A semester abroad with UTM in Siena will provide with more than just a high-quality educational experience abroad. Program fees will also cover housing in local apartments within the walls of medieval Siena; cultural and agricultural excursions to Rome, Florence, and the Tuscan countryside; culinary courses; and access to the facilities of a major university campus. Additionally, you’ll also live within easy travel distance of most major European cities and enjoy the opportunity of meeting and taking classes with students from all over Europe and around the world. Read more below about these benefits of UTM in Siena.

Siena

Students live and study in Siena, a small medieval city located in the heart of Tuscany. One of the richest agricultural regions in Italy, with world-famous wines, cheeses, olive oils, and cured meats, Tuscany is filled with history and culture that spans centuries. All of this makes Siena an ideal place to spend a semester to enhance your knowledge of culture and agriculture.

Cultural Excursions

All programs with UTM in Siena begin with a visit to Rome, where students will be guided through the Colosseum, Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Trevi fountain, and other important sites within the city. Then, during the course of the semester in Siena, students will visit other culturally significant sites in and around the city. Students will be exposed to the role Siena has played as a political, artistic, and intellectual hub throughout the centuries, and learn the importance of il Palio (Italy's oldest horse race) in shaping Siena's unique culture.

Agricultural Excursions

Those students who participate in agricultural and animal science courses will enjoy the opportunity to see agriculture from the Tuscan perspective:

  • Help with the grape harvest in the fall and see how wine is produced
  • Experience the olive harvest and making oil with IIS Bettino Ricasoli
  • Assist with care and milking of sheep and goats at local farms 
  • Meet with a cinta senese hog farmer and tour his operation
  • Learn more about hydroponic farming from CEO of Sfera Agricola
  • Visit a farm where Chianina beef cattle are bred and pastured 
  • Walk through a garden within the city walls, where they have a farm to table restaurant
Dante Alighieri of Siena

Our primary partner, Dante Alighieri of Siena (DA Siena) is a language and culture school that has been facilitating study abroad programs for U.S. universities for nearly 30 years. Its faculty and staff are well-educated and experienced in providing effective educational experiences, both on- and off-campus, and will instruct several of the courses offered including a culinary class. The staff arranges extracurricular activities for its students each week, including afternoon aperitifs, evening cultural events, weekend wine-tastings, and more.

Learn More About DA Siena
The University of Siena

While studying with UTM in Siena, students will also be able to enroll in courses taught by the University of Siena (UNISI). Founded in 1240, the university is one of Italy’s oldest. A truly international campus, students enrolled in classes with UNISI will join students from all over the world in their classes. And all UTM in Siena students will also enjoy the benefits of UNISI’s campus, with access to the libraries and museums of this historic institution, as well as its cafeteria and student centers.

To learn more about the University of Siena, visit their website.

Housing

An important part of the UTM in Siena student experience is the housing arrangement. Students will live together with other study abroad participants in fully furnished apartments within walking distance from their classrooms. These are actual apartments, not dorms, thus students will not only study abroad, but truly live abroad.

Kitchens come fully equipped with cookware.

Generally, bedrooms are shared by two people.