Study Abroad in Florence
"Florence was the absolute best thing that could have happened to my college career. Studying abroad revolutionizes your entire perspective of the world and those who live in it. It seems obvious looking back now, but this experience will alter your education, relationships, career, and goals: all for the better." (—Madeline)
General information can be found at the studying abroad in Florence, Italy page and Global Education.
If you are hoping to study abroad in Florence during the summer, you can learn more about the Summer Institute.
As part of the 2026 Florence Summer Institute, Dr. Jennifer Taber will be teaching the psychology course "Emotions, Culture, & Health."
Course Description
Emotions drive everyday behaviors and are critical in understanding health and well-being. In this class, we will participate in a century-old yet still pressing debate about the underlying nature of emotion: biological vs. cultural. Our primary goal: to attempt to resolve this debate based on evidence accumulated throughout the course. Through museum visits, class discussions, lecture, and videos, we consider different scientific perspectives on how emotions are created and expressed. We will discuss evolutionary and socio-cultural models of emotion and consider how both positive and negative emotions are adaptive and functional and how they differ across cultures. We will also explore theories of stress and learn about concrete coping strategies— with direct implications for daily life— and observe and analyze emotions as they are expressed in art.
Upcoming Information Sessions
Interested students are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Taber (jtaber1@kent.edu), with questions. Keep an eye out for information sessions to be held in Fall 2026.
Important things:
1) Students can get/use financial aid and/or scholarships to cover costs
2) There are courses in many disciplines that are often of interest to our students, including courses that help to meet general BA/BS requirements.
It is also possible to study psychology in Florence for a full semester.
Here’s a shorter about the semester study abroad experience in Florence, Italy, and here’s a longer about the summer institute study abroad experience that provides more details on classes and interviews with instructors.
