OSPFLOR 1A:
Accelerated First-Year Italian, Part 1
Accelerated sequence that completes first-year Italian in two rather than three quarters. For students with previous knowledge of Italian or with a strong background in another Romance language. Prerequisite: advanced-level proficiency in another Romance language Prerequisite: Placement .
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 5
OSPFLOR 1F:
First-Year Italian, First Quarter
All-in-Italian communicative and interactive approach. Emphasis is on the development of appropriate discourse in contemporary cultural contexts. Interpretation of authentic materials, written and oral presentations, and plenty of conversational practice. Language lab, multimedia, and online activities.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 5
OSPFLOR 2A:
Accelerated First-Year Italian, Part 2
Continuation of ITALLANG 1A. Accelerated sequence that completes first-year Italian in two rather than three quarters. For students with previous knowledge of Italian or with a strong background in another Romance language. Prerequisite: Placement Test, ITALLANG 1A or consent of instructor. Fulfills the University language requirement.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: Language
OSPFLOR 2F:
First-Year Italian, Second Quarter
Continuation of ITALLANG 1. All-in-Italian communicative and interactive approach. Emphasis is on the development of appropriate discourse in contemporary cultural contexts. Interpretation of authentic materials, written and oral presentations, and plenty of conversational practice. Language lab, multimedia, and online activities. Prerequisite: Placement Test, ITALLANG 2
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 5
OSPFLOR 3F:
First-Year Italian, Third Quarter
Continuation of ITALLANG 2. All-in-Italian communicative and interactive approach. Emphasis is on the development of appropriate discourse in contemporary cultural contexts. Interpretation of authentic materials, written and oral presentations, and plenty of conversational practice. Language lab, multimedia, and online activities. Prerequisite: Placement Test, ITALLANG 2 or consent of instructor. Fulfills the University language requirement.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: Language
OSPFLOR 11:
Film, Food and the Italian Identity
Food in Italian cinema staged as an allegory of Italy's social, political and cultural milieu. Intersections between food, history and culture as they are reflected in and shaped by Italian cinema from the early 1900s until today. Topics include: farmer's tradition during Fascism; lack of food during WWII and its aftermath; the Economic Miracle; food and the Americanization of Italy; La Dolce Vita; the Italian family; ethnicity, globalization and the re-discovery of regional culinary identity in contemporary Italy. Impact of cinema in both reflecting and defining the relationship between food and culture.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-A-II, WAY-EDP
OSPFLOR 12:
Constituting a Republic: Machiavelli, Madison, and Modern Issues
Looking back to the worlds of Machiavelli and Madison, consider citizenship and constitutional design today. How should government today be constructed to serve the public good? What are our responsibilities as citizens with respect to public policy? Readings from central works of Niccolo Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy and Discourse on Florentine Affairs and of James Madison, Federalist Papers.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI
OSPFLOR 15:
An Introduction to Contemporary Italy
Today's Italy through a series of thematic lectures covering a wide range of subjects, from politics to contemporary art and from sexual mores to the Mafia. Nature of contemporary Italian society, insights into the economic challenges facing Italy, as well as keys to deciphering Italian politics, and the elements required to make sense of what can be read, seen and heard in the Italian media. Assesing modern Italian culture in terms of the society that has produced it.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 3
OSPFLOR 19:
Florence for Foodies: Discovering the Italian Culinary Tradition
A look at modern Florentine and Italian cuisine in light of historical heritage and foreign influences. Hands-on participation in three cooking classes with professional chefs. Understanding of the past and present of Italian food culture and its most important governing principles: the Mediterranean Diet, fresh and local ingredients, the market culture, and the Slow Food philosophy
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 2 units total)
OSPFLOR 21F:
Accelerated Second-Year Italian, Part A
Review of grammatical structures; grammar in its communicative context. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills practiced and developed through authentic material such as songs, newspaper articles, video clips, and literature. Insight into the Italian culture and crosscultural understanding. Prerequisite: one year of college Italian or ITALLANG 21
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 5
OSPFLOR 22F:
Accelerated Second-Year Italian Part B
Grammatical structures, listening, reading, writing, speaking skills, and insight into the Italian culture through authentic materials. Intermediate to advanced grammar. Content-based course, using songs, video, and literature, to provide cultural background for academic courses. Prerequisite: ITALLANG 21 within two quarters of arriving in Florence or ITALLANG 21A or OSPFLOR 21F
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 5
OSPFLOR 26:
The Politics of the European Crisis: from the Maastricht Treaty to the Greek Crunch
Discussion and analysis of the European Crisis, which started in Greece in 2009 and continues. Critical comprehension of the inner functioning of the European Union's economics, politics and institutions, understanding of the reasons for the crisis and the solutions undertaken. Comparative analysis with the United States to show the complexity entailed in having one monetary policy and nineteen distinct national budgets. Discussion of key challenges in Europe and next steps in the progress of European integration.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
OSPFLOR 28:
Between Art and Science: the Evolution of Techniques from Antiquity to Leonardo da Vinci
Revival of technical activity that began in the late fourteenth century, notably in Italy, and lasted, through the fifteenth century. New perspective on the Renaissance through focus on the careers and the most significant achievements of the "artist-engineers" active before Leonardo.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-SI
OSPFLOR 31F:
Advanced Oral Communication: Italian
Refine language skills and develop insight into Italian culture using authentic materials. Group work and individual meetings with instructor. Minimum enrollment required. Prerequisite: ITALLANG 22A, 23 or placement.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 3
OSPFLOR 32:
Critical Strategies in Contemporary Photographic Practice: Florence Through a Lens
Technical knowledge and the evolved analytical and conceptual skills required to begin producing complex, reflexive, innovative and challenging photographic work. Workings of the camera, classical rules of aesthetic creation and the nature of light. History of the medium and its relationship to society as a whole. Ethical issues at the heart of photographic practice; examination of the scientific and philosophical foundations of photography itself.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-CE
OSPFLOR 34:
The Virgin Mother, Goddess of Beauty, Grand Duchess, and the Lady: Women in Florentine Art
Influence and position of women in the history of Florence as revealed in its art. Sculptural, pictorial, and architectural sources from a social, historical, and art historical point of view. Themes: the virgin mother (middle ages); the goddess of beauty (Botticelli to mannerism); the grand duchess (late Renaissance, Baroque); the lady, the woman (19th-20th centuries).
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-A-II, WAY-EDP
OSPFLOR 37:
The Refugee and Migration Crisis in the EU: Responses and Perspectives
Key issues related to migration in Europe. Built on a sociological perspective: 1) analyze migratory movements as a social and global phenomenon through key categories such as: international migration, border, migration governance, citizenship, integration, etc.; 2) explore migration into EU, from a historical and sociological perspective, as well as the EU responses to the current refugee crisis in the Mediterranean region, with focus on the borders' strengthening and externalization process, both discursively and in practice; and 3) examine the different national responses to the current refugee crisis by analysing the Italian case, as one of the most important receiving country in the European Union.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP
OSPFLOR 41:
The Florentine Sketchbook: A Visual Arts Practicum
The ever-changing and multifaceted scene of contemporary art through visual and sensorial stimulation. How art is thought of and produced in Italy today. Hands-on experience. Sketching and exercises on-site at museums and exhibits, plus workshops on techniques. Limited enrollment.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-CE
OSPFLOR 42:
Academic Internship
Mentored internships in fashion, education, engineering, the fine arts, health, media, not-for-profit organizations, and publishing (among others). May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
for credit
OSPFLOR 45:
Europe: The State of the Union
Learn about, debate, and analyze the most pressing and critical issues that Italy and the EU are facing today. As former Prime Minister, and in current capacity as head of the Democratic Party, the instructor has been dealing with these issues firsthand for a number of years. On questions such as the current migrant/refugee crises, issues of citizenship and national identity, the Euro, and Brexit (just to name a few), the approach will be informed by political and economic theories and will be presented in an objective academic context; the instructor will also share not only his take on these questions but also his experiences in addressing them as an insider.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 2
OSPFLOR 46:
Images of Evil in Criminal Justice
Iconographic component of criminal law; reasons and functions of the visual representation of criminal wrongdoing. Historical roots of "evil typecasting;" consideration of its variations with respect to common law and civil law systems. Fundamental features of the two legal systems. Sources, actors, enforcement mechanisms of the criminal law compared; study of cases in the area of murder, sex offences, organized crime and terrorism. Different techniques of image typecasting highlighted and discussed. International criminal law, which takes the burden to describe, typecast and punish forms of "enormous, disproportionate evil," such as genocide and other mass atrocities.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-ER
OSPFLOR 48:
Sharing Beauty in Florence: Collectors, Collections and the Shaping of the Western Museum Tradition
The city's art and theories of how art should be presented. The history and typology of world-class collections. Social, economic, political, and aesthetic issues in museum planning and management. Collections include the Medici, English and American collectors of the Victorian era, and modern corporate and public patrons.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
OSPFLOR 49:
On-Screen Battles: Filmic Portrayals of Fascism and World War II
Structural and ideological attributes of narrative cinema, and theories of visual and cinematic representation. How film directors have translated history into stories, and war journals into visual images. Topics: the role of fascism in the development of Italian cinema and its phenomenology in film texts; cinema as a way of producing and reproducing constructions of history; film narratives as fictive metaphors of Italian cultural identity; film image, ideology, and politics of style.
Terms: Win
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
OSPFLOR 50M:
Introductory Science of Materials
Topics include: the relationship between atomic structure and macroscopic properties of man-made and natural materials; mechanical and thermodynamic behavior of surgical implants including alloys, ceramics, and polymers; and materials selection for biotechnology applications such as contact lenses, artificial joints, and cardiovascular stents. No prerequisite.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-EngrAppSci, WAY-AQR, WAY-SMA
OSPFLOR 54:
High Renaissance and Mannerism: the Great Italian Masters of the 15th and 16th Centuries
The development of 15th- and early 16th-century art in Florence and Rome. Epochal changes in the art of Michelangelo and Raphael in the service of Pope Julius II. The impact of Roman High Renaissance art on masters such as Fra' Bartolomeo and Andrea del Sarto. The tragic circumstances surrounding the early maniera: Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino and the transformation of early Mannerism into the elegant style of the Medicean court. Contemporary developments in Venice.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
OSPFLOR 55:
Academy of Fine Arts: Studio Art
Courses through the Academia delle Belle Arti. Details upon arrival. Minimum Autumn and Winter Quarter enrollment required; 1-3 units in Autumn. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
for credit
OSPFLOR 56:
University of Florence Courses
May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1-5
| Repeatable
for credit
OSPFLOR 58:
Space as History: Social Vision and Urban Change
A thousand years of intentional change in Florence. Phases include programmatic enlargement of ecclesiastical structures begun in the 11th century; aggressive expansion of religious and civic space in the 13th and 14th centuries; aggrandizement of private and public buildings in the 15th century; transformation of Florence into a princely capital from the 16th through the 18th centuries; traumatic remaking of the city's historic core in the 19th century; and development of new residential areas on the outskirts and in neighboring towns in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
OSPFLOR 59:
Independent Study on Human Rights and the Catholic Church
Christian theology played a key role in shaping and promoting theories of rights, which eventually became a foundation for our modern notions of human rights. From Thomas Aquinas and the Spanish Neo-scholastics, to nineteenth-century popes and Christian thinkers (such as Jacques Maritain), the Church repeatedly contributed to the history of human rights, all the way up to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Readings in English translation (or Latin originals).
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-4
OSPFLOR 63:
From Vivaldi to Verdi: Experiences in Italian Music
Explore classical music from the Baroque to the present day by attending live music performances in Florence during the quarter. Students may steer the course according to their individual musical interests and preferences (from solo piano concerts and art song recitals to chamber music and larger symphony orchestra performances, etc.). Preparation for selected performances to include listening assignments and study of the various composers, their place in history and compositional style, etc. Develop listening skills as well as proficiency in identifying different styles of classical music (Medieval, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern, etc.).
Terms: Aut
| Units: 1
OSPFLOR 66:
The Engineering of Opera
Opera is at the very heart of the Italian cultural heritage, and Florence is arguably the birthplace of opera with productions dating back to 1598. This course introduces the history, performance, composition, and production of opera, and extensively leverages local performances and venues. Topics include the history and structural underpinnings of operatic composition, the acoustics of vocal sound production and concert halls, and the design and construction of theatrical sets. The course features visits to performance venues in Florence, guest lectures and performances by professional artists, as well as previews, discussions and attendance of several evening operas spanning the classical, romantic, and modern eras.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
OSPFLOR 67:
The Celluloid Gaze: Gender, Identity and Sexuality in Cinema
Film in the social construction of gender through the representation of the feminine, the female, and women. Female subjects, gaze, and identity through a historical, technical, and narrative frame. Emphasis is on gender, identity, and sexuality with references to feminist film theory from the early 70s to current methodologies based on semiotics, psychoanalysis, and cultural studies. Advantages and limitations of methods for textual analysis and the theories which inform them.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-A-II, WAY-EDP
OSPFLOR 69:
Abstract Art: Creativity, Self-Expression and Depicting the Unimaginable
Overview of the birth and evolution of abstract art with visual background necessary to produce works of art free of a realistic representation. Movements and trends in abstract art; experimentation with different media and techniques. Enrollment limited.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-CE
OSPFLOR 70:
The Value of Life: Philosophical Foundations
Analysis of the value of life from a philosophical point of view, presenting lay foundations of bioethics. Three main steps. 1) The notion of life, which can be seen from different angles and with diverse intentions; comparative analysis of plural interpretations of the notion of life, economic, scientific, religious, and the limits of the notion itself. 2) Ethics as a theory of value, the metaphysical background of life, and the structure of bioethics; a vision of life as a "critical choice", which implies respect for life and individual responsibility; some non-Western ideas on the value of life. 3) Practical issues such as the meaning of death, abortion and euthanasia
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
OSPFLOR 71:
A Studio with a View: Drawing, Painting and Informing your Aesthetic in Florence
Recent trends in art, current Italian artistic production, differences and the dialogue among visual arts. Events, schools, and movements of the 20th century. Theoretical background and practical training in various media. Work at the Stanford Center and on site at museums, exhibits, and out in the city armed with a sketchbook and camera. Emphasis is on drawing as the key to the visual arts. Workshops to master the techniques introduced. Limited enrollment.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-CE
OSPFLOR 72:
Reinventing Republicanism: How Florence Turned an Ancient Idea into a Revolutionary Project
This course retraces the rise and fall of the Florentine Republic. Students will read works by Florentine authors who defended republican government, as well as works by their classical predecessors. We will consider the inner workings of the Florentine Republic, visit its key sites, and learn how it was incessantly threatened by elite families. We will also study the afterlife of the Florentine Republic in works by later revolutionaries who chose it as an example. Authors include Aristotle, Livy, Cicero, Leonardo Bruni, Coluccio Salutati, Niccolò Machiavelli, Montesquieu, John Adams, and James Madison.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI
OSPFLOR 76:
Sociology of Migrations
Conceptual tools to understand the social phenomena of international migrations; discussion of the most relevant theoretical approaches in the field, e.g. assimilation, transnationalism, and migration regimes, among others.Crucial topics: discussion of the causes of migration and the distinction between different types of migrants, analysis of current migration policies and the related issues of borders, asylum, irregular migration and possible paths toward legalization. Also, reaction of receiving societies towards migration, with the related increasing problems of racism, discrimination and the rise of far-right parties. Analysis of North-American, North-Western European and Southern European cases with particular attention to the Italian case.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP
OSPFLOR 78:
The Impossible Experiment: Politics and Policies of the New European Union
Institutional design of EU, forthcoming changes, and comparison of the old and new designs. Interactions between the EU, member states, organized interests, and public opinion. Major policies of the EU that affect economics such as competition or cohesion policies, market deregulation, and single currency. Consequences of the expansion eastwards. The role of institutions as a set of constraints and opportunities for the economic actors; relationships between political developments and economic change in the context of regional integration; lessons for other parts of the world.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
OSPFLOR 111Y:
From Giotto to Michelangelo: The Birth and Flowering of Renaissance Art in Florence
Lectures, site visits, and readings reconstruct the circumstances that favored the flowering of architecture, sculpture, and painting in Florence and Italy, late 13th to early 16th century. Emphasis is on the classical roots; the particular relationship with nature; the commitment to human expressiveness; and rootedness in the real-world experience, translated in sculpture and painting as powerful plasticity, perspective space, and interest in movement and emotion.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
OSPFLOR 115Y:
Building the Cathedral and the Town Hall: Constructing and Deconstructing Symbols of a Civilization
The history, history of art, and symbolism of the two principal monuments of Florence: the cathedral and the town hall. Common meaning and ideological differences between the religious and civic symbols of Florence's history from the time of Giotto and the first Guelf republic to Bronzino and Giovanni da Bologna and the Grand Duchy.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
