Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: Second-Term Freshman
Location: Italy, United Kingdom, England, Multicountry
GPA: 2.5
Applications for Winter Quarter close on 10/05/2025

Program Overview

TWO CITIES - ONE UNFORGETTABLE TERM.

From the medieval streets of Siena to the skyscrapers of London, spend your winter term immersed in two of Europe’s most iconic cities. In Italy, you’ll explore Renaissance art in its original setting and discover how food and wine influence the culture and history of Tuscan life. Then, in London—home to Shakespeare and the West End—you’ll experience world-class theatre and examine the modern social and political landscape of Britain. Along the way, you’ll fulfill core Arts & Letters and Social Science requirements while traveling between two remarkable cultural centers, with opportunities to explore even more of Europe in between. This is your chance to study at the intersection of history, creativity, and society—an unforgettable academic and cultural journey.

Dates and Deadlines

Term Year Deadline Arrival Date Departure Date
Winter Quarter 2026 10/05/2025 01/08/2026 03/21/2026

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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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

All student will enroll in 4 courses for the term, at 4 credits each. Two courses will take place in Siena over a 5-week period, two courses will take place in London over a 4-week period. There will be a one-week break for students to travel from Siena to London. All courses satisfy either an Arts & Letters or Social Science core education requirement at the University of Oregon.

Siena Courses:

ARH388: Renaissance in Central Italy (4 credits, Arts & Letters course)
This course offers you a journey through the rich pageant of Renaissance art and culture, giving you the tools with which to analyze, understand and appreciate more fully the works of art produced in central Italy from the mid-thirteenth to mid-fifteenth centuries. Includes visits to museums, churches and other places of historical or artistic interest in and around Siena and Florence.

HIST388: Wine in Italy and the Western World (4 credits, Social Science course)
From the study of wine students will learn about the practices of earlier cultures, about Italian values and our own. This course will explore various aspects of wine civilization in Italy: mythology, religion, economy, society, history, art, literature, in order to provide students with a unique perspective on wine and Italy today.

London Courses:

The Play's the Thing: GEO Theatre Course (4 credits, Arts & Letters course)
This course provides a foundational overview of Great Britain, its people and culture. There are two blocks: the British Present and the British Past. As their names suggest, they deal with contemporary British politics and society and with key formative moments in English history.

GLBL388: Britain Today: Issues and Perspectives (4 credits, Social Science course)
The intent of this course is to expose students to the various aspects of theatre that make it work. This will include looking at the role of the audience as participants. Students will analyze how the playwright is able to teach the audience about themselves through his/her construction of the play to achieve an expression of truth.

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.

Faculty and Staff

All courses will be taught by local faculty within the GEO Siena and GEO London Centers.

Housing Description

All housing will be fully furnished and include towels and linens. If the housing includes a kitchen, it will be fully equipped with utensils, plates, glasses and cookware. You will likely be housed in apartments or student residences, with shared bedrooms (1-3 students) and common spaces (bathroom, kitchen, washing machine, etc). Depending on housing constraints, there is a possibility students will be housed in hotels for some or all of the program. Your program application will have a housing questionnaire to gather information and assist with roommate assignments.

In Siena, you will live in the medieval city center, within walking distance of your classrooms, as well as restaurants, cafés, and grocery stores.  In London, you will be conveniently located in either Zone 1, 2 or 3. You will be within walking distance of the London Tube network, local supermarkets, restaurants and cafés. Transportation passes will be provided. 

You are responsible for arranging your own housing for the week in between program locations: February 13 - 22.

 

Budget and Price

Arts and Society in Italy & the UK

2026 Winter Quarter

Program Fees Paid to GEO
UO Study Abroad Fee* $500
Program Tuition $9,403
Housing $4,395
Local Transportation $337
Insurance $215
Other Estimated Expenses
Estimated Airfare from Eugene $1,200
Estimated Transportation from Siena to London** $300
Estimated Housing During Travel Week** $600
Estimated Additional Meals $2,150
Estimated Cell Phone Expenses $150
Estimated Travel Clinic & Pre-Departure Physical $50
Estimated Cost of Acquiring a Passport $150
Estimated Additional Living Expenses $1,000
Total
Total Estimated Cost of Attendance $20,450

Included in Program Costs: Program tuition, medical insurance, excursions, housing for 9 weeks (travel week housing is independent), course materials, pre-departure orientation, and on-site support.

* Non-UO Students: study abroad fees and application fees vary by campus; check with your home campus study abroad office.

** These costs depend heavily on your personal travel plans. These are conservative estimates.

Please visit GEO Billing Information for information about how you will be billed and when payments are due.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation Date Cancellation Penalty
Upon acceptance to program

Student agrees to $500 non-refundable program deposit 
Cancelling 8 weeks - 1 day before program start date

Student is responsible for 50% of total GEO program fees
Cancelling on or after program start date

Student is responsible for 100% of total GEO program fees
Note that scholarship funds are not able to be applied to program deposit.

IMPORTANT: The GEO Cancellation Policy is effective from the time a student agrees to pay their non-refundable program deposit or electronically signs the program commitment form, regardless of application or acceptance status. It is essential to read this policy before a potential cancellation takes place, to fully understand the withdrawal and cancellation penalties, and to understand what it means financially to commit to a study abroad program.

Students who cancel their participation must notify GEO in writing. Email is acceptable (geoinfo@uoregon.edu). Verbal notification to GEO or notification given to a non-UO campus study abroad office is not sufficient.

For full details, see the complete GEO Cancellation Policy.

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