The Umbra Institute was founded in 1999 in Perugia, Italy, as a center for higher education offering academic programs for students of US colleges and universities. Since then, the Umbra Institute has grown steadily and developed a well-respected reputation as a provider of consistently high-quality academic programs, becoming an innovative leader in "study abroad" in Italy. The Umbra Institute is recognized by the Ministry of Education in Italy, and accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges through its partnership with Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania. In 2006, the Institute became recognized by Italian universities and is now an approved provider of credit-bearing courses for the University of Perugia (Universita' degli Studi di Perugia) in Perugia, Italy . Today, the Institute maintains four locations in Perugia, offers a wide array of courses, and hosts nearly 600 students from more than 100 North American colleges and universities annually, including Italian students from the local Universita' degli Studi di Perugia. Many students enroll directly at Umbra while others participate through cooperative programs accompanied by professors or staff from their home institution. The vast majority of the student body has achieved junior-status (some sophomore) with at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA at their home institution. The Institute offers semester, year-long and summer programs with a variety of academic programs and special courses to meet the diverse curricular demands of its growing student body.