Studio Arts College International (SACI) is more than an opportunity to study abroad program in the birthplace of the Renaissance: it’s an experience you will carry with you, in your career and throughout your life.
Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), SACI offers a wide range of innovative, hands-on graduate and undergraduate programs in traditional and contemporary studio arts, design, conservation, art history, and Italian language and culture.
Surrounded by the great masterpieces of another age and a lively community of contemporary artists, studying at SACI is not only an opportunity to discover what came before you, but to be part of a vibrant culture that is overflowing with artistic life.
Begin a creative journey that will prepare you to succeed in the competitive art world. Many partial scholarships are available for undergraduate and graduate study at SACI. We offer an easy online application process that you can use to submit and check on the status of your application.Orientation
SACI Orientation
Since most of you will have traveled for many hours during the night before reaching Italy, the first thing you'll want to do when you arrive in Florence is to get settled into your apartment, meet your roommates, and get some rest. Later in the day, you may want to venture out and explore your neighborhood. You will find a map in your housing packet that indicates the location of supermarkets, pharmacies, and SACI buildings.
Orientation Schedules
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Fall 2019 Orientation
All students!
Class Confirmations: If you need to add or drop a class, or change your grading status, you must see Elizabeth Johnson, Assistant Dean/Registrar, in the Front Office at the Palazzo dei Cartelloni. The last day to add or drop a course, or change your grading status, is Friday, September 20.Students in SACI Housing!
Apartment visits take place during Friday and Saturday. Housing Director Daniela Barbato or other SACI staff members will visit each apartment to answer any questions you have about your apartment and to check the inventory. Make sure that you make an appointment with Daniela, who is in the Front Office at the Palazzo dei Cartelloni.Thursday, September 5
SACI’s main building, the Palazzo dei Cartelloni (Via Sant’Antonino 11), is open from 9 am-9 pm.
SACI group flights arrive in Florence, where students are met by a SACI representative, given housing information and keys, and sent by taxi to apartments. All students traveling independently check in at the SACI Front Office in SACI’s main building, the Palazzo dei Cartelloni, between 9:00 am-9:00 pm to receive housing information and keys.
Friday, September 6
SACI’s main building, the Palazzo dei Cartelloni, is open from 9:00 am-8:00 pm.
9:45 am to 11:45 am ~ Students in Group B: Meet at SACI – Palazzo dei Cartelloni.
- Welcome by Elizabeth Johnson (Assistant Dean / Registrar), and Chiara Tolleri (Student Affairs Coordinator).
- 10:00 am: introductory walk to the main Florentine monuments with art history instructor Helen Manner Watterson.
10:30 am to 12:00 pm ~ Students in Group A: Meet at SACI’s Palazzo dei Cartelloni.
- Welcome by Elizabeth Johnson (Assistant Dean / Registrar), and Chiara Tolleri (Student Affairs Coordinator).
- 10:15 am: tour of facilities and local area (art stores, market, etc.).
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm ~ Students in Group B: Meet at SACI’s Palazzo dei Cartelloni for tour of facilities and local area (art stores, market, etc.).
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ~ New Graduate Students: All meet in SACI’s Clayton Hubbs Lecture Hall to discuss important administrative requirements for the programs.
2:00 pm to 4:45 pm ~ New Graduate Students: Meet individually with their Program Directors. (The Orientation packet lists the exact time and place.)
4:45 pm ~ All Instructors: Faculty Meeting in Clayton Hubbs Lecture Hall (Palazzo dei Cartelloni).
6:00 pm ~ All Students: Welcome party at SACI’s Palazzo dei Cartelloni for all students and faculty.
All Students not enrolled in an Italian class!!! Sign up at the Front Desk (Palazzo dei Cartelloni) for Survival Italian.
Apartment visits: Housing staff members will visit each apartment to answer any questions about your apartment and to check the inventory. The exact time you should be home (within those listed below) will be indicated in your Orientation Packet.
- Group A – 9:00 am-10:15 am; 12:00 pm-5:00 pm (non Graduates)
- Group B – 1:30 pm-5:00 pm
Saturday, September 7
SACI’s main building, the Palazzo dei Cartelloni, is open from 9:00 am-5:00 pm.
9:00 am ~ All Students: Meet at Grand Hotel Baglioni (Sala Michelangelo), Piazza dell'Unità 6:
- with Daniela Barbato, SACI’s Housing Director, to arrange for police registration. Please remember to bring your passport, the enrolled letter stamped by the Consulate, and the insurance documents.
- with SACI President Steven Brittan and Dean Leo Rowland on customs and habits in Italy. Many of the issues students should consider in their adjustment to living in Italy will be discussed.
12:45 pm to 1:45 pm ~ All Students Interested in Volunteer Opportunities in Florence: Meet in SACI’s Clayton Hubbs Lecture Hall (Palazzo dei Cartelloni) with Student Affairs Coordinator Chiara Tolleri to learn about volunteer opportunities available to students. Refreshments served.
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm ~ All students taking Batik, Jewelry Design, or Serigraphy: Meet at SACI’s Palazzo dei Cartelloni to be taken to Laboratorio Firenze to schedule classes.
4:00 pm to 5:45 pm ~ Students in Group A: Meet at SACI – Palazzo dei Cartelloni, for an introductory walk to the main Florentine monuments with art history instructor Helen Manner Watterson.
All students must pay a Permit of Stay processing fee in cash (€118) + Refundable SACI Field Trip Deposit (€50). This is the only day you can pay for the Permit of Stay – and it is required that you have it. You will be given receipts for your payments. Note: Students who are citizens of EU countries do not need to pay for the Permit of Stay but must pay the refundable Field Trip Deposit.
All Students not enrolled in an Italian class!!! Sign up at the Front Desk (Palazzo dei Cartelloni) for Survival Italian.
Apartment visits: Housing staff members will visit each apartment to answer any questions about your apartment and to check the inventory. The exact time you should be home (within those listed below) will be indicated in your Orientation Packet.
- Group A – 1:30 pm-3:45 pm (students in Batik, Jewelry, Serigraphy starting at 3:00)
- Group B – 1:30 pm -5:00 pm (students in Batik, Jewelry, Serigraphy starting at 3:00)
Sunday, September 8
SACI is closed.
1:00 pm ~ Field trip to Fiesole for Art History students—with Helen Watterson. This trip is compulsory for students enrolled in Early Renaissance Art History, but open to everyone. Please sign up at SACI’s Front Desk (Palazzo dei Cartelloni) by Saturday, September 7 at 2:00pm.
Monday, September 9
First day of classes.