Frequently Asked Questions

Enrollment Process

All students applying to SRISA must meet the following requirements:

  • Students must be at least 18 years of age
  • Students must have a high school diploma, or equivalent G.E.D.
  • Student must have maintained a 2.5 GPA in all college work attempted
  • Students must submit most recent transcript (either high school or college transcripts) to the Admissions Office along with their application
It is not necessary to submit a portfolio for general application. However, if you would like to submit one, you are more than welcome to do so.

Exceptions may include: those applying for the Post-Baccalaureate Program or petitioning to take an advanced level course without the collegiate pre-requisite.
No, it is not necessary to have any previous art experience. Although many of our students are art majors, SRISA welcomes students from varied backgrounds who wish to receive an introduction to art or participate in our Liberal Arts program.
SRISA does not offer financial aid. However, frequently your financial aid from your home institution can be used at SRISA, including federal and private loans and scholarships. Usually, this option is available through a Consortium Agreement between your home institution and SRISA. Simply contact the financial aid and study abroad offices at your institution to see what the process is for your specific school. Although quite competitive, SRISA does offer a few scholarship opportunities based on merit, need, and diversity. For more information, see our scholarships page.
Yes. Students with a GPA lower than 2.5 may petition for acceptance by submitting a letter of intent, sample portfolio with 5-10 images of work or 2 writing samples, and 2 letters of recommendation along with their enrollment application.
You should speak with your study abroad office, advisor, or registrar's office. You will need to check to see if your University accepts the SRISA transcript directly or if they require the transcript from our school of record, Maryville University in St. Louis. Additionally, many Universities require their students to complete a course equivalency form for approval before departure. You may request syllabi from us to assist with this approval process.

Studying in Florence

Although the exact amount will vary greatly between students, we recommend budgeting at least 25 Euro per day for your entire stay. Again, this amount will vary greatly depending on individual spending habits. If you plan on traveling during your time in Florence, try to take these travel expenses into account before you leave.

You may request an itemized estimated semester or summer budget from admissions@srisa.org.
You will inevitably lose quite a bit of money in the exchange of your currency to Euro directly in Florence. We do not advise bringing your home currency for exchange as a primary means of financial support while abroad. Although there are exchange offices all over Florence, they charge a hefty commission in addition to the daily exchange rate.

A more economically convenient option is directly withdrawing from an ATM. While you will be charged an international usage fee, generally between 3-5%, ATMs ("Bancomat" in Italian) base their exchange rate off of the current market value making them a preferable method of retrieving Euro.

If you prefer to have some Euro before starting your travels, you may also order Euro from your home bank before departing.
Before leaving home contact your bank to inform them that you will be traveling abroad. They will tell you if your card is compatible with Europe’s systems and may even give you an international pin code. You can also check that your card has the “Cirrus” logo on the back. You should also inform you bank of your travels abroad so that they do not place a block on your card for "unusual activity."
We recommend you do as the Florence airport is conveniently located to the city center. It is a quick 20-30 minute taxi ride and around 25 Euro. While flights may be slightly cheaper through larger airports such as Rome or Milan, there are longer commute times once on the ground and high bus/train transfer fees to calculate into the overall cost.
If housing with SRISA, you will receive a housing and arrival information email approximately 2-4 weeks before the program begins with more arrival details. When arriving at the airport on check-in day you will be greeted by a SRISA staff member who will direct you either to the SRISA arrival campus (Via San Gallo 53/red) or to your apartment address. Taxis are located outside of both the airport and train stations. The cost of a taxi is usually 10-12 Euro from the train station and around 25 Euro from the airport. Check the calendar for your specific check-in date. Office hours are from 9am–5pm Monday through Friday.
*Important: If you are arriving before the check-in date, arriving after hours, or over the weekend you are responsible for reserving accommodations at a hotel. You can write to SRISA's housing coordinator for more information at housing@srisa.org
Tentative class schedules will be sent by email approximately 2-4 weeks before classes begin. Finalized class schedules will be distributed in Florence during the Academic Orientation.
There are many art supply stores in Florence where you will be able to find most of your necessary supplies. Cost of supplies in Italy vary slightly from the U.S. You may wish to bring some basic supplies (ie: paint brushes, sketchbook, etc) with you but it is not necessary.

SRISA Apartments

Students arranging housing through SRISA will be sent housing information by email 2-4 weeks before the program begins. You can write to SRISA's housing coordinator for more information at housing@srisa.org
There is an average of 4-6 students per apartment, although at times there are more or less.
SRISA apartments are spread throughout the city center in residential apartments within a 20 minute walk from campus.
Yes. SRISA apartments are not equipped with bed sheets or bath towels so you will need to bring your own. We recommend picking up a cheap set that you can then leave behind in Florence. This allows for pre-planned extra space in your luggage to return home with those souvenirs and gifts you will acquire while abroad! Apartments will have heavy blankets and pillows.
Apartments are equipped with WiFi, however, internet in Italy may be slower than you are used to back home.
No, SRISA shared student apartments are not equipped with A/C. If you have a health condition that requires A/C, you are welcome to inquire about our private apartments by writing to housing@srisa.org.
We highly encourage living in the SRISA shared student apartments. SRISA housing allows for a comfortable home environment with other students on the program while at the same time enabling students to get out and enjoy the city center of Florence and all it has to offer. All apartments are pre-approved by the SRISA housing coordinator. That said, students are welcome to make housing arrangements independently from SRISA.

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