Italian and Linguistics (BA)

Program Description

Italian

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 the bountiful event programming of the Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, and have the opportunity for internships and scholarships. Majors and minors are encouraged to enrich their studies by spending at least one semester at NYU’s breathtaking Florence campus.

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

Linguistics

Linguistics is the science of human language. It seeks to determine that which is necessary in human language, that which is possible, and that which is impossible. While linguists work to determine the unique qualities of individual languages, they are constantly searching for linguistic universals—properties whose explanatory power reaches across languages. The discipline of linguistics is organized around syntax (the principles by which sentences are organized), morphology (the principles by which words are constructed), semantics (the study of meaning), phonetics (the study of speech sounds), phonology (the sound patterns of language), historical linguistics (the ways in which languages change over time), sociolinguistics (the interaction of language with society), psycholinguistics, and neurolinguistics (the representation of language in the brain). Current research by faculty members extends across the field, including topics in the interaction of syntax and semantics, phonetics and phonology, languages in contact, pidgin and creole languages, urban sociolinguistics, and computer analogies of syntactic processes.

Joint Honors

Students interested in pursuing joint honors in Italian and Linguistics should consult with the Italian department as well as with the director of undergraduate studies in Linguistics either in or before the second semester of their junior year.

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 in Italian and linguistics requires the completion of nine 4-credit courses (36 credits), comprised of the following:

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

To be determined in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies.

Sample Plan of Study

Note: Students may 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

Chosen by advisement from a list of approved courses.

³

Chosen by advisement from a list of approved courses. Each course must represent a distinct field of linguistics.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will have:

1. Written and oral competence that will enable them to use Italian in communication with Italian speakers worldwide.
2. Knowledge of Italian trans-national 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. An understanding of how to approach the study of human language scientifically.
5. The ability to analyze linguistic data in the subfields of phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics.

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. No more than two courses from CORE-UA and/or FYSEM-UA can count toward the major in Italian. They must be taught by Italian studies faculty members.
3. Internships do not count toward the Italian major.
4. 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.