Italian, Bachelor of Arts College of Letters & Science
The Major Program
The major in Italian provides a solid language background that will enable the student to develop an appreciation for the numerous contributions Italians and Italophones have made to literature, the arts, political theory, science, and other expressions of human creativity. The major also emphasizes the influence Italian culture continues to have on our global world.
The Program
The Italian program is geared to the specific needs and interests of the students, who enjoy the advantages of a small classroom setting and the individualized mentoring of dedicated professors. While the use of Italian is stressed in language and literature courses, the program is interdisciplinary in nature. Starting at the lower division level, students collaborate closely with academic advisors in order to design a major curriculum that includes culture, film, art history, history, food science, and other courses in related fields offered on campus or in Italy. The Italian program actively participates in the UC-wide Education Abroad Program, the Quarter Abroad Program (Florence), the International Internships Program, and the Summer Abroad Program (Rome), all of which offer opportunities for travel and study in Italy.
Career Alternatives
The Italian Program provides a solid foundation for a variety of career paths by offering training in Italian language and culture and developing skills that are vital in any professional setting: critical analysis, interpersonal skills, effective written and oral communication, and cultural sensitivity. In addition to specific career paths in foreign service and education, knowledge of the Italian language and culture enhances professional opportunities in a variety of fields, such as viticulture and enology, food science, political science, medicine, architecture, and engineering.
Honors & Honors Program
Candidates for high or highest honors in Italian must write a senior thesis under the direction of a faculty member. For this purpose, honors candidates must enroll in ITA 194H (3 units) and ITA 195H (3 units). Normally, a student will undertake the honors project during the first two quarters of the senior year; other arrangements must be authorized by the department chair. Only students who, at the end of the junior year (135 units), have attained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.500 in courses required for the major will be eligible for the honors program.
Education Abroad Program
The department strongly encourages students to study abroad in the Summer Abroad program (Rome), the Quarter Abroad Program (Florence), or the Education Abroad Program. Applicable courses are accepted for credit in the major program.
Prerequisite Credit
Credit will not normally be given for a course if it is a prerequisite of a course already successfully completed. Exceptions can be made only by the major advisor.
Quarter Abroad Program
The UC Davis Quarter Abroad Program and the Italian Program offer an exciting Italian Language and Culture Program in Florence, Italy. While studying abroad in Florence, students will earn 16-24 UC Davis quarter units and will experience the richness and vitality of Italian and European culture.
Participants fulfill three-quarters-worth of Italian language study, enroll in culture and film courses, integrate into the Florentine community through meaningful internships (with transcript notation), and explore electives in areas such as art history, fashion, business, and food studies.
There is no language requirement, and all registered UC Davis students with 2.000 GPA and above, good academic standing, and good disciplinary standing are eligible to apply.
For more information, please contact Professor Margherita Heyer-Caput or see Quarter Abroad Italy.
Major Advisor
E. Russell
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Preparatory Subject Matter | 25-30 | |
| Elementary Italian | ||
| Elementary Italian | ||
| Elementary Italian | ||
OR | ||
| Beginning Italian for Spanish Speakers | ||
or ITA 031Y | Beginning Italian for Spanish Speakers | |
| Beginning Italian for Spanish Speakers | ||
or ITA 032Y | Beginning Italian for Spanish Speakers | |
| AND | ||
| Intermediate Italian | ||
| Intermediate Italian | ||
| Intermediate Italian | ||
| OR the equivalent. | ||
| Preparatory Subject Matter Subtotal | 25-30 | |
| Depth Subject Matter | ||
| Four Required Courses | ||
| ITA 101 | Advanced Conversation, Composition & Grammar | 4 |
| or ITA 101S | Advanced Conversation, Composition & Grammar | |
| ITA 105 | Introduction to Italian Literature | 4 |
| Two Italian literature courses taught in Italian from two different areas among the following: | 8 | |
(a) Medieval Italian: | ||
| Medieval & Renaissance Poetry: St. Francis to Petrarch | ||
| Dante Alighieri, Divina Commedia (Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso) | ||
| Boccaccio, Decameron, & the Renaissance Novella | ||
| Special Topics in Italian Literature 1 | ||
(b) Renaissasnce Italian: | ||
| Studies in the Cinquecento | ||
| Italian Literature of the Renaissance & the Baroque: From Cellini to Marino | ||
| Italian Drama from Machiavelli to the Enlightenment | ||
| Early Modern Italian Lyric | ||
| Special Topics in Italian Literature 1 | ||
(c) Modern Italian: | ||
| Italian Literature of the 18th Century | ||
| Italian Literature of the 19th Century | ||
| Italian Literature of the 20th Century: The Novel | ||
| Italian Literature of the 20th Century: Poetry & Drama | ||
| Special Topics in Italian Literature 1 | ||
| Five Elective Courses in Italian Literature, Cinema, or Culture | ||
| To be chosen in consultation with the Italian faculty advisor, from among the following: | 20 | |
| Italian Translation & Style | ||
| Topics in Italian Culture | ||
| Autobiography in Italy | ||
| Studies in Italian Cinema 2 | ||
| Special Study for Honors Students | ||
| Honors Thesis | ||
Choose one: | ||
| Survey of Italian Culture & Institutions 2 | ||
| Survey of Italian Culture & Institutions 2 | ||
Choose one: | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Italian Culture & Society 2 | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Italian Culture & Society 2 | ||
Choose one: | ||
| Special Topics in Italian Literature 2 | ||
| Special Topics in Italian Literature 2 | ||
Choose one: | ||
| New Italian Cinema 2 | ||
or FMS/ITA 121 | New Italian Cinema | |
Choose one: | ||
| New Italian Cinema 2 | ||
or FMS/ITA 121S | New Italian Cinema | |
Choose one: | ||
| Gender & Interpretation in the Renaissance 2 | ||
| Gender & Interpretation in the Renaissance | ||
Up to two of the five electives may be selected from courses in related fields offered in other departments. These must be chosen in consultation with the Italian faculty advisor. Sample courses include: | ||
| Early Italian Renaissance Art & Architecture | ||
| High & Late Italian Renaissance Art & Architecture | ||
| Topics in the Anthropology of Europe | ||
| The Detective Story as Literature | ||
| The European Middle Ages | ||
| The Renaissance | ||
| Comparative Study of Major Authors | ||
| Italian-American Cinema | ||
| Europe in the 20th Century | ||
| Europe in the 20th Century | ||
| Please note: a maximum of 8 units of coursework in English is allowed for the Italian major. | ||
| All upper division courses are to be chosen in consultation with the Italian faculty advisor. | ||
| Recommended | ||
| Study abroad in Italy for a period of one year, one semester, or one quarter, and/or the study of Latin or another Romance Language. | ||
| Depth Subject Matter Subtotal | 36 | |
| Total Units | 61-66 | |
- 1
If applicable.
- 2
Taught in English.