Academic Internships
Throughout the year, we offer a rich variety of customized academic internships. For undergraduate and graduate students interested in food studies, sustainability, food production, food systems, marketing, business, hospitality, gastronomic tourism, nutrition, psychology, anthropology and more. Scholars, researchers, and professionals are encouraged to inquire. Internships are unpaid, and focus on developing skills and academic insights in new settings, languages and cultures.
Placements are customized according to the background, expertise & needs of students.
Placement examples:
Are you interested in sustainable farming or in learning about a specific product such as cheese in Italy?
Are you passionate about coffee and want to learn everything about the culture of coffee in Italy?
Would you like to work with new and innovative startups working on sustainability, the green economy or the food industry?
Are you attracted by the Mediterranean culture and would you like to work with experts and nutritionists?
Are you an activist and would you like to educate consumers about sustainable behaviors?
Would you like to learn about food and wine journalism?
Placement locations
Rome and surrounding areas
Other parts of Italy such as Emilia Romagna, Calabria, Campania and Sicily.
What is included?
Six to eight hours a day split between experiential learning at the placement site, a research project & Italian Language instruction
Cultural & safety orientations, professional skills & intercultural communication seminar.
Support of Academic Supervisor, Onsite supervisor & Learning Facilitator.
Experiential co-curricular activities & a research symposium
Shared accommodations in furnished apartments or possibility to be hosted at the internship site.
Group airport pickup and transfer, check-in support, 24/7 emergency assistance & logistical support
Learning goals
Gain invaluable insights into the many aspects of food systems, sustainability and related fields in Italy
Understand Italian culture and business practices. Learn about the organizational, cultural & social dynamics of organizations.
Learn how to successfully navigate a new cultural environment
Strengthen intercultural communication skills and basic Italian language skills.
Gain new hard skills and help identify solutions, create communication plans, and propose innovative products and services.
Make new contacts in a facilitated environment and grow your international network
Academic Internships in Italy
VIRTUAL
WHEN Spring or Fall |
APPLY BY December 1 for Spring March 15 for Fall |
OPEN TO Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate students. Professionals and scholars are also welcome to apply. If you are a freshman or sophomore and would like to petition to apply, please contact us. |
TUITION FEE See below |
OVERVIEW
Our academic internship is unique and designed to help students gain an international working experience while learning Italian as well as specific topics such as intercultural communication. The student’s time is divided between the working and the learning experience. During the working experience, students will work on projects for Italian organizations, focus on the food, sustainability & related fields, have the possibility to work in teams, and receive mentorship through weekly check-ins. During the learning experience, students will gain knowledge through short independent learning modules about food & sustainability, connect with professionals and peers through
virtual sessions, workshops, and discussions, receive Italian language instruction with an instructor, have the support of a learning facilitator in their online & cross-cultural learning
experience, learn to narrate and think critically about their entire experience by completing graded assignments. At the end of the program, students will present their experience in a virtual symposium. Knowledge of a second language or familiarity with the Italian language is helpful but not required. Internships are unpaid.
HIGHLIGHTS
- LENGTH: 4 or 8 weeks.
- CREDITS: This internship is approved as ESM 404 for 4 credits by Portland State University, our School of Record. PSU is on the quarter-system calendar. Semester credits from other accredited United States schools may be converted to PSU’s credits by multiplying by 1.5. See more Please work with your home university study abroad office to assure full credit. If you would like to petition for more hours, please contact us.
- TUITION FEE: Fee includes mentoring, placement and supervision, Italian language instruction, workshops, learning modules, weekly check-ins, cultural mediation application and internship paperwork.
- Fall 2020: virtual internship of 160 hours over 4 weeks for the fee of $2005
- Spring 2021: virtual internship of 160 hours over 8 weeks for the fee of $5430.
ONSITE
WHEN Spring, Summer, Fall |
APPLY BY October 31 for Spring January 15 for Summer March 15 for Fall |
OPEN TO Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate students. Professionals and scholars are also welcome to apply. If you are a freshman or sophomore and would like to petition to apply, please contact us. No prior study of Italian is required. |
TUITION FEE $ 5,092-$11,135 |
OVERVIEW
Interns work in a specific field within an organization dealing with some aspect of food systems, sustainability or the students field of interest. Learning objectives, professional development goals and expected results for the research project are designed together with the GLi academic director, the GLi learning facilitator, and an onsite supervisor. For the Summer 2021, placements are available in Rome or in the Lazio region surrounding Rome.
HIGHLIGHTS
- LENGTH: 4, 8 or 12 weeks.
- CREDITS: This internship is approved as ESM 404 for 4 credits by Portland State University (PSU), our School of Record. PSU is on the quarter-system calendar. Semester credits from other accredited United States schools may be converted to PSU’s credits by multiplying by 1.5. See more Please work with your home university study abroad office to assure full credit. If you would like to petition for more hours, please contact us.
- TUITION FEE: Depends on length of internship. Includes mentoring, placement and supervision, Italian language instruction, research project supervision, academic and co-curricular field trips, orientation costs, transportation monthly pass, 24/7 Emergency support, application and internship paperwork, work health’s insurance, 24/7 Covid-19 Medical Advisor, IGM Routine covid tests, accommodations, airport pickup and transfer, & logistical support. International airfare not included. Customized prices are available.
- ACCOMMODATIONS: All students will live in one building with individual small suites. Each suite will have a single bed, ensuite bathroom, and small kitchenette (furnished with pots, pans, dishes, cutlery, refrigerator, stove (please note – no microwaves)). Bedsheets, blankets, and pillows are provided in bedrooms and towels are provided in bathrooms. The suite will also have a desk/table WiFi connection, washing machine, a drying rack, a heater and A/C for the summer, first aid kit, smoke detector, a landline or cell phone with an Italian number for emergencies. Reception area and Doorman 24/7. The suites will be cleaned daily adhering to best practices for Covid-19. The building is 20-25 minute walking distance from school near the Vatican area. Only single suites provided for Covid-19 prevention reasons. For internships outside of Rome but inside Latium, if the one-way commute to the site is more than 1-2 hours, the student will have the option of residing in a single mini flat located closer to the internship site.
FOR JAPANESE STUDENTS – Gustolab International 夏季アカデミックインターンシップ
WHEN TBA
|
APPLY BY TBA |
WHERE Italy |
OPEN TO Students interested in food systems and sustainability or related fields who are enrolled in institutions of higher education in Japan. |
OVERVIEW
Internships are all about developing skills — and academic insights — in new settings, languages and cultures. Our internships are designed for serious students seeking a non-traditional learning experience. For six to seven hours a day students will split their time between experiential learning at the field site (work experience), a field site research project designed by the student and supporting language study (prior knowledge of Italian is not required).
Interns will become comfortable living and working in Italy, become skilled in speaking daily Italian and in communicating across languages and cultures, learn about a field of their choice, develop new friendships, complete a research project and multimedia presentation.
HIGHLIGHTS
- LENGTH: Four weeks.
- CREDITS: up to 3 credits, please work with your home university study abroad office to assure full credit.
For more information download our brochure in English or Japanese
Learn about past internship projects:




Academic Internships - Online!
This year, we are offering our internship program online. Click here to learn more.