Italian

Do you love Italian film, art, and culture? Interested in learning about the fascinating world of the Italian Language? Would you like to spend a semester or two studying abroad in Italy? If you answered YES to any of these, the Italian major is the right fit. The study of Italian language and civilization opens the doors to a rich and fascinating country with widespread influence on Western culture, including the United States. The Italian program offers a wide variety of language, literature, and culture courses in Italian on topics ranging from Dante and the Renaissance to contemporary Italian cinema.

Professors and lecturers in this department take extra time and care to ensure that all students have a firm understanding of the language. A major in Italian or double major in Italian and another area provides excellent academic preparation for work in the humanities, in the social sciences, and in music and the fine arts.

In addition to the two-semester sequence of FRIT-M 100 Elementary Italian I and FRIT-M 150 Elementary Italian II, there are two options for students to complete the first year of Italian language: FRIT-M 115 Accelerated Elementary Italian and FRIT-M 112 Italian through Music. These accelerated courses cover the first year of coursework in a single semester and are especially recommended for students who may be interested in the Italian minor or major, or have prior experience in another foreign language, particularly if a romance language.

Students interested in Italian may also take courses taught in English to supplement their study of the Italian language. These courses may fulfill some of the Italian BA requirements and include FRIT-M 222 Topics in Italian Culture, FRIT-M 236 Dante's Divine Comedy, and FRIT-M 311 Italian Film and Culture, among others.