Located in northern Italy, Milan is an excellent base to discover Italy as well as neighboring European countries such as France, Switzerland, and Austria. Milan is a fast-paced, enterprising, vibrant city on the cutting edge of almost everything; design, fashion, finance, music and culture. On this UM Partner program, we work with the Milan campus of Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC).  UCSC was founded in 1921, and has 30,000 students on the Milan campus.  Formerly a monastery, the Cattolica campus is picturesque and serene, while also located in the city center of Milan.  

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Disclaimer:

Due to the continued impact of COVID-19, applicants should be aware that changes to academic calendars may occur with little or no notice. Students are encouraged to either wait to book travel or book travel that allows for changes with no financial penalty. 
 
Applicants should also be aware that processing of visas may be impacted or halted by specific countries. Failure to secure the necessary visa may result in inability to participate in this program. 
 
Participants on this program may be required to self-quarantine prior to the start of their program for a specified period of time. Students are responsible for arranging (logistics and financial) their travel appropriately to ensure self-quarantine is completed prior to the start of the program.

COVID-19 Updates & Alerts
For the most up-to-date UCSC information on Covid-19, please visit Info Covid-19.

*This information is subject to change. 

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Housing and Meals: 

Cattolica partners with Milano International Living Service, better known as MIL Service, to offer some accommodation options. MIL Service offers single or shared rooms in a residence hall or apartments, which are fully furnished and include a wireless Internet connection. Alternatively, students can arrange housing on their own. 

Cattolica is not able to guarantee housing for students. Students must be prepared to secure housing on their own. Students can find independent housing on their own, using their own resources, the UCSC housing board, or assistance from the Erasmus Student Network (ESN).

Students may check directly on the UCSC website for possible alternative accommodation offered by third party providers. Please visit the following link: https://international.unicatt.it/ucscinternational-milan-accommodation 

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UCSC welcomes over 3,000 international students from over 100 countries.  To help international students adjust to life in Milan, you can sign up to participate in their Buddy Program and be matched with a Cattolica domestic student. Cattolica has a health center with English-speaking doctors, and has a special offer with a local gym that you can take advantage of while studying there. Cattolica's international student group, the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), is very active and organizes many different activities and trips for students. Cattolica also offers internship and language course opportunities for exchange students, but please note that these do carry an additional fee.

Academically, UCSC offers two options; you can choose to take all courses from either the International or Academic Curriculum, or you can select classes from both.  The International Curriculum is intended to be structurally similar to the US university system, while the Academic Curriculum is representative of the traditional Italian university experience.

Below is a summary:

	International Curriculum	Academic Curriculum
Language of Instruction	English	Italian or English
Dates	September-December February-May	September-February* January/February-July
Class Profile	Mostly international students	Mostly Italian students
Course Specifics	Required attendance Expected participation Midterm and final exams	Attendance not recorded Final exam
Registration	Required prior to semester	After beginning of classes Registration for exams required (2 or more possible exam dates)

*Non-EU students can request an early exam session in December

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Academic Areas:
The International Curriculum offers courses in the following disciplines:

Business and Economics	International Relations	Fashion & Design
Media, Communications & Sociology	Italian Culture	Italian*

You can view specific courses and syllabi here.
*Note that Italian language courses are offered, but not included in the exchange and will carry an additional fee.

Under the Academic Curriculum, these areas have a good number of courses available in English:

Economics	International Relations & Global Affairs	Arts Management & Humanities
Banking & Finance	Data Science & Actuarial Science	*More disciplines available in Italian

 You can view the specific course offerings by following the directions located here.

Grading Scale:

UCSC Grade*	UM Grade
27-30	A
22-26	B
18-21	C
Below 18	F

*Note that if UCSC issues a transcript with a letter grade rather than the numeric grade as listed above, the UM grade will be recorded exactly as listed on the UCSC transcript.

Credit Equivalency:
1 ECTS credit = .5 UM credits

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Milan is a city that proves the idiom, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."  Some find Milan to be an industrial, unappealing city, but most find that contains a lot of beauty as well, from the gorgeous Gothic cathedral known as the Duomo to da Vinci's famed Last Supper.  And of course, Milan maintains its reputation as a high end fashion destination, with flagship stores of Prada, Versace and Armani (which also has a hotel)! Milan is a great place to spend a semester or year abroad while exploring all that Italy has to offer.

History:

Milan is considered Italy's city of the future, but it also has a fascinating history; settled by Celtic tribes in the 7th century BC, Milan served as the capital of Constantine's empire from 286-402 AD.  In fact, some of Milan's road network today still follows along the concentric circles of the city's former defensive walls.  Much of central Milan was destroyed during Allied bombings in World War Two, and as such the city has newer buildings than many other Italian cities.  Milan has become the financial and industrial center of Italy, and has attracted many immigrants as a result, making Milan one of the most diverse cities in Italy.

Society:

Despite the relaxed attitude many Americans ascribe to Italians, Italy is a fairly formal society. Greetings involve shaking hands (new or business acquaintances) or kissing both cheeks (friends or informal settings). You should only use first names when invited or as appropriate in the circumstances. It is typical for the style of dress to be both stylish and modest; this is especially important when visiting religious sites (be sure your shoulders are covered). 

Currency	Schengen	Language	Airport
Euro	Yes	Italian	Milan Malpensa (MXP)
Mobile Phones	Religion	Popular Food	Day Trips
GSM; Main carriers are TIM Wind 3 Vodaphone	Roman Catholic	Risotto alla Milanese Cotoletta alla Milanese Cannoncino Panettone	Lake Como Lake Maggiore Verona and Lake Garda Venice Bologna Swiss Alps Cinque Terre

Attractions:

Milan is most famous for its towering Gothic cathedral, the Duomo, which was made out of pink marble over the course of 600 years; take full advantage of a visit here and explore the roof terraces!  Spend 15 minutes with The Last Supper, but spend hours with the works of art at Museo del Novecento.  Bar Luce is a unique place to eat in Milan, as it was designed by the filmmaker Wes Anderson.  As one of the fashion capitals of the world, Milan is also home to some of the world's best designer outlets; get some fashion steals shopping these outlets. Check out these videos for a quick overview of Milan and its attractions: The Lonely Planet and The New York Times. 

If you have questions about this UM Partner Program, please contact Tara George for more information at tag99@miami.edu.