The program in Italian language, literature, and cultures, which leads to a B.A. degree, provides students with mastery of the language and in-depth knowledge of Italian literature and culture. Lower-division courses provide basic linguistic skills (reading, writing and speaking) and introduce students to Italian culture and aesthetic production. Upper-division courses give students expertise in socio-cultural issues as well as literary and cinematic history, analysis and theory. Our interdisciplinary approach is grounded in the history of Italy and its culture from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to the present. All students with more than one year of high-school Italian are required to take a placement examination, given immediately before registration each semester. This requirement applies to all students regardless of class standing or previous study. Prospective majors should consult the Italian program coordinator as early as possible. Early consultation is particularly important for students with little or no preparation in Italian so they may be sure to satisfy prerequisites and requirements within four years.

We strongly encourage students studying Italian to spend a semester or a year abroad. SU's program in Florence, Italy, enables students to take fully accredited classes in Italian language and literature, fine arts, history, political science, and a number of electives outside Arts and Sciences. Students fluent in Italian may take courses at the Centro per Stranieri at the University of Florence. For further information, contact the Italian-program coordinator or visit the SU Abroad Website.

If you have studied Italian either formally or informally, lived in an Italian-speaking country, or grown up in an Italian-speaking household, you must take a placement exam before being allowed to register for any ITA course. To access the Italian exam, please go to MySlice. Contact Prof. Giannini for more information prior to the beginning of the semester.