ECU Tuscany: Spring 2027

Join us on an unforgettable journey for a spring semester in Tuscany! Following an extended winter break, we’ll depart from the States in February, arriving in Italy when our home village of Certaldo Alto welcomes us with its tranquil atmosphere. The Tuscan winter weather is similar to that of North Carolina, gradually warming in March and blossoming into a fresh, bright, and colorful spring in April.

Our program begins with a three-day stay in the beautiful Umbrian village of Orvieto, where we will spend 3 days exploring the area and getting to know each other. A visit from there to Bagnoregio is consistently a student favorite before we travel by bus to Certaldo, our home away from home. Throughout the semester, we will take many group trips to Rome, Florence, Siena, Lucca, Cinque Terre, and the Amalfi Coast.

In addition to these excursions, you’ll enjoy a six-day spring break, providing an opportunity to travel with newfound friends to other destinations within Italy or Europe. Independent travel is also possible during free weekends.

The program finishes in the enchanting city of Venice, where we will spend four days enjoying its romantic canals and surrounding islands. With the delightful scent of blooming wisteria filling the streets and fewer tourists than in the summer months, May is a particularly beautiful time to be in Venice. Studying in Italy during the winter and spring offers peaceful streets and a unique opportunity for cultural immersion, thanks to fewer crowds and cooler temperatures.

Don’t miss this chance! Apply for the ECU Tuscany Spring 27 program now!

Application Instructions

Spring Semester 2027

There will be two application review cycles, on dates listed below. If the program fills after the first review date, applications will close. If the program is still not full after the second cycle, applications may remain open until filled. We often have wait-lists for this program, so apply soon. The preferred GPA for applicants to be accepted to our ECU Tuscany program is minimum 2.8.

Priority Application Review

• Application Deadline: June 1, 2026
• Notification Deadline: On or around June 15, 2026
• Commitment Deadline: within 2 weeks of receiving acceptance letter)
• If the program fills during this application period, further applications will be closed.

Late Application Review

• Application Deadline: August 1, 2025
• Notification Deadline: On or around August 15, 2025
• Commitment Deadline: within 2 weeks of receiving acceptance letter

Application Instructions

• Fill out the ECU Tuscany: Italy Intensives application
• Be sure you answer all questions and that your application is complete.
• It will not be reviewed until all signatures and questionnaires are filled out.
• Note: all students are required to meet with staff in the study abroad office prior to your application being reviewed. The link to schedule that short online or in-person meeting is within your application, schedule it early.
• Please carefully complete  the 200 word statement of interest in your own words, about your own personal experience -with no AI assistance.
• Completed applications will be reviewed, and you will be notified of your application status by the dates listed above.
• If you are accepted, you will be emailed a letter explaining how to confirm your spot with an online payment of the $100.00 application fee and the $200.00 housing deposit. These payments must be paid within the two weeks of acceptance, or you will be moved to the waiting list.
• While you are waiting for your application to be reviewed, you should be preparing to make the application fee and the $200.00 housing deposit that will confirm your spot – you will have only 2 weeks after acceptance to make that payment before being moved to the waitlist.

Cost for the Spring 2027

$12,000 + $100 study abroad administrative fee

Cost includes:

• Transportation to and from airports in Italy
• International health insurance while abroad-no copay and no deductible
• Lodgings and utilities in beautiful apartments in Certaldo
• Lodgings on all overnight trips
• Tuition
• Transportation on all school trips in Italy
• Dinners on all class days
• Breakfast and dinners on overnight trips
• Museum entrances and tours
• 3 days in Rome
• 3 days in Orvieto
• 4 days in Venice
• 3 days in Cinque Terre
• 2 days in Lucca
• 3 days on the Amalfi Coast
• Day trips to San Gimignano, Bagnoregio, Pompeii, Volterra, Florence, Siena
• Entrance to Cinque Terre National Park on the Mediterranean

Students budget for their own lunches and breakfasts in Certaldo. Our apartments have washing machines and full kitchens available for cooking and grocery prices are very reasonable. Group dinners are provided on all scheduled class days as well as both breakfasts and dinners on all overnight trips.

Spring 27 Payment Schedule

• Upon Acceptance – $100.00 non-refundable study abroad administrative fee due along with $200.00 non-refundable housing deposit.
• November 1, 2026 – $2,500 payment due
• Spring Tuition Deadline – $9,300

Students can pay the full amount at any time after acceptance and up to the final payment date (spring tuition deadline). If you are on financial aid, we will know, and your program payments can be delayed until the aid is awarded.

Spring 27 Itinerary

Do not book flights until you hear from the director to do so. We need to arrive at about the same time to take advantage of group transportation from the airport.

Dates below might change due to lodgings availability, train strikes or weather. Please do not make independent travel plans based on this schedule without first consulting the director (dartyl@ecu.edu).  Visitors should not plan to stay in apartments with you in Certaldo – and their travel plans should not take you away from your classes or scheduled program activites.