Eligibility

GPA	2.8
WIU hours completed	12
Student Conduct	Good standing
Grad credit	Not available
Pre-requiste	Varies by course
Student Year	Sophomore, Junior, Senior

Entry Requirements

Passport:  Required. Must be valid for at least six (6) months after your study abroad program ends.  For information on how to apply for or renew a passport, see Passports 101 .
Current passport processing times are 6-8 weeks.  Plan accordingly to avoid issues obtaining your visa, airine tickets, and other necessary items for travel.  Failure to receive your passport in time can lead to postponement or cancellation of your program.

Visa:  Student visa requirements vary based on the length of the study abroad program:
Programs shorter than 90 days:  A visa is not required.
Programs 90 days or longer:  You must apply for a student visa before entering Italy.  Visa requirements can be found on the website of the Italian consulate in Chicago .
Traveling to Italy without your student visa can lead to denied entry, forced removal from your program, and financial consequences.

Health Insurance

It is University policy that you must have international health insurance for the time you are abroad.  Only two options are approved to meet this requirement:
  • WIU Student Health Insurance
  • A supplemental plan (Patriot Travel Medical) from International Medical Group (IMG) .

Health Precautions

COVID-19 - You are REQUIRED to follow the policies of your host school, host country, the CDC and TSA.  It is your responsibility to know and understand these policies.  If policies change before or during your program, it is your responsbility to comply with the new policies.  Failure to do so can result in removal from your program and/or the host country, financial consequences and academic consequences at the host school and WIU.

Walking/mobility/travel - Expect more walking than on-campus.  It is a mixture of urban (pavement/concrete) and natural (grass/dirt) terrain, including uneven/hilly terrain and up/down flights of stairs.  Some historic sites and tourist areas have limited handicapped accessibility.  Sidewalks in these areas can be narrow with uneven surfaces. 

Vaccinations - No vaccinations are required for entry into Italy.  Up to date vaccination recommendations are available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website .

Accessibility - Accessibility and accommodation are very different from that found in the United States.  Please contact Disability Resources for questions on the availability of accommodations for your specific situation.

PLEASE NOTE  It is your responsibility to request accommodation from DR; staff are not legally permitted to inquire about such needs.  Requests should be made as early as possible so there's sufficient time to arrange accommodations in your location. 

Costs (Comparative Table)

last updated 4/7/2025              

Items	WIU	Lorenzo de' Medici
Tuition and fees, 12 semester hours, plan Y	5,140	9,300
Commitment Fee	--	75
Health Insurance	816	816
Passport	--	165
Student visa	--	60
Housing and meals	Housing: 3,795 Meals: 2,680	Shared apartment: 4,500 Homestay: 4,700
Books and supplies	480	inc. in Personal/misc.
Local transportation	840	inc. in Personal/misc.
Personal/misc. (phone, laundry, recreation, etc.)	950	5,500
Total	14,701	Shared apartment: 20,416* Homestay: 20,616*

*You are responsible for purchasing your own flights.

Various types of aid are available to help fund your experience.  Check out our Financial Aid and Scholarships pages for more details.

Academics

Students at Lorenzo de' Medici take 4-5 classes per semester, equaling 12-16 sh at WIU.  LdM uses the US credit system like WIU.  You must take at least 12 LdM credits to maintain full-time status.
Courses are graded on a 100 point scale with letter grades matching those at WIU (+/- A to F). 
LdM does NOT offer Pass/Fail (P/F) grading or Incompletes.

Courses at LdM are taught in English and Italian:
English-taught courses are offered in a variety of areas of study during all terms.  You are eligible to take courses from any academic area offered at LdM. 

Italian language immersion courses are for students who want to improve their fluency in Italian.   

Courses offered at LdM   (general list of all courses)

Courses available by semester

Housing and Meals

The accommodation options at Istituto Lorenzo de' Medici include shared apartment and homestay.  Homestay participation is strongly encouraged because it provides excellent opportunity to acquire and enhance knowledge about Italian language and culture.  Meals are your responsibility at either accommodation option; a lunch meal plan is available from LdM.

Housing is guaranteed for study abroad students; an application for housing is required.

More information on housing and meal options can be found on the Istituto Lorenzo de' Medici accommodation webpage .