Requirements

The major in Italian Studies consists of nine (9) 4-credit courses (36 credits):

• Advanced Review of Modern Italian (ITAL-UA 30).
  • Prerequisite: ITAL-UA 12 Intermediate 2 or ITAL-UA 20 Intensive Intermediate.
    
• 1 Conversation Course: Conversations in Italian (ITAL-UA 101); Italian Through Cinema (ITAL-UA 107); or Italian Through Opera (ITAL-UA 108)
  • Prerequisite: Advanced Review (ITAL-UA 30)
    
• 1 Composition Course: Creative Writing in Italian (ITAL-UA 103); Advanced Composition (ITAL-UA 105); or Translation (ITAL-UA 110)
  • Prerequisite: Advanced Review (ITAL-UA 30)
    
• 1 Literature Survey Course: Readings in Medieval and Renaissance Literature (ITAL-UA 115) or Readings in Modern Literature (ITAL-UA 116)
  • Prerequisite: Advanced Review (ITAL-UA 30)
    
• 1 Medieval/Early Modern Course
• 1 Modern/Contemporary Course
• 3 Culture & Society OR Advanced Literature Courses

Please review our Italian Major Checklist. 

For a list of courses, visit the General Course Offerings page or the CAS Bulletin – Italian Studies page.

Notes:

• No pass/fail courses may be counted toward the major in Italian Studies.
•  No more than two (2) CORE-UA and/or FRSEM-UA courses (taught by an Italian Studies Faculty member) may be counted toward the major in Italian Studies.
• Italian Studies majors are encouraged to take both Literature Survey courses (ITAL-UA 115 and ITAL-UA 116).
• Italian Studies majors are encouraged to take one (1) additional Italian content course, whether in New York or at NYU in Florence.
• Italian Studies majors are strongly encouraged to study for at least one (1) semester at NYU in Florence, with necessary exceptions made

Transfer Students

Transfer students must complete at least five (5) courses (20 credits) of the nine (9) courses (36 credits) required for the Italian major while in residence at New York University.

Prerequisites

Before beginning courses toward the major in Italian Studies, students must gain satisfactory knowledge of Italian by:

1. Completing the introductory language sequence up to Intermediate Italian II (ITAL-UA 12) or Intensive Intermediate Italian (ITAL-UA 20); or
2. Obtaining a score of 59 or above on the NYU placement test

Placement Exam

Students who have taken introductory Italian courses in high school or at other Universities are required to take the NYU placement test before registering for Italian language courses at NYU.

Timing

Students with no prior background in Italian wishing to complete a major are strongly encouraged to register for the intensive sequence in order to be able to complete the major in a timely fashion. All prospective majors should consult with an adviser prior to registration.

Language Course Sequence

1) Elementary Italian I then Elementary Italian II OR Intensive Elementary Italian (Intensive Elementary is Elementary I and II in one semester)

2) then Intermediate Italian I then Intermediate Italian II OR Intensive Intermediate (Intensive Intermediate is Intermediate I and II in one semester)

3) then Advanced Review (ITAL-UA 30)

4) then an advanced language course. Advanced language courses include:

• Conversations in Italian (ITAL-UA 101) – Develops ability to speak contemporary Italian through discussions, oral reports, and readings.
• Creative Writing Italian (ITAL-UA 103) – Develops writing techniques through a creative approach to writing that encourages students to rewrite, parody, shift genres.
• Advanced Composition (ITAL-UA 105) – Improves student written Italian and comprehension of difficult texts.
• Italian Through Cinema (ITAL-UA 107) – Conversation class organized around the theme of cinema. Students view movie excerpts and discuss them.
• Italian Through Opera (ITAL-UA 108) – Conversation class organized around the theme of opera.
• Translation (ITAL-UA 110) – This course introduces students to the theory and practice of translation.

Elementary Italian I (ITAL-UA 1) – For students with no prior knowledge of Italian.
Elementary Italian II (ITAL-UA 2) – Prerequisite: ITAL-UA 1, or assignment by placement test.
Intermediate Italian I (ITAL-UA 11) – Prerequisite: ITAL-UA 2, ITAL-UA 10, or assignment by placement test.
Intermediate Italian II (ITAL-UA 12) – Prerequisite: ITAL-UA 11, or assignment by placement test.

Intensive Elementary Italian (ITAL-UA 10) – For students with no prior knowledge of Italian.
Intensive Intermediate Italian (ITAL-UA 20) – Prerequisite: ITAL-UA 2, ITAL-UA 10, or assignment by placement test.

Intensive courses are fast-paced and give students the opportunity to complete the introductory sequence in two semesters rather than four. They are 6-credit courses and meet every day from Monday to Friday. The Intensive Sequence is highly recommended for those wishing to major in Italian, and for students that have a facility with foreign languages.

ADVANCED LANGUAGE COURSES

Advanced Review of Modern Italian (ITAL-UA 30)

This course is a prerequisite for other advanced courses, in language, literature, and culture & society that are taught in Italian. Systemizes and reinforces the language skills presented in earlier-level courses through an intensive review of grammar and composition, lexical enrichment, improvement of speaking ability, and selected readings from contemporary Italian literature. Prerequisite: ITAL-UA 12 or ITAL-UA 20.

ITAL-UA 30 is a prerequisite for all of the following courses:

Conversation Courses

• Conversations in Italian (ITAL-UA 101) – Develops ability to speak contemporary Italian through discussions, oral reports, and readings.
• Italian Through Cinema (ITAL-UA 107) – Conversation class organized around the theme of cinema. Students view movie excerpts and discuss them.
• Italian Through Opera (ITAL-UA 108) – Conversation class organized around the theme of opera.

Composition Courses

• Creative Writing Italian (ITAL-UA 103) – Develops writing techniques through a creative approach to writing that encourages students to rewrite, parody, shift genres.
• Advanced Composition (ITAL-UA 105) – Improves student written Italian and comprehension of difficult texts.
• Translation (ITAL-UA 110) – This course introduces students to the theory and practice of translation.

Literature Survey Courses

Students majoring in Italian must complete one literature survey course, although they are encouraged to take both:

• Medieval and Renaissance Literature (ITAL-UA 115) – Course conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Advanced Review of Modern Italian (ITAL-UA 30). 

AND/OR

• Modern Italian Literature (ITAL-UA 116) – Course conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Advanced Review of Modern Italian (ITAL-UA 30).
  

Culture & Society courses

Content Courses

Content courses are those classes that focus on Italian culture or society rather than language. They may be taught in either English or Italian. Content courses taught in Italian have a prerequisite of Advanced Review (ITAL-UA 30). Students majoring in Italian are required to take 20 credits of content courses distributed among the following areas:

• Medieval/Early Modern Studies and
• Modern/Contemporary Studies.

Effective Fall 2018, students can take a mix of 2 credit and 4 credit courses. No more than two courses from CORE-UA and/or FRSEM-UA, taught by an Italian Studies faculty member, may be counted toward the major. 

Honors

To qualify for honors in the Italian studies major, a student must maintain an overall GPA of 3.65 and a major GPA of 3.65 or higher. Students who wish to pursue honors should contact the Director of Undergraduate studies for an application during their junior year. The Director of Undergraduate Studies may, by petition to the director of college honors, consider strong candidates who do not meet the GPA threshold of 3.65.

Undergraduate students in the Honors Program write a thesis overseen by an Italian Studies faculty member in their senior year. In fall, the student prepares research for their thesis in the course ITAL-UA 999 Seniors Honors Seminar. In spring, the student writes the thesis under the guidance of a faculty member in the course ITAL-UA 990 Honors Independent Study. Both count as advanced courses for the major. Students work closely with a departmental faculty member who becomes the honors thesis adviser (chosen in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies). The thesis should be a work of scholarship and/or criticism from 40 to 60 pages in length. In consultation with a second faculty reader, the student’s thesis adviser determines whether or not to recommend him or her for honors in Italian. A grade of at least A-minus is required for the award of honors. Students receiving a lower grade will simply be awarded 8 credits toward the major. Contact italian.undergraduate@nyu.edu or the DUS with any questions. Visit the Honors Program page for additional details regarding the guidelines and timeline for the thesis.

CAPSTONE

CAPSTONE FOR NON-HONORS THESIS MAJORS

Developed in conjunction with a faculty member in the junior or senior year, the capstone consists of a research paper or research project, as well as a final oral defense/discussion of the project in Italian. The capstone does not require a separate course or independent study, but rather is developed within a class in which the student is already enrolled. The student and professor develop a feasible project that is completed in addition to the existing course requirements. The department’s Spring Undergraduate Research Conference offers an ideal venue for the presentation of outstanding capstone projects.

Italian-GLS Double Major

General Requirements & Courses

Global Liberal Studies and the CAS Department of Italian agree that, beginning in the academic year 2016-2017, they shall offer a double major in Global Liberal Studies and Italian that will accept some of the degree requirements in Italian as also meeting GLS requirements. To earn the double major, students must fulfill all requirements of each degree. However, a maximum of two courses may count simultaneously for both programs with the following directives:

• Any of the advanced courses in the department of Italian (higher than ITAL-UA 101) will also count as meeting one of the GLS senior seminar requirements. Please note students will nonetheless be expected to complete one GLS senior seminar at minimum.
• Courses with a significant transnational content will also count toward meeting the GLS Advanced Global Topics requirement (usually completed while abroad during junior year). Examples of possible courses include ITAL-UA 9513 Global Media Seminar: Media Activism & Democracy, ITAL 9283 Other Worlds: Travel Literature in Italy, ITAL-UA 164 Italian Colonialism, and ITAL-UA 165 Italian Fascism. Other courses may be approved by mutual agreement from both departments.

Senior Thesis & Honors Tracks

Students in GLS may complete the honors track in the Department of Italian. In order to do so, students will need to meet all necessary requirements for entry to the honors track. GLS students should coordinate with the Director of Undergraduate Studies during their junior year abroad in order to identify their research question and their mentor in the department. If they qualify, students will have the option to complete their thesis either in Italian or in GLS (taking the thesis-related courses within either department). Students who complete their thesis through the yearlong Senior Colloquium and Senior Thesis in GLS should have a second reader designated from Italian, with similar arrangements for a second reader from GLS if the thesis project is registered through Italian.

Students may choose to pursue an honors track, following the guidelines provided by the DUS. Students must get approval from both GLS and the Department of Italian in order to follow this (double) honors option. The GLS seminars will count toward fulfilling the credits of the honor requirements, but will not count as one of the required courses for the major.

NYU Florence

All majors are strongly encouraged to study for at least one semester at the NYU Florence, with necessary exceptions made for curricular, medical, familial, or athletic conflicts. Study in Italy further enriches the work that majors undertake in New York, brings the language alive in real time, and allows majors to use their linguistic skills to unlock an entire culture. Courses are offered in the fall, spring, and summer. Visit NYU Florence page for more information.

Boasting 57-acre grounds marked by five villas, modern facilities, and extensive gardens, the Villa La Pietra/NYU Florence campus comprises one of the most stunning study-abroad centers anywhere. La Pietra’s intimate setting and small classes provide a stimulating counterpart to study in New York, as well as afford numerous opportunities of direct learning from museum collections and other local institutions. Located in the center of Italy, Florence also provides an ideal credit of departure for exploring the peninsula and its unparalleled archaeological, architectural, and art historical treasures, just an hour and half from Rome and less than three hours to Venice. Contact italian.undergraduate@nyu.edu if you have any questions.