Study in Milan (in English, Italian) - ISEP Direct
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
• Delight in the piazzas, enjoy the world-class culinary scene at the many cafés, roam the narrow streets of the Brera neighborhood, marvel at the Duomo, visit the world’s oldest shopping mall at Galerria Vittorio Emanuele II, grab a coffee at a café in via Dante, ride the iconic yellow trams, picnic in the vast green oasis of Parco Sempione, or join the cheering crowds at AC Milan San Siro Stadium, home to one of the best soccer teams in Europe.
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is the largest public university in Europe, offering an impressive range of innovative programs taught in English in the fields of economics, business, finance, business management, international relations, political science, and communications.
• Milan is consistently ranked as the top student city in Italy by the QS Best Student Cities Ranking. Plus, Cattolica’s international curriculum, pre-semester Italian classes, and custom programs for study abroad students make it easy to maximize your time abroad.
• With great train and air connections, Milan makes a great base for exploring Europe.
LIFE ABROAD
Youthful, fashionable, and energetic, there is an inspiring beauty to Milan. A mix of modern efficiency and Northern Italian tradition, it is the epicenter of fashion, design, and business in Italy. A wide range of academic options make this an excellent spot for studying, and despite the glitz of some neighborhoods, the city remains affordable and accessible for students. The beauty of Milan will even follow you to class—Cattolica’s campus was designed by Renaissance architect Bramante and is located in the heart of the historic city center near Roman ruins and the bustling financial center.
LIVE
ISEP Direct students live in residence halls or shared student apartments in safe residential neighborhoods with coffee shops, restaurants, and supermarkets nearby. Public transportation is always a short walk away, and the Cattolica campus will be about a 25-30 minute commute on average.
All ISEP students will live in a shared and furnished student apartment with free WiFi, a fully furnished kitchen, shared bathroom, and access to laundry facilities. Commuting to work and school is part of daily life for residents of Milan, and it’s easy to use Milan's robust public transportation system to navigate the city.
DINE
You'll live within a short walk to a supermarket from your apartment, so it’s easy to grab groceries to cook with friends. Of course, Milan’s culinary experience can’t be missed, so try to budget eating out a few times a week. Sample traditional local favorites like risotto alla milanese (saffron risotto), or enjoy an “aperitivo” (a pre-dinner drink with a complimentary snack) in the place where this Italian ritual started! With bustling bars and a wide selection of accompanying (and delicious) appetizers, nowhere in Italy rivals Milan’s aperitivo options. For a truly local experience, be sure to stand at the café or bar counter, chatting with friends and nibbling on olives! ISEP Exchange students receive lunch on campus Monday through Friday and grocery card for additional meals. ISEP Direct students should plan to spend about €750 to € 1,000 on groceries and meals per semester.
EXPERIENCE
Make sure to join Cattolica’s Buddy Program, which pairs study abroad students with Cattolica students who have previously studied abroad. ISEP students love the support this program provides and highly recommend it! You can also join the Erasmus Student Network, which organizes trips to cultural and sporting events, city tours, nights out, aperitivos, and much more. Milan itself also offers plenty to keep you busy! Check out the flea market in Brera every third Sunday, walk through the glass-ceilinged arcade of the world’s oldest mall and do some window shopping, stroll along the canals in Navigli and grab a gelato, or enjoy Milan’s legendary nightlife.
EXPLORE
Northern Italy, home to Lake Como, the Italian Alps, Venice, the Dolomites, and the culinary powerhouse region of Parma, offers endless opportunities to experience the good life in Italy. Milan’s train connections are exceptional—you'll be just 2 hours from Florence, 3 hours from the Cinque Terre, 2.5 hours from Venice, and 3 hours from Rome. Venturing farther out, Geneva (Switzerland) is just 4 hours away, and Nice (France) and Monaco are just 5 hours away.
IMPACT LAB
Join the Study Abroad Impact Lab, a course created specifically to help you use your study abroad experience to build the skills needed to land your dream job. This course is included in the price of your Direct program. (The course costs an additional 25 Euros for Exchange students and is paid directly to Cattolica.)
INTERN
If you have prior knowledge of Italian, consider a part-time, credit-bearing internship in Milan! Worth 6 ECTS (3 U.S. credits) for 120-150 hours of interning throughout the semester. Students in the internship program will also take 1 - 2 regular courses, two Italian language courses, and a parallel course focused on skill development for the internship. Placements may be made in the fields of marketing, business, fashion, communications and journalism. (An additional fee of about $600 USD is required for the internship placement.)
VOLUNTEER
Serve as a Language Assistant and assist with foreign language lessons at local schools in Milan. You’ll spend 4-6 hours each week volunteering in primary and secondary school classrooms in Milan, working under the direction of the lead teacher.
What We Love About Milan
Milan is for the young and ambitious! Unlike Rome and Florence, Milan is a city of locals, not tourists, and it’s easy to settle into daily life and feel like you belong. A great spot for foodies, fashionistas, or anyone who wants to travel (a lot) on sustainable and affordable public transportation, it offers the glamour of a big city with the culture and tradition for which Italy is known worldwide.
See ISEP Direct budget and estimated expenses
See ISEP Exchange budget and estimated expenses
Course Description
Cattolica offers an impressive range of innovative programs in the fields of Economics & Business, Accounting & Finance, Agriculture, Psychology and Linguistics, as well as Philosophy and the Arts. Students can choose to engage in one of two tracks or mix and match. The International Curriculum features classes taught uniquely in English, and the Academic Curriculum offers most classes taught in Italian, with some exceptions in the fields of economics, finance, business management, international relations, political science and law.
Students with prior knowledge of Italian studying in the fields of business, marketing, Fashion, Communication and Journalism can incorporate a credit-bearing internship into their program for the semester.
The chart below highlights some of the more popular classes ISEP students have taken in the past. Use this to get starting on planning your own program abroad at Cattolica!
Credits Earned
Students who complete the program in good standing can expect to earn 24-30 CFU which ISEP recommends is the equivalent of 12-15 U.S. Credit Hours. Each course is usually worth 6 CFU.
If you use financial aid, please speak with a qualified financial aid advisor to understand your academic obligations and the requirements for using financial aid.
Sample Classes Available:
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Business – Academic Curriculum |
Communication |
Psychology |
Social Sciences |
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Business Ethics |
Corporate Finance |
Digital Journalism & Digital Media in Italy |
Social Psychology through Theatre |
The Economics of European Integration |
What is Design? The Fundamentls of an Italian Industry |
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Business, Government, and the Global Economy |
Business Law & Financial Regulation |
From Strategy to Effective Presentations |
Human Strengths and Well-being |
The European Union in the World |
The Fashion Market |
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Entrepreneurship Lab |
Brand Management |
Television, Advertising Music: the Italian Approach to the Media |
Social Psychology in Action |
International Relations and the Middle East |
Luxury Brand Insights |
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Green Management and Sustainability |
Business Strategy |
Green is the New Black: Asset and Appeal of the Environment in Global Business Communication |
Cultural Differences in Social Psychological Processes |
Roman Law & Common Law: Two Jurisprudential Traditions in Comparison |
The Discovery of Italy through its Culinary Traditions |
For detailed instructions on how to search for all available courses, please click on the "other academic conditions" dropdown link below.
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
The Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, founded in 1921 by Father Agostino Gemelli, is one of the most comprehensive and complete higher education institutions in Italy. Università Cattolica excels in...
Academics
Other Academic Conditions
Please note that all Exchange Students will be required to pay an additional 80€ enrollment fee and a 45€ activity fee to UNICATT directly. These fees are required and cannot be waived. ISEP Direct students do not need to pay either fee due to the programmatic structure.
Università Cattolica offers both pre-session and in-session Italian language courses. Italian language courses are included in ISEP Direct program benefits, and available to ISEP Exchange students for an additional fee.
ISEP students have access to a variety of course offerings. Please review the course tracts in detail to better understand which type of courses might be the best fit for you. Full time students typically take 24 to 30 ECTS per semester.
• International Curriculum: There is a set “menu” of courses to choose from, and all courses are taught in English. Most courses are available both fall (September – December) and spring (January – May) semester, but there is a note if it is only available one semester. Click on the course name to view the syllabus. All courses are worth 6 ECTS or 3 U.S. credits. The international curriculum is designed with international students in mind, therefore, most students in these courses will be other study abroad students.
• Academic Curriculum: Most courses are taught in Italian, though there are some courses taught in English available in economics, finance, business management, international relations, political science and law. You can view the Course Catalogue and the Course Catalogue Guide. The exam dates for courses in the Academic Curriculum are often much later than the courses in the International Curriculum. If you select courses from the Academic Curriculum, you will be responsible for staying on your program until your exams are finished.
The Fall semester goes from September - February and the Spring semester goes from February – July. All courses within the academic curriculum are taught alongside local Italian students but are open to international students. Ultimately, the academic calendar and semester dates for the Academic Curriculum program depend on the specific academic department. Students should carefully review the schedule for each department they wish to take courses in.
• The Faculty of Economics and Management operates on a quarter system. Students who plan to take courses in this faculty during the spring (January - July) semester, will have an earlier arrival date as Quarter II courses begin in early January. Students will be responsible for purchasing additional ISEP insurance (typically 1-2 additional months) to account for the early arrival and cover the entire period of their studies.
• The Faculty of Law only offers year-long courses, and students only studying for a semester are generally not permitted to enroll in these courses.
IMPORTANT NOTE: It is possible to take courses from BOTH the International Curriculum AND the Academic Curriculum, however, please keep in mind that the start and end dates of courses within the two programs will vary. You will be responsible for staying on program until you complete the final exams for ALL courses.
INTERNSHIPS
Internships are available to upper-level students in the fields of Business, Marketing, Fashion and Sales, Communication and Journalism. Other disciplines may be possible upon request.
The part-time internship awards 6 ECTS (3 U.S. credits) for 120-150 hours of interning throughout the semester. Students wishing to intern will also be REQUIRED to enroll in BOTH the Italian language pre-session and an Italian language semester-length course (6 ECTS each). Additionally, students will enroll in two Academic Curriculum courses OR two International Curriculum courses (as outlined above) at Università Cattolica to complement their part-time internship.
Please note that students participating in the internship program are responsible for paying an additional internship placement fee of 500 Euros per semester. Direct students should select the appropriate term below and Exchange students will pay UCSC directly. ISEP Direct students who wish to combine the Academic Year program with an internship should contact their ISEP Student Services Officer.
Students should be aware that over 90% of Italian businesses are small or medium–size enterprises, so placements in large multinational companies are limited. If students are offered an internship placement, it may be the only option available. It is therefore important that candidates understand the need to be flexible. However, UCSC will take great care in finding the best match. These are unpaid positions, but some companies may provide other types of benefits (not guaranteed).
Students should have a basic understanding of Italian, and enrollment in both Italian language courses is required. Interested students must submit a Resume and a Cover Letter to UCSC.
Semester & Prices (based on your filters)
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