One who pursues a French program should expect to gain some level of proficiency in the language. Whether the program focuses on conversational ability or literary studies depends on the institution, so students should pay attention to curricula during the application process.

Officially known as the Italian Republic, the country is found in southern Europe. The official language is Italian and the cultural rich capital is Rome. Many of the world's oldest universities are located in Italy, in particular the University of Bologna (founded in 1088). There are three Superior Graduate Schools with "university status", three institutes with the status of Doctoral Colleges, which function at graduate and post-graduate level.

Courses are academic classes taught by qualified instructors that are intended to enhance participant’s knowledge of a given area or training in a particular discipline. Courses vary broadly in terms of length, size, content and duration.