Italian (BA)

Program Description

New York University’s Department of Italian Studies is the largest free-standing Italian department in North America, with faculty expertise that includes a range of historical periods and methodologies, spanning from medieval literature to neorealist cinema. Students can take courses in topics such as Renaissance epic, Futurism, literary translation, avant-garde literature, opera, Italian American culture, and Dante’s Divine Comedy. Classes are conducted in both Italian and English.

We offer one-on-one faculty advising for students who choose to write honors theses and/or present their work at our annual undergraduate research symposium. Through our department, students have access to internships and scholarships. Majors and minors are encouraged to enrich their studies by spending at least one semester at NYU’s breathtaking Florence campus.

Our department is located in Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, a historical landmark, which has established itself as the main hub for Italian Culture in New York. Casa Italiana is committed to enriching the academic life of our students with a vibrant year-round program of events: film screenings, lectures, concerts, art exhibits, and more. Additionally, the weekly Italian Club meetings offer a great opportunity for students to practice their Italian and to find community amongst their peers. 

Students of Italian Studies gain cultural fluency and research experience that prepares them for graduate study and for careers in a range of fields.

Honors Program in Italian Studies

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.

Honors majors complete an 8-credit sequence consisting of ITAL-UA 999 Senior Honors Seminar, taken in the fall of senior year, and ITAL-UA 990 Honors Independent Study, taken in the spring of senior year. 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 them for honors in Italian. A grade of at least A- is required for the award of honors. Students receiving a lower grade will simply be awarded 8 credits toward the major.

Admissions

New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply. 

Program Requirements

The major requires 36 credits completed with a grade of C or better as outlined below. Italian Studies majors are strongly encouraged to study for at least one at NYU in Florence and also to take one additional Italian content course, whether in New York or at NYU in Florence.

¹

The foreign language requirement is satisfied upon successful completion through the Intermediate level of a language. This may be accomplished in fewer than 16 credits, but those credits must then be completed as elective credit.

²

Majors are advised to take both.

³

To be chosen in consultation with a departmental adviser.

⁴

Both ITAL-UA 999 Seniors Honors Seminar and ITAL-UA 990 Honors Independent Study count toward the major.

Capstone Project Option for Non-Honors Majors

Majors in the department who do not choose or qualify to write a senior honors thesis may pursue the capstone project option, which is not a requirement for the major. Developed in conjunction with a faculty member in the student's 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 project is completed in addition to the existing course requirements (whether a final paper written in the Italian language, extra pages added to a research paper, a creative project such as a film or film script, etc.). The department’s spring undergraduate conference offers an ideal venue for the presentation of outstanding capstone projects.

Sample Plan of Study

The sample plan below reflects the "intensive" sequence of ITAL-UA 10 and ITAL-UA 20. Students may instead choose the "extensive" sequence of ITAL-UA 1, 2, 11, and 12 in lieu of the "intensive" sequence of ITAL-UA 10 and 20 and graduate with the minimum 128 credits.

¹

Prerequisite for entering major; does not apply toward major requirements.

²

The major requires one conversation course and one composition course, selected by advisement. Options include:

• ITAL-UA 101 Conversations in Italian
• ITAL-UA 107 Italian Through Cinema
• ITAL-UA 108 Italian Through Opera
• ITAL-UA 104 Translingual Writing in Italian
• ITAL-UA 110 Translation

³

One advanced course in literature OR in culture and society focusing on the medieval/early modern period.

⁴

One advanced course in literature OR in culture and society focusing on the modern/contemporary period.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have developed:

1. Written and oral competence that will enable them to use Italian to communicate with Italian speakers worldwide.
2. A broad knowledge of Italian transnational history, culture, and literary traditions, with a focus on how Italian culture has spread globally.
3. The ability to study textual and cultural objects by acquiring skills in close reading and in analysis of both textual and audio-visual sources (including music and film).
4. The ability to situate cultural phenomena within their historical context.
5. Skills in conducting research in the field of Italian Studies, including the ability to use library and archival resources, digital tools, and new technologies.
6. The ability to approach the field of Italian Studies through an interdisciplinary perspective while working across various media.

Policies

Program Policies

Policies Applying to the Major

1. All courses for the major must be completed with a grade of C or better and cannot be taken on a Pass/Fail basis.
2. Transfer students must complete at least five courses (20 credits) of the nine courses (36 credits) required for the Italian major while in residence at New York University.

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

College of Arts and Science Policies

A full list of relevant academic policies can be found on the CAS Academic Policies page.