The Italian program promotes an understanding of the role of the Italian literary and cultural tradition within today’s global society. By developing the knowledge and critical skills necessary to understand and engage with Italian culture in all its manifestations, Italian majors and minors acquire tools that are applicable to careers in virtually every area. While competency in a foreign language is always a highly desirable asset in our multicultural and multilingual society, proficiency in Italian is particularly beneficial and valuable in the fields of art, fashion, business, law, international affairs, music, the travel industry, translation studies, the foreign service and teaching. In addition to supplying the necessary background for advanced professional study and specialization in various disciplines, the Italian major introduces students to a rich literary, artistic and intellectual history at the roots of the modern world. Students are encouraged to explore career opportunities on the Career Services website.
Requirements
Program Requirements
Students must complete the general education requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below. Students must complete 31 credit hours beyond the first year of the Italian language with at least 18 of those credit hours at the upper-division level.
A 2.00 (C) grade point average or better is required in all courses that are applicable to the major, and all courses applied to the major must be passed with a C- or better and cannot be taken pass/fail.
Required Courses and Credits
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Lower-Division Course | 4 | |
| Prerequisite for 3000-level courses. | ||
| Intermediate Italian Reading, Grammar, and Composition 1 | ||
| Required Upper-division Courses | 6 | |
| These two courses may be taken in any order. | ||
| Exploring Contemporary Italy: Conversation and Reading | ||
| Italia Oggi | ||
| Two ITAL elective courses taught in Italian | 6 | |
| Intermediate Italian Reading, Grammar, and Composition 2 | ||
| Readings in Italian: Sustainability | ||
| Advanced Composition 2: Introduction to Literary Writing | ||
| Italian Conversation Through Art History | ||
| Italian Conversation Through Cinema | ||
| Issues in Italian Culture, and Society: Sustainability | ||
| Main Current of Italian Culture and Literature 3 | ||
| Main Current of Italian Culture and Literature 2 | ||
| Main Currents of Italian Culture and Literature 1 | ||
| Problems in Translation, Advanced Grammar, and Stylistics 1 | ||
| The Age of Dante in Italian | ||
| Italian Theatre | ||
| Languages Internship for Professions | ||
| Italian Senior Honors Thesis | ||
| Senior Seminar 1 | ||
| Five ITAL elective courses | 15 | |
| Choose from the ITAL courses listed in the previous requirement or the ITAL courses taught in English listed below. Only one of the 1000- or 2000-level courses listed below may count toward this requirement. | ||
| La Dolce Vita: How to Live a Good Life, Italian Style | ||
| Introduction to Social Change in the Arts | ||
| Sexuality and Gender Wars in Italy and France | ||
| That's Amore: Introduction to Italian Culture | ||
| The Power of Fairy Tales in Italy and France | ||
| Strategies of Fear: Introduction to Italian Fantastic Literature | ||
| Space, Invention, and Wonder in Fairy Tales, Literature and Film | ||
| Contemporary Italian Culture, Politics, and the Media 2 | ||
| Business Italian Style 2 | ||
| What the Hell?: Dante's Divine Comedy and the Meaning of Life | ||
| Visualizing Dante's Inferno: A Global Seminar in Florence Italy | ||
| Boccaccio's Decameron: Tales of Sex and Death in the Middle Ages | ||
| Italian Literature Special Topics 2 | ||
| Italian Literature Special Topics 2 | ||
| Topics in Italian Culture and Civilization from the Origins through the Renaissance 2 | ||
| History of Modern Italy | ||
| Mafia and Terrorism: Organized Violence in Italy | ||
| Topics in Italian Cinema | ||
| Italian Culture Through Cinema | ||
| Multiculturalism in Italy | ||
| From Wops to Dons to Movers and Shakers: The Italian-American Experience | ||
| Once Upon a Time in Italy | ||
| Italian Feminisms: Culture, Theory, and Narratives of Difference | ||
| Independent Study 2 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 31 | |
| 1 | Students wishing to complete a senior essay or senior project will work independently with a faculty member using ITAL 4840 or ITAL 4990 if the senior essay is written while the student is attending a 4000-level ITAL course related to the topic of their essay. Before registering for ITAL 4840 or ITAL 4990, students must meet with the Italian advisor. |
| 2 | When course is taught in Italian, it can count toward the "ITAL electives taught in Italian" requirement |
Honors Requirements
Honors candidates must meet all of the regular requirements for the major, plus the following:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| One course focusing on literary or cultural theories/theory related to the student's proposed independent study project, including but not limited to FREN 3200; ENGL 2026 Popular Culture, Critical Reading; ENGL 2036 Introduction to Media Studies in the Humanities; ENGL 2112 Introduction to Literary Theory. Students should consult with their honors thesis advisor or the Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies when choosing a course. | 3 | |
| ITAL 4840 | Independent Study | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 6 | |
Graduating in Four Years
Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. Keeping in mind that the outline below is only one possible option, to maintain adequate progress in Italian, students should meet the following requirements:
- Declare the Italian major as early as possible, preferably while enrolled in ITAL 1020 or ITAL 2110.
- Complete 10 credit hours of requirements (including ITAL 2110) by the end of the second (sophomore) year.
- Complete 12 credit hours by the end of the third (junior) year.
- Complete the remainder of the major requirements in the fourth (senior) year.
Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study
Through the required coursework for the major, students will fulfill all 12 credits of the Arts & Humanities area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement and possibly the Upper-division Written Communication component of the Gen Ed Skills Requirement.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| ITAL 1010 | Beginning Italian 1 (If needed, does not fulfill Italian major course requirements) | 4 |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/US Perspective) | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 13 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ITAL 1020 | Beginning Italian 2 (If needed, does not fulfill Italian major course requirements) | 4 |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: QRMS) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 4 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ITAL 2110 | Intermediate Italian Reading, Grammar, and Composition 1 (This course counts toward the major and minor) | 4 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/Global Perspective) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences with Lab) | 4 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ITAL 3013 | Exploring Contemporary Italy: Conversation and Reading | 3 |
| Italian 1000-level content course taugh in English (may fulfil global perspective diversity requirement) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences with Lab) | 4 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ITAL 3015 | Italia Oggi | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| ITAL Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ITAL Upper-Division Elective (Taught in Italian) | 3 | |
| ITAL Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-division Written Communication, if necessary) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ITAL Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| ITAL Upper-Division Elective (Taught in Italian) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ITAL Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Communicate effectively in writing and speaking in the target language while developing proficiency in aural and written comprehension.
- Analyze and interpret a variety of texts and materials from an interdisciplinary perspective with attention to cultural, historical and social contexts.
- Demonstrate knowledge of Italian and Italophone literatures, cultures and thought by identifying, evaluating, and arguing from primary and, when appropriate, secondary sources.
- Engage with diverse perspectives with a view to building intercultural competence and critical-thinking skills.