Duke in Venice

A 4-WEEK SUMMER PROGRAM

STUDY ART, FOOD, & FINANCE IN VENICE

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Taught in English

The program is designed to provide you with the opportunity to study aspects of Venetian art, food, and finance which have been particularly important in the shaping of European civilization. The city of Venice, with its scenic canals and islands, will serve as your outdoor classroom for this 4-week summer program. Venice International University, which is located on the island of San Servolo in the spectacular Venetian lagoon, will be the site for both student residences and indoor classroom facilities.

Program Fast Facts

Location: Venice, Italy

Term: Summer I

Dates: May 28, 2023 – June 23, 2023

Application Deadline: Extended to February 15th

Academic Theme(s): English, Art History, Visual Media Studies, History, Italian Studies, Environmental Sciences

Language of Instruction: English

Credit Type: Duke Credit

Eligibility: No prerequisites. Suitable for all majors. Non-Duke students are welcome to apply.

Duke Affiliation: Duke Department of English

Housing: Residence Hall

Primary Contact: Marianna Torgovnick

  • Photo Credit: Ge Jin, Duke in Venice student

  • Photo Credit: Ge Jin, Duke in Venice student

  • Photo credit: Amarie Bremel, Duke in Venice student

  • Bridge of Sighs. Photo Credit: Lei Zhang, Duke in Venice student

  • Photo Credit: Ge Jin, Duke in Venice student

  • Duke in Venice students

  • Photo Credit: Ge Jin, Duke in Venice student

  • Aerial photo of San Servolo Island

  • Aerial photo of San Servolo Island

ACADEMICS

All students enroll in the program's rotating signature course offering one Duke credit. The program course title, content, course number(s), and curricular codes will be determined by that year's incoming faculty director/instructor. No pass/fail option or auditing is permitted. 

The course of summer 2023 will be:

VMS 390A, ECON 290A, ENGLISH 390A, PUBPOL 390A
Art, Food, and Finance in Venice: An Immersive Experience
(CZ) 1.0 Credit

The course will immerse students in the Venetian experience, aiming to give them a solid basis for understanding the city’s past and its current issues. Venice’s legendary beauty and cultured lifestyle didn’t just happen. They grew out of the complex interaction of geography, populations, and economic activities: fishing, commerce, banking, tourism. Venice has been influenced strongly by the politics of empire and the dynamics of patronage—once governmental or from the Catholic Church, now often via corporate entities, including leading fashion houses. The program will examine Venice’s geography and role of water both as the city’s lifeblood and as ecological threat. Students will appreciate the role of commerce, money-lending, empire, film, and banking in forming the city’s international reputation. In addition, students will savor the role of art and food in everyday Venetian life and analyze how networks of art, food, and finance fuel tourism and tourism’s effects on Venice.

This course will be taught in English.

 

 

HOUSING & MEALS

Accommodations

Housing for this program will be in residence halls on the island of San Servolo in Venice.

Meals

Students can purchase their meals at Venice International University (VIU) cafeteria and also in a wide network of cafés, restaurants, and supermarkets around Venice.

Costs

Estimates are based on previous years’ programs and the current exchange rate. All costs are subject to change.

Summer 2023

  Duke Students Non-Duke Students
Tuition $2,705 $2,705
Program Fee $4,700 $4,700
Transcript Fee N/A $120
Other Costs Other Costs Other Costs
TOTAL (Estimated) $10,355 $10,475

 

Explanation of Costs

Financial Aid

Duke students receiving financial aid are eligible for aid for this program (work-study funds must be converted to loans). Students are individually responsible for making the necessary arrangements with the Karsh Office of Undergraduate Financial Support and the Duke Bursar’s Office.

Non-Duke students are not eligible to receive financial aid at Duke and should contact their home institutions for financial aid information.

Scholarships

This program offers the following scholarship opportunities:

DATES

Attendance is required at all classes, excursions, and group events. Given the intense nature of this program, late arrival and/or early departure is not permitted.

  • Arrival: May 28, 2023
  • Departure: June 23, 2023 

Flights

You will make your own travel arrangements to and from the program site. You are expected to arrive on the arrival date cited above, which usually means departing the U.S. one day prior. Once you have a flight itinerary, log in to MyExperientialEd to update your travel registry.

Housing Before/After

You will need to make your own housing arrangements if you will be arriving before the program start date or leaving later than the program end date.

VISA & PASSPORT

VISA

No visa is required of U.S. citizens to participate in this program. Non-U.S. citizens should pay special attention to the visa requirements for their specific citizenship by contacting the country embassy to find out if any visa restrictions are in effect.

PASSPORT

All participants must have a valid passport. Make sure your passport has at least six months of validity beyond the program end date to avoid unintended disruptions. For instructions on obtaining or renewing your U.S. passport, visit passports.state.gov.

Program Faculty & Staff

The faculty director can assist with questions related to program academics, admissions, on-site needs, etc. For all other inquiries, please contact the Global Education Office.

Marianna Torgovnick

Professor of English

Melissa Jurist

GEO Program Coordinator / Advisor

ADMISSIONS

Deadline: Extended to February 15th

This program has rolling admission. Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis until the program fills; after that, qualified students are added to a waitlist and notified of openings. Applications must be received by the deadline to be considered. Application opens November 1.

Priority: Priority is given to applicants who apply early.

Minimum GPA: There is no minimum GPA.

Non-Duke students: Non-Duke students are welcome to apply for this program. You must be a degree-seeking student in good standing at an accredited college or university. Consult your university’s registrar and/or study away advisor for assistance with transfer credit. Students who are not matriculated at a college or university are not eligible to participate in Duke’s study away programs.

APPLY

Start your application early to ensure that it is complete by the deadline! Incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the program directors for consideration.

Submit the following items using MyExperientialEd

  1. Online application
  2. Transcript(s) from all colleges and universities attended. First-year students should wait for fall semester grades to be posted before submitting their transcript.
  3. Personal statement, no longer than one page, explaining why you would like to participate.

STUDENT STORIES

Sofia Labrecque-Nieves

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From day-tripper to local: Spending a summer in Venice

During her sophomore fall at Duke, Sujal Manohar took a Venetian Renaissance art history class to satisfy a requirement for the Visual Arts major. She said the class was fascinating and it inspired her to apply for the Duke in Venice summer program so she could experience the culture and art scene firsthand.
 

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Frances in Venice: Seeing Food Politics through an Italian Eye

“Studying more of the humanities and stepping away from my usual psychology coursework for a semester really helped me refocus what I'm interested in. I loved the classes on public policy, theater and philosophy that I took in Venice..."
 

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