Major or Minor in Italian

The Italian Studies major is designed for students who want to take a cross-disciplinary and trans-historical approach to the study of Italian literature, art, history, music, language, and politics. The major consists of ten courses that originate in, or are cross-listed with, the Italian program, in order to acquaint students with the widest possible range of critical methods and topics. The core courses offer students a comprehensive introduction to both Italy's rich literary tradition (ITAL 111, 112, 113, 114) and the complex varieties of its modern language (ITAL 108). Italy's prominent role in the Western tradition and important location as a crossroads of European, Arab and Eastern cultures gives students a wide variety of more specialized courses to choose from, which may involve topics like an intensive reading of Dante's Commedia or Boccaccio's Decameron, an investigation of Italians' decisive role in the Renaissance and the age of exploration and discovery (Christopher Columbus, Galileo) or the Western musical heritage (from the world's first opera, Monteverdi's Orfeo, to the vocabulary of modern musical notation). Surveys of Italian art and architecture complement inquiries into the relationship between literature and cinema, from Giotto to Pasolini, while analyses of both these media can help illuminate the complex cultural manipulations of the Fascist regime. Examinations of the history of medicine and anatomy will historicize contemporary theories of gender and sexuality, while the modern tourist industry will be considered in a longer historical perspective that includes voyages to Italy as part of the Grand Tour and contemporary migrations, as well as travel and trade between Italy and its Mediterranean neighbors. One of the most significant outcomes of these migrations is the development of an Italian-American experience, whose part in America's own cultural formation, from film to fashion, remains a powerful force on how Italy is imagined today. Political theory and philosophy, from Dante, Machiavelli and Vico to Gramsci, Agamben and Negri, also offer a rich field of study for prospective majors who wish to take advantage of the full range of opportunities available at Duke.

Italian Studies Major Requirements

The Italian Studies major offers two tracks:

  1. Italian Studies
  2. Italian and European Studies

    3. Prerequisite:
    Italian 76 or equivalent
  1. Italian Studies:
    A total of ten courses at the 100 level and above with an IT designation. The IT designation marks courses originating in the Italian program or crosslisted courses with Italian content offered by other departments or programs such as Art History, Cultural Anthropology, English, Film/Video/Digital Studies, History, International Comparative Area Studies, Literature, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies and Theater Studies. Romance Studies courses with Italian content can also be counted towards the major. Five of the 10 courses must be taught in Italian, or have an Italian preceptorial (P) component (taught in Italian for students wishing to pursue Italian credit for the major) and must include three of the five core courses: IT 108, IT 111, IT 112, IT 113, IT 114.

  2. Italian and European Studies:
    An interdisciplinary track requiring a total of ten courses at the 100 level or above. Five courses taught in Italian must be taken, three of which must be core courses (IT 108, IT 111, IT 112, IT 113, IT 114) and the others must have an FL designation or include courses with an Italian preceptorial component (P). Five related courses on any Italian and/or European topic may be taken outside the department and not in the language of the major (consult the undergraduate major advisor for approval of related courses).

Italian Studies Minor Requirements

Italian Studies:
Requirements: A total of five courses from departmental Italian offerings numbered 100 or above. These must include at least one of the five core courses (108, 111, 112, 113, 114). Three of the courses must have an FL designation or include courses with an Italian preceptorial component (P).

Courses 100-129 are taught in Italian and have an FL designation. Courses 130 and above are taught in English and are open to students without previous study of Italian. Students desiring an Italian component can enroll in the P section of those courses and are required to do their coursework in Italian. Majors and minors are also encouraged to take advantage of 200 level course offerings.