FAQ: PROGRAMS OF STUDY
What kind of master's programs do you offer?
The M.A. program in Italian Studies consists of 32 points and a master’s thesis. Masters students can complete their coursework at a pace they choose, entirely in person, in New York at the NYU Washington Square campus.
What kind of doctoral programs do you offer?
Doctoral students must complete 72 points of post-undergraduate coursework (about 18 courses). This may include credits earned during M.A. work at NYU or transfer credits from another graduate institution.
FAQ: FUNDING
What kinds of funding are available for master’s students?
Qualified Masters students can obtain part-time work-study at the Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò helping with the Casa’s 100+ cultural events over the course of the academic year, or can apply to teach Italian language courses in the Department. GSAS offers various financial aid possibilities, including Diversity and Funding Access Programs.
What kinds of funding are available for doctoral students?
All students admitted to Ph.D. programs at the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) will receive a Henry M. MacCracken Fellowship, for a period of five years. This fellowship includes full tuition remission, waiver of registration and services fees, and health insurance through NYU, as well as a competitive fellowship stipend toward your expenses. GSAS also provides a one-time start-up stipend for first-year students.
Students who enter with external funding may still be awarded a MacCracken fellowship to ensure that they are receiving full-funding from both sources combined.
Is teaching a requirement of the MacCracken Fellowship?
Our doctoral students do not teach in their first year of the program. With the implementation of Financial Aid Reform (FAR4), teaching as an adjunct instructor provides compensation over and above the MacCracken stipend.
How do I apply for other scholarships and loans?
Additional information on Financial Aid and Fellowships is available through the GSAS website and through the NYU Office of Financial Aid. The Calandra Institute provides an outstanding resource of grants and scholarships for those studying Italian American Studies or those who are of Italian American descent. The most recent version of their guide is here.
FAQ: COURSEWORK
Do I have to have an M.A. to apply for a doctoral program?
No, an M.A. is not required to apply to the doctoral program. Students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. at NYU should apply directly to the doctoral program.
I already have a Master's degree. Will you accept it for credit toward doctoral coursework?
Absolutely. You may transfer credit earned from your master's degree toward your doctoral coursework in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and pending approval from the Graduate School.
Do you have a foreign language requirement?
Native or near-native fluency in Italian is expected of all graduate students in the NYU Italian Studies Department. The doctoral program also requires knowledge of a language other than Italian. Foreign Language Proficiency Exams demonstrating proficiency are offered in March and August each year.
What kinds of courses would I take as a graduate student in Italian at NYU?
Courses are taught by an outstanding faculty with specialization in key areas of Italian literature and cultural history. Specific strengths of the faculty lie in the fields of medieval and Renaissance studies, 20th-century literature, film, and culture; postmodern Italy; the application of new technologies to the humanities; and cultural theory. See our course offerings here.
What if I want to take courses outside the department?
Even if not formally enrolled in an interdisciplinary program, students in the Italian Studies Department are welcome and encouraged to take courses outside the department. Additionally, students in their second year and beyond are permitted to take courses through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium which are germane to their research interests.
What is the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium?
The Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (IUDC) offers eligible GSAS students the opportunity to take graduate courses at distinguished universities throughout the greater New York area. The IUDC has been in existence for over 25 years and offers students an enormous array of courses and opportunities for contact with faculty and students in their fields. Participating schools are: Columbia University, Princeton University, CUNY Graduate Center, Rutgers University, Fordham University, SUNY Stony Brook, the Graduate Faculty at New School University, Teachers College at Columbia University, and New York University. The IUDC is open to doctoral students from participating schools who have completed at least one year of full time study toward the Ph.D. Terminal master's students and non-GSAS students are not eligible.
FAQ: TEACHING
Are there opportunities to teach as a doctoral student? Is it a required component of the MacCracken Fellowship?
In addition to training capable and creative scholars, one of the program's objectives is to promote the effective teaching of Italian at all levels. To this end, students teach several Italian language courses, normally during the second and third years. With the implementation of Financial Aid Reform 4 (FAR4), teaching as an adjunct instructor provides compensation over and above the MacCracken stipend. Doctoral students may also have other opportunities to teach, such as J-term, undergraduate summer language courses in New York or at Villa la Pietra.
What kind of training is provided?
First-time adjunct instructors receive training provided by GSAS before they begin teaching. Graduate adjunct instructors also work closely with the Director of Language Programming and the Language Program Coordinators.
Are there opportunities to teach as a master's student?
M.A.-track students can apply to teach language classes through the Department of Italian Studies at NYU.
FAQ: STUDYING IN ITALY AND ABROAD
Are there opportunities to study in Italy?
Ph.D. students have the opportunity to take advantage of the Department’s exchange agreements with the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa and the Università degli studi di Napoli - "L’Orientale."
Are there opportunities to conduct research in Italy or abroad?
After finishing coursework, doctoral students may choose to conduct research for their dissertation in Italy or other relevant locations. They may continue to draw on their MacCracken fellowship as it is available and may also be eligible for supplementary funding through additional competitive fellowships at NYU or externally. The faculty will make every effort to assist students in making contact with relevant universities, libraries, archives, and other resources. The Provost’s Global Research Initiative grants (GRI) are also a way to fund a research trip to Italy.
FAQ: DEPARTMENT LIFE
Are there any student groups within the department?
Interferenze, formed in 2019, is an interdisciplinary theoretical discussion group comprised of Italian Studies grad students, as well as other GSAS students whose interests overlap. The group is managed by a different grad student every year and the theme varies from year-to-year.
Do graduate students typically organize conferences?
The Department is open to graduate student-led conferences which may take on different forms from year to year. We are always open to suggestions!
What other resources can I benefit from as a student at NYU's Italian Studies Department?
NYU's Bobst Library houses over 3.3 million volumes, twenty thousand journals, and over 3 million microforms. NYU also has reciprocal borrowing privileges with several other nearby university libraries and reciprocal on-site access with Columbia's Butler Library. In addition, the New York Public Library is freely available and boasts four major research centers and myriad local lending branches throughout the City. The Avery Fisher Center for Music and Media at Bobst Library offers an impressive selection of Italian film.
We also have our very own Italian Studies subject librarian, Michael Agnew, who is an invaluable resource for our faculty and students and who makes every effort to provide us with the tools needed for academic and research success.
FAQ: JOB PLACEMENT
What is the job placement record for students from the doctoral program?
See Job Placements page for more information.