| Overview |
COM 370: Special Topics:
Milan and the Alps: Made in Italy/Making Italy
3 credits
This course and trip have three learning objectives:
- understand and challenge the history of “Made in Italy” in fashion and design, from its inception to its modern marketing as handmade, well-crafted items
- challenge rhetorical discourses about mobility, identity, and environmental issues (especially around textile productions, from silk to leather) to address who is contributing to the making of Italian fashion and how those practices may be sustainable
- connect the fashion and garment industry to stories of migration to Italy, especially in the Milan/Lombardy, Northern Italy region around the Alps, including Lake Como.
Unpacking the famous “Made in Italy” while studying who is actually making Italy, this class centers on discourses and stories of migration to and from Northern Italy.
Milan is one of the world’s fashion capitals, Como has a long history in the textile/silk industry, and Sondrio is a small town at the centre of industries that range from wine-making to tourism for skiing, hiking, all focus on the relationship with nature.
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| Location |
Milan, Como, Sondrio, Bormio and surrounding villages for day trips/excursions |
| Program |
COM 370 (3 hrs)
- Time in Milan to explore locations central to fashion, including museums and a workshop with a seamstress who works with local designers, and meeting with high school students who have been part of a sartorial/cultural exchange with Wake
- Visits to the Lake Como area to understand the history of textiles such as silk and the importance of tourism, food, nature for the "Made in Italy"
- Residency in small towns in the Northern Alps, learning about nature, food, wine, fashion, sports, and other areas that connect tourism and entrepreneurship to local people. The residents/experts we meet include artists, business-owners, activists, designers, and community members who represent different backgrounds and multiple generations, asking what it means to be Italian and who is making the "Made in Italy"
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| Faculty |
Dr. Alessandra Von Burg
Associate Professor of Communications
Email: beaslea@wfu.edu
336-758-5405
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| Accommodation |
Double occupancy rooms in a local hotel and/or Bed and Breakfast
NOTE: All students participating in the WFU Lampedusa program are required to live in program-provided housing. Housing accommodations you may have on campus do not automatically transfer to abroad and certain housing accommodations (single rooms and private bathrooms, for example) may not be available. |
| Excursions |
Milan, Como, Bellagio, Varenna, Sondrio, Morbegno, Bormio, Tirano, Ponte and (optional) St. Moritz
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| Selection |
The resident professor is responsible for the selection of each group based on the following criteria:
*Academic suitability
*Social and emotional maturity
*Seriousness of the student in pursuing the academic and cultural aims of the program
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| Costs |
The total cost of a spring short-term study abroad program can be broken down into three categories:
Program Fee - Usually covers room, in-country travel, excursions, some meals and other costs associated with the program.
Personal Expenses (estimated) – These will vary depending on the students' spending habits, cost of living in the destination country, and the number of meals included in the program fee.
SPRING 2026 ESTIMATED COSTS
Billed by Wake Forest:
Program Fee (estimated) - $2,094
+
Personal costs (will fluctuate per student):
Airfare (estimated) - $900
Personal Expenses (estimated) - $630
Estimated total cost - $3,624 |
| Scholarships |
Scholarships are available through the Center for Global Programs and Studies. |
| Visa & Passport |
Passport Information
Students need to check their passport's expiration date and ensure that it will be valid for at least 6 months after the program's end date.
Students going on a spring short-term program need to make sure their passport is valid through at least December of the same year.
US passport holders who need to renew their passport should visit the U.S. Department of State's passport website for information on this process.
Non-US passport holders who need to renew their passport should refer to their home country's passport office.
Visa Information
If you are a US citizen, you most likely will not require a visa for your spring short-term abroad program. If you do, details will be shared with you by GPS. Non-US passport holders should check with their host country's embassy or consulate to find out if a visa is required for their program or not. |
| Contact |
Dr. Alessandra Von Burg
Associate Professor of Communications
Email: beaslea@wfu.edu
336-758-5405
Amanda Batten
Study Abroad Advisor
Center for Global Programs and Studies
Phone: (336) 758-3194
Email: battena@wfu.edu
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| Testimonials |
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