashion design, and architecture. Depending on what field of study you want to pursue, it is most beneficial to choose your exact destination to amplify your learning experience. For example, the best place to study fashion design would be in Milan, the fashion capital of the world. Or if you want to study architecture, the best place to do so would be in Florence. 

Positives of Studying Abroad in Italy

       Second to the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Spain are the second most popular destinations for students to study abroad in. Clearly, Italy is a wonderful destination to study abroad. Not only will you gain extensive knowledge in your field of study, but you will enhance your cultural awareness and intellect. Choosing to study abroad in Italy will be an extremely positive experience because of the friendly people, superb cuisine, unique land and seascapes, and unparalleled artistic and historic sites. 
       Additionally, because Italy is centrally located in Europe, it is easy to travel to surrounding regions as well. Because of this, you can further continue your cultural studies and knowledge gain just by seeing more of the world. Lots of the students I talked to about their experiences highlighted this as a huge advantage. Some spent Saint Patrick's Day in Ireland, some traveled to Germany for Oktoberfest, and some went on weekend trips to see the Eiffel Tower in France.

Negatives of Studying Abroad in Italy

       Based on the personal experience of those who have studied abroad in Italy, the number of negatives nowhere compares to the number of positives of studying abroad in Italy. However, there are challenges that students from other parts of the world will inevitably face. Because of the rich culture of the country, it's citizens take a lot of pride in all that includes. The language barrier is most commonly the largest challenge for foreigners. Natives do not adjust their language around tourists/visitors, so you will have to learn to adjust your own language around them. In addition to feeling out a new place and a new way of living, difficulties in communication are most likely to be your biggest struggle. Other than that, many individuals look back on their Italian Study Abroad experience as one of the most fulfilling, eye-opening, and valuable experiences they've had.

Student Experiences

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUeDeFdzVVc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B00k91sdlzs

References

• https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-disadvantages-of-studying-in-italy
• http://www.mastersportal.eu/articles/1226/popular-study-programmes-in-italy.html
• https://www.studyabroad.com/in-italy
• http://studiesabroad.com/programs/country/italy
• http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/italy/
• https://www.britannica.com/place/Italy/Government-and-society
• http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/714/Italy-HISTORY-BACKGROUND.html
• http://www.classbase.com/countries/italy/education-system
• http://www.classbase.com/Countries/italy/Grading-System
• http://www.unimi.it/ENG/admission/29528.htm

Bulgarian Partner's Video

• https://wetransfer.com/downloads/7e97821d3a0e6e868ed3400cb45e3fc120170404182639/ed343c