Special Programs

Writing Florence

Unlock your creativity and draw inspiration from the history and landscape of Florence.

Florence was home to Dante, Boccaccio, Michelangelo, and Botticelli and remains a city with a vibrant cultural life. You will have the opportunity to draw on these artistic wellsprings, while benefiting from the peace and inspiration offered by NYU’s Villa La Pietra, surrounded by 57 acres of gardens and olive groves, where you will live and work.

Program Overview

Get inspired and integrate the knowledge and firsthand experiences of Florence in your writing through the two courses that make up this program. In “Developing the Dramatic Script for Film or Theatre” you will do all the necessary preparatory work before writing a feature length screenplay or full-length play.  In “History of Italian Cinema” you will study the history and aesthetics of Italy’s renowned cinematic history.

Curriculum

Students will enroll in the following two courses for a total of 8 units.

Please Note: Students studying abroad on a Tisch track are not eligible to pursue an internship (except for Theatre in Ghana and Television Writing in London). Tisch programs do not provide work visas.

Developing the Dramatic Script for Film or Theatre

IDWPG-UT 1410 | 4 units Instructor: John Warren

In this script development tutorial and writing retreat students will develop, write and revise a full-length stage play or feature-length screenplay through a series of lectures and one-on-one consultations with the instructor, rigorous writing exercises, and sustained writing time. The course focuses on the basic techniques of dramatic writing, including developing the story, dramatic action, conflict, characterization, plot, dialogue, and the revision process in film and theatre. The class includes lectures, discussion, analysis, writing exercises, workshop and individual conferences. The summer session culminates in table readings at La Pietra of scenes from the completed work.

History of Italian Cinema

ICINE-UT 1103 | 4 units | Instructor: Local Faculty

The course is an historical overview of the Italian Film, from the origins up to today, through the debate on some crucial moments. There is a large re-vision of Italian Cinema, concerning some Italian history periods which are being re-discussed, such as the Fascist era and the so called Boom (the economic growth). The scholars are changing some judgments and the spectators are changing their taste. As matter of fact, the course will analyze some “crossing points” of the Italian film history and investigate the major debates on some crucial moments of Italian society.

The Italian Cinema is a good way to study the whole Italian history, society, ideology and behaviours. The students will have the opportunity to know such authors as Rossellini, De Sica, Fellini, Antonioni, Visconti, Pasolini, and Bertolucci, who are well known even in the US. They will deal with the national mode of production, the notion of “auteur film”.

The main historical periods are the following: the shift between Fascism and the Post-war period, the so called “Neorealism”, the economic growth, the sixties and seventies, and the contemporary time. Main areas of interest will be film history, the relationship between cinema and the social-political context, and the different theoretical approaches to film.

Watch

Florence, Italy

Tisch Special Programs - Study Abroad

Program Dates

Summer 2026

Student Arrival: Monday, May 18, 2026
Student Departure: Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Admissions

Summer 2026

Application Deadline: February 23, 2026

Prerequisites: 

Tisch Film and TV Majors: Storytelling Strategies (FMTV-UT 20)

NYU Non-Film and TV Majors: Storytelling Strategies or an introductory dramatic writing course, such as OART-UT 35 Intro to Screenwriting or OART-UT 1040 Playwriting Practicum

Visiting Students: Introductory dramatic writing course

Application: Please read the following application requirements before starting your application.

Students who are currently on a study visa or have a question about applying for a visa to this location, should be in contact with the Office of Global Services regarding their visa needs and the process. 

Note: Students should wait to receive their admissions notification and confirmation that the program is running prior to purchasing airline tickets. Students accepted to the program should purchase refundable airline tickets and/or travel insurance in the event the program is canceled or program dates are changed due to world events. It is strongly recommended that students purchase insurance for trip cancellation, flight cancellation, luggage loss or damage, as well as medical and accident coverage.

Expenses

Summer 2026

  • Undergraduate summer 2025 tuition: $16,016
  • Program fee: $745
  • Housing:
    Single - Villa Colletta or Villa Natalia (with meal plan): $4,816
    Double - Villa Colletta or Villa Natalia (with meal plan): $4,214
    Triple - Villa Colletta or Villa Natalia (with meal plan): $3,956
    Quad - Villa Colletta or Villa Natalia (with meal plan): $3,827
  • Students are responsible for arranging their own transportation to/from the program.

For the length of the program, students will be enrolled in GeoBlue Health Insurance. Students traveling beyond the dates of the program are encouraged to enroll themselves in GeoBlue Health Insurance. 

Visit the NYU Office of the Bursar for additional information on tuition and fees.

Apply

Scholarship and Financial Aid

There are opportunities for financial assistance to study abroad.

Please review the Scholarships and Financial Aid for Study Abroad page for more information.

Housing

Housing for this program is mandatory. Please note: Your choice of room preference or residence hall preference (if available) is not guaranteed.

Visit the NYU Florence website for housing options and descriptions.