Work is conducted in English, so no knowledge of Hebrew is required. Participants live in dormitories. An Israeli resident serves as program liaison for UW-Madison students. Students selected for the Academic Year in Italy spend a year at the oldest university in Europe, the University of Bologna. The year abroad begins with a six-week orientation course in Italian language and culture followed by registration in regular courses at the university.
Housing is provided through apartment living.
The program is sponsored by Indiana University, UW-Madison, Cornell, Northwestern, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Pennsylvania. A faculty member from one of these institutions is in residence in Bologna to direct all phases of the overseas operation. Students may study for either a semester a year, or a summer term in Florence in a program administered in cooperation with the University of Michigan. Participants live and take classes and meals in a historic renaissance villa. There is no language requirement for the program.