Art & Design in Italy with Monash University

Study art or design at Monash and do part of your course in Italy. Students in the Faculty of Art & Design can take up to a semester of study at the Monash Centre in Prato, near Florence and gain full credit toward their degrees while living and working in the centre of a Medieval commune amid the landscapes of Tuscany.

Prato is a vibrant Tuscan town with an historic medieval centre located 20 kilometres North-West of Florence. The Monash University Centre was established in 2001 and is located in the 18th century Palazzo Vaj, in the historic centre of the town.

The Faculty's programs utilise the studio and lecture facilities of the Palazzo to provide students with an intensive practical program combined with the opportunity to study art history first hand. Studying in Prato gives students access to some of the world's greatest collections of art and design.  As well as being close to Tuscany's renowned art collections such as the Uffizi and the Accademia, Prato houses the Pecci Foundation, the most important contemporary art museum in central Italy and every second year it is in easy striking distance of the world's premier art event, the Venice Biennale. Also integral to all Faculty studies is the cultural experience, being part of a medieval city, complete with walls, churches, palaces and winding cobbled streets; a living museum which brings history alive and makes it a part of daily life.

"Prato was a time of discovery and a time of freedom, being able to dedicate myself to my studio practice alone and learn what it was I really wanted to do with my art.... It brought to my work a freshness and simplicity that I didn't even know I had and for the first time my work wasn't a struggle for me, instead, it was an excitement that I looked forward to everyday."

Zaana Szczepitko
Bachelor of Fine Art
Winner of the 2002 ADFAS prize for a third year painting student.

Faculty of Art & Design overseas programs are taught by Monash lecturers and Monash provides subsidies to students undertaking overseas travel as part of their degrees.

Undergraduate programs:

Semester program for Fine Arts students comprising studies in Theory of Art and Design, Drawing and Major Studio. Half-semester program comprising studies in Theory of Art and Design and Drawing. Multidisciplinary studio and discipline specific studios for Design students.

Postgraduate opportunities:

The Palazzo Vaj also provides an ideal research base for Masters and PhD candidates. Postgraduates may participate in the semester and half-semester programs or apply to undertake periods of independent research at the Centre.