Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: Sophomore or above
Location: Europe, Italy
GPA: 2.75

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Dates & Deadlines

Program Overview

This program will explore the global wine industry with a focus on Italian wines from Tuscany. Students will learn wine marketing management essentials, both in the classroom and through excursions to nearby wineries. The courses focus on both marketing and sustainability and students will conduct a consulting project for a local winery that is related to both aspects. As these projects are presented to real clients, this program offers a great experience to add to any resumé. 

Business and Accounting majors: The prerequisite course for this program is MKTG 311, which has a prerequisite of BA 308. This means you must complete BA 308 and then MKTG 311 before the summer term to be eligible for this program. Students need to be admitted to the Business or Accounting major before enrolling in BA 308, so be sure to plan ahead. Applications can be submitted before the prerequisites are met, i.e. you can apply in the fall and take the pre-reqs in the winter and spring.

Business minors and other students: Must take BA 317 before the program starts.

Dates and Deadlines

Term Year Deadline Arrival Date Departure Date
Summer 2026 01/15/2026 07/20/2026 08/29/2026

This program is less than 90 days. Students with a US passport will be traveling to Italy under the Schengen Visa waiver program and do not require a travel visa for this program, and GEO is unable to assist U.S. citizens in obtaining a visa. If you are not a U.S. Citizen: Notify your GEO Advisor. Students who are not U.S. citizens should contact the Italian consulate in their country of residence about visa requirements, no matter the duration of the program of study.

This program has a rolling admission application process: GEO staff (and the program faculty leader, if applicable) will complete a review of the application materials of complete applications in the order that they are submitted (“first come, first serve”). Decisions about acceptance will be made shortly after you submit a complete application. There are some programs that fill fast, some even before the deadline. Students are encouraged to complete applications and commit to programs early.

Acceptance is based on a holistic review of your application.  This includes a review of your GPA, transcripts (including courses taken and in-progress), any additional requirements or prerequisites (see section "Additional Requirements"), and the short statement.

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Hear from Our Students

Working for a Winery in Tuscany

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Image Studying abroad in Siena was absolutely life-changing! In the Wine Marketing program, we get to work in groups together with a winery in the… read more

How Olive Oil Sparked a Career Shift

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I was responsible for launching a project that would promote olive oil sales for the company. I created a project called “Adopt an Olive Tree” which is a restoration project for olive trees in… read more

Making Friends While Abroad

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Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My friends and I would always say, “When are we going to be in Italy in our twenties again." I learned so much not only in my classes but from… read more

Faculty-Led Scholarship Opportunity

Applicants to this program are eligible for program-specific scholarship funds. Award recipients are chosen based on academic merit, financial need, and overall quality of their essay. Individual awards range from $500-$1,500. To be considered, apply to the GEO General Scholarship by the advertised deadline for the term you will be abroad. Students who apply will automatically be considered for all available funding within the General Scholarship, including this program's scholarship funds.

Discount for Pell Recipients

To expand access to study abroad, GEO is offering a $500 discount for this program to UO students who currently have the Pell Grant as part of their federal financial aid (FAFSA).

Academic Details

Courses:
Students will enroll in the following courses. The marketing courses count as upper-division business electives:

  • MKTG 488: Wine Marketing Management (4 credits)
    Applies the principles learned in MKTG 311/BA 317 to the wine industry. You will learn about different varietals of wine and how they are marketed. You will put this knowledge to work in your final project, creating a slide deck with marketing recommendations for a local winery. 
     
  • MKTG 488: Sustainable Marketing (4 credits)
    In this course you will learn about the impact of business on the planet’s finite resources, the role marketing has played in encouraging consumption, and how marketing must change if it is to be an effective tool for positive societal value creation. We will use the wine industry as the primary focus of this course, learning key sustainability frameworks and practices and applying them to this sector.
     
  • GLBL 388: Cross-Cultural Communication (2 credits) 
    Provides an introduction to Italian society and culture, giving you context for the city you are living in and its people. You will learn basic Italian phrases, and will be immersed in the unique cultural aspects surrounding the Palio di Siena, a medieval horserace that takes place in the city center on August 16. 

Students must have completed a principles of marketing course; at the University of Oregon, that is either MKTG 311 or BA 317 (see Additional Requirements below). 

For Business Administration and Accounting majors, this program may satisfy the Lundquist College of Business (LCB) Global Context requirements and the Cultural Awareness for Business Decisions Requirement, with LCB academic advisor approval. Please contact your LCB academic advisor for more details about these requirements.

Final Project:
During this program, students will be assigned to groups of 6-8 and each group will be assigned to a local Tuscan winery. Students will visit each of these wineries in the first half of the program and each group will be able to talk to the owner, marketing manager, or sustainability manager of the winery in order to ask questions about their operations and needs. The final project for this program involves creating a pitch deck for the winery, including recommendations for marketing and sustainability, and presenting it to the client. The project spans both the Wine Marketing Management and Sustainable Marketing courses.

Course Equivalencies

UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.

Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.

Additional Requirements

Applications can be submitted before the prerequisites are met, i.e. you can apply in the fall and take the pre-reqs in the winter and spring.

Business and Accounting majors: The prerequisite course for this program is MKTG 311, which has a prerequisite of BA 308. This means you must complete BA 308 and then MKTG 311 before the summer term to be eligible for this program. Students need to be admitted to the Business or Accounting major before enrolling in BA 308, so be sure to plan ahead. Applications can be submitted before the prerequisites are met, i.e. you can apply in the fall and take the pre-reqs in the winter and spring. 

Business minors and other students: Must take BA 317 before the program starts.

Faculty and Staff

John Davis is a Professor of Practice at University of Oregon's Lundquist College of Business and chair of BrandNewView, a leadership firm focused on helping organizations become a force for social and economic good. Previously, he led the Asia and North America regions for Duke University's Corporate Education. He also served as an interim department coordinator at the Lundquist College. Davis has held numerous academic and consulting roles for organizations such as the SP Jain School of Global Management, Emerson College, Singapore Management University, the International Olympic Academy, and more.

Davis is a former Fortune 500 executive, having led marketing teams for Nike and served as vice president of marketing and business development at Transamerica, Informix, and Unify. He has also founded two award-winning companies—Northwest Resorts, a boutique resort firm, and BrandNewView.

Scott Day is the Peter and Molly Powell Senior Instructor of Management at the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon. He brings to the classroom more than10 years of significant corporate management experience, more than 20 years of complex professional practice management consulting in healthcare, and over 6 years of executive coaching experience. Mr. Day loves teaching and sharing his knowledge in every class session with the goal of adding value to each and every student. In addition, he enjoys seeing students realizing their enormous potential as they learn the concepts in the courses.

Mr. Day was elected Student Bar Association for his graduating class at the College of Law at the University of Toledo. His undergraduate studies were at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. Prior to joining academia, Mr. Day worked for State Farm Insurance, Phillips Corporation, Robbins Research International, The McNeil Group, Mercer Advisors, and is the principal for Scott Day Consulting Inc. Scott Day is one of the faculty advisors for the Oregon Consulting Group. Day wishes to make the Lundquist College of Business a shining example of a professionally managed, student-run consulting organization.

Housing Description

Experience life as part of an authentic Italian neighborhood, living in apartments with other GEO students or students residence (small dorm) with other American, Italian or international students throughout the town of Siena. Some apartments are within walking distance of the GEO classroom within the old city walls, while others are in neighborhoods just outside and accessible by public transportation. No matter where you live, close by you can find small local grocers, restaurants, and cafés unique to your neighborhood. 

Each apartment is fully furnished with beds, desks and a kitchen table and chairs. You will share a bedroom with one or two other students, as well as the common spaces (bathroom, kitchen, etc.). The kitchens are equipped with utensils, plates, glasses, cookware, an electronic oven and a gas stove. You will also receive towels and linens. Each apartment either has access to a washing machine and drying rack OR will be given funds for a laundromat.