Archives: Departments

The Department of Health Sciences offers extraordinary learning opportunities, building upon the long history of medicine in Italy going back to the founding of medical schools in Salerno and Bologna around the tenth-century. As part of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program, LdM enables students to better comprehend Italian influences on science and research in their chosen field of study.  

The Department offers an internship at top medical facilities in Rome, guided by doctors who are well respected in their professional specialties in an intercultural environment. 

Students experience the inner workings of a hospital environment where they learn the art of clinical history taking; observe the performing of imaging tests, with special attention to CT, MRI, EEG scans, x-rays; and increase their awareness of doctor-patient relationships. This opportunity is for those who are studying medical sciences, providing important practical skills for their careers in the field of medicine.

The Nutrition Department’s objective is to conduct a rigorous scientific investigation on the principles of nutrition within an Italian and Mediterranean context while encouraging critical thinking for a healthful diet and lifestyle. 

Courses provide the basics in the chemistry and biology of nutrition and the physiological principles that underlie a balanced diet, while investigating regional and local nutritional patterns in the Mediterranean area, as well as exploring practices such as vegetarianism and veganism in terms of both dietary benefits and cultural values. Other areas that are analyzed are the origins and development of food cultures, climate and environmental conditions, social issues, and agricultural production.

Students come to understand the multifaceted richness of food by examining the anthropological data on the eating habits of the ancient peoples of the Mediterranean as well as more contemporary literary sources which show the social, sacred, and economic meanings of food throughout history. Through this didactic approach, students will better understand the intricate nuances that characterize the rich Italian culture and the close relationship between culinary traditions, the territory and the Mediterranean diet.

Nutritional healing and wider questions of well-being are also addressed by the Department of Nutrition. To round out the educational experience, students engage in the practical hands-on preparation of traditional Mediterranean and Italian dishes as they explore the connections between theory and skill, learning to pair food and wine within the context of healthy drinking as part of a historical and cultural tradition.

Special features of the Department are indeed the educational-practical cooking classroom, wine tasting room and fully-equipped modern kitchen located in the historic Central Market of Florence. 

Certificates available at LdM:

• Balance in Nutrition

The LdM Philosophy Department is dedicated to expanding the minds of students while enriching their intellectual imagination through critical and creative analysis. To reach this goal, faculty members seek to make students mindful of important ethical, political, religious, scientific and environmental issues. Students not only learn the main philosophical schools from the past and the present, but they also understand how to think analytically and apply logic, while acquiring skills vital to a successful future as a global citizen.

Through a multidisciplinary approach, students examine major historical directions, systems, and schools of philosophy in the western tradition from the pre-Socratics to the present. Discussions center upon perennial themes such as the existence of God, the nature of knowledge, proof and reasoning, and ethics and contemporary themes such as bio-ethics. All aspects examined are essential to students’ understanding of belief systems and their relation to the past and contemporary culture in an inclusive and unbiased way. 

The value students receive from philosophy does not lie in providing definitive answers, but in the inquiry. Students can look logically and critically at powerful and persuasive messages of today’s digital age, and keep an open mind for the value and importance of diversity. The skills learned add value to careers in human resources, law, and working in international agencies.

The Department provides core engineering courses to students of various engineering disciplines. The Department is part of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program giving LdM students a solid base in their field of study. Students learn scientific principles as they are introduced to the challenges of the engineering projects. These projects and their evaluation teach valuable decision-making and analytical skills. As part of the LdM philosophy of experiential learning, visits to incubator firms provide valuable insights into the realities of morphing an idea into a commercially viable product.

The courses are offered both during the semester, and as a 4-week intensive summer course, providing students the opportunity to choose the length of their stay in Italy.

The core mission of the LdM Italian Language and Culture Department is to teach and promote the Italian language and culture through an interdisciplinary philosophy. Students not only learn the language but also deepen their understanding of the country, analyze its history, and observe its peoples within local and global contexts, starting from the Middle Ages and Renaissance to the present day. Students also gain a solid foundation in critical thought and communication skills expected in higher education.

LdM’s curriculum is designed to reflect the city in which the courses take place, in connection to the diverse traditions within each territory. The course topics cover the different aspects of Italian Culture through a variety of theoretical and practical subjects. This Department offers academic courses dedicated to Italian culture, specifically the history of art, cinema, language, and literature. Also offered in Italian are practical and theoretical cooking courses. These different studies on Italy allow students to discover different aspects of the country they inhabit, while gaining insight into contemporary Italian life.

All courses are taught in Italian and may require a specific level of competency (A1 to C1). The Department offers classes in small groups, led by dedicated faculty who avail of varied teaching techniques, so each student can become an active participant in the learning process to acquire the four main language skills: comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. 

To make studying and learning about the Italian language and culture more stimulating, the Department organizes extracurricular activities and language exchange programs to put students in contact with the local community, thus enriching their time in Italy.

Through these multifaceted and in-depth studies of Italian culture, LdM aims to prepare students for successful careers in a broad range of professional fields in Italy and abroad, in areas like education, international relations, and translators.

LdM is one of Italy’s most prestigious Italian language institutions. The Italian Language Department has been dedicated to teaching Italian as a foreign language since 1973. The Institute offers a wide range of courses open for academic students with a passion for the Italian language and culture who want to further their academic study and professional aspirations.

By studying Italian at LdM, students will improve in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. These skills are presented in context and emphasized by dramatization and role-play. With a small class size averaging around 12 students and the immersive learning environment, students can actively participate in the learning process.

In our more intensive offerings, students benefit from the presence of two teachers working in tandem in each class. The community of students at LdM can also take advantage of individual tutoring and special compensatory education measures for those with special educational needs from the Institute’s faculty, further enriching their experience of learning and living in Italy.

Italian language courses are organized following the international standard for language ability established by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which follows a six-point scale: A1 being basic understanding to C2 which is mastery. At the beginning levels, the student learns simple language structures to effectively perform the tasks necessary for survival and simple interactions. In intermediate levels, the student develops autonomy in communication and a better mastery of the language structure. In the advanced levels, the more complex contents of the Italian language and culture, both historical and contemporary, are challenged. This ensures that the student reaches a higher level of competent fluency in written and spoken contexts. Each new language block is presented in context, thus giving students the opportunity to put into practice what they have just learned.

At LdM, the approach to learning Italian as a second language is via an action-oriented method. The goal is to help students develop the skills necessary to complete the tasks given within context, whether it be academic, private, public, or professional. 

The Italian courses aim for students to develop both general skills and in-depth knowledge of the language and culture of Italy, while learning of the linguistic and pragmatic aspects of the Italian language. Students also gain solid training in the humanities, of the critical thought and communication skills expected in higher education.

LdM stimulates students’ learning with cultural programs that enrich the students’ stay in Italy while fostering confidence in their newly acquired language. The activities include museum visits, cinema, and linguistic exchanges with Italian schools and universities.

The art of jewelry design has a long and thriving history in Tuscany, with traditions that go back to the Etruscan age. Known since the Middle Ages for its refined goldsmithing, Florence boasts a long-standing tradition of excellence in jewelry design and making.

The LdM Jewelry Design Department offers an artistic and cultural reference point for students from around the globe to approach this ancient art.
At Istituto Lorenzo de’ Medici students have the chance to learn centuries-old Florentine craftsmanship techniques and their contemporary interpretation, by elaborating original designs and applying state-of the-art technologies, thus striking a balance between tradition and innovation.

The Department’s curriculum offers an interdisciplinary approach to contemporary and historical practices in jewelry. Courses are structured to foster experimentation, in order to stimulate individual creativity and technical skills development. While discovering the history of jewels, as well as the physical and chemical behavior of metals and the properties of gems, students hone their skills by mastering traditional techniques, such as the creation of metal jewelry, stone setting and engraving, along with wax carving and casting.

Modern methods and digital technologies encourage students to unleash their creativity and experiment with precious metals, as well as unconventional materials. Thanks to an integrated approach to the discipline, students get the chance to develop their own jewelry collection, from concept and design to production and presentation. This hands-on project allows them to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to become professional jewelry designers.

LdM dedicated and internationally recognized faculty believes that creative research, technical skills and experimenting with materials are the fundamentals of contemporary jewelry design.

The Jewelry Design department facilities provide a fully-equipped ab with machinery used in jewelry production, and updated computer programs to develop rendering and 3d projects so students can work in a highly professional environment.

Certificates also available at LdM:

• Jewelry Design One-Year Certificate
• Jewelry Design Professional Certificate

The LdM Interior Design Department aims to inspire students to investigate how interior design affects the way we live, work, and form connections. The Department faculty is composed of educators and professionals active in their fields, who provide important insight into what students can expect from real-life scenarios and the tools to navigate them successfully. As they build their professional portfolios, students learn how to express themselves through the design process by creating transformative spaces that make an impact in an innovative and lasting way. 

The interdisciplinary nature of Interior Design gives students the opportunity to learn all facets of design from space management to lighting systems and from brand identity to the detailed use of materials and colors. The curriculum encompasses courses in areas such as art, architecture, interaction design, and even fashion design combining innovation with tradition using Italy’s rich design culture as a point of reference. Students also develop important skills such as drawing and rendering, and the importance of being able to relate to the customer during the various phases of design. 

An integral part of the teaching philosophy at LdM is experiential learning. LdM students gain valuable knowledge at professional trade fairs in cities such as Milan and Bologna, where they can view contemporary works done by professionals in the field, but also at on-site visits to furniture factories, and designers and artists’ studios.

LdM provides a state-of-the-art computer lab and a modeling lab for students to put classroom theory to practice while constructing their designs and models. 

Certificates available at LdM:

• Interior Design in Contemporary Living
• Product Design towards Sustainability
• Interior Design One-Year Certificate
• Interior Design Professional Certificate

The LdM Graphic Design Department aims to build both practical and conceptual skills of future designers enabling them to integrate a command of visual language with imagination. The Department’s broad approach to the field includes graphic explorations into various media, both traditional and digital; as a result, students obtain valuable insights into the culture of aesthetic quality as they prepare for the professional sphere. 

From our well-developed curriculum to our dedicated faculty, students gain professional skill sets and extend their knowledge of design with studies that range from brand identity, print, and motion graphics as well as screen-based and interactive design. Through a critical examination of the development of modern graphic design and how it relates to the historical record of human cultural development, students at LdM learn to reflect on the subject within a socio-cultural and ethical context. They also learn the power of storytelling through comics and graphic novels, empowering them to create a dialogue between words and design. With LdM’s hands-on approach, students work on a range of design, advertising, branding, and marketing projects that simulate real situations. They learn to respect budgets, adhere to timelines, build strategies and implement them while they construct a refined professional portfolio.

The Department offers internships with local agencies, giving LdM students the opportunity for hands-on practice in the Graphic Design field. Through the internship experience, students can apply their acquired knowledge to real-life situations gaining valuable professional experience. Overall, students gain the ability to make strategic decisions in a highly competitive world, read market trends and formulate dynamic, effective and successful solutions. 

With a fine-tuned personal voice, individuals who follow Graphic Design as a major find careers in exciting areas such as advertising agencies, museums, publishing houses, technology companies, and nonprofits.

Certificates available at LdM:

• Graphic Design and Visual Communication

The aim of the LdM Fashion Design, Marketing and Merchandising Department is to educate and inspire future creative leaders in the fashion business on an international stage. Students at LdM learn new technologies with sustainability as the starting point for innovation, while critically examining traditional fashion industry practices learning how to respond to the expanding needs of the industry and its effect on the global economy. 

At LdM, students acquire a solid theoretical foundation with practical applications, ranging from design and product development to retail management. Thanks to a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, students acquire vital skills and develop the ability to think critically, explore innovative solutions and perform in today’s evolving fashion industry.

LdM’s experiential learning philosophy is backed by visits to museums and organizations dedicated to the major Florentine fashion houses and boutiques, independent tailors, textile mills and leather goods production sites while focusing on the “Made in Italy” movement, with a comprehensive examination and on-site lessons to fully unveil its influence on the luxury goods market.

Florence, as the birthplace of Italian fashion, acts as an inspirational source for students to reflect upon and integrate skills gained from various disciplines. Students examine the fashion industry as a cultural expression and how it interacts within the production and consumption of designer goods, viewed through the lens of Italy’s rich history in fashion and design. LdM fashion design students learn how to cultivate and express their creativity by acquiring solid industry capacities in areas from illustration and pattern development to textiles and digital technology.

The fashion marketing and merchandising courses focus on brand identification, market strategy and the dynamics of retail buying, while also analyzing brand positioning and practicing entrepreneurial skills. To complete the study of the fashion industry, students then delve into areas such as analyses of consumer behavior, buying concepts and business management to give a complete global perspective on the fashion industry. The acquired competencies and skills are then applied by working in collaborative teams within a global context.

The LdM Department of Fashion Design, Marketing and Merchandising is located in three historic buildings in the heart of Florence. The Fashion Lab Center, a design production site, is housed in a 14^th century cloister, which is surrounded by Renaissance masters’ frescos. The 16^th century palace belonging to the aristocratic fashion dynasty Pucci, are home to lecture halls and fashion studios dedicated to research and technology.

Certificates available at LdM:

• Visual Communication for Fashion
• Fashion Marketing and Merchandising
• Fashion Design One-Year Certificate
• Fashion Design Professional Certificate