Students who choose to study Italian at Franklin and Marshall immerse themselves in the rich humanistic tradition of Italian culture and reflect critically on Italy’s unique position in global society. Those who earn a major or minor in Italian attain proficiency in the language and gain a solid knowledge of Italy’s contributions to literature, cinema, the arts, and politics. Engaging in humanistic inquiry for its own sake, students of Italian learn to excel in critical analysis, creative thinking and effective written and oral communication, with the added cognitive and practical benefits of immersion in a foreign language. They thus become creative interpreters of Italian culture while acquiring core skills that are easily transferable to any number of other areas. Students who complete a major or minor in Italian will have built a foundation for life-long learning and success in any 21st-century career.
Italy is conceived broadly and dynamically in this program, as a space shaped by global forces and the circulation of objects, people, and ideas across borders. Italian at F&M is typically pursued as a four-year course of study in which students take one course in the program during each semester they are on campus and also study abroad with F&M’s six-week summer program in Tuscany and/or for a semester or a full year at an approved program in Padua, Milan, Florence, Perugia or elsewhere.
On campus, small classes allow students to work closely with faculty in an informal atmosphere that encourages the pursuit of individual intellectual interests and learning. Courses are conducted in Italian from the introductory levels, and students are encouraged to practice the language outside of class through a variety of co- and extra- curricular opportunities.
The Italian Minor and Major prepare students for any number of future careers. In some cases, these include research and teaching in the humanities and social sciences: in History, Classics, History of Art, Comparative Literature, Urban Studies, Film Studies, Architecture, or other areas. Italian, on its own or as part of a double or joint major, may also serve as an excellent foundation for a wide range of post-graduate professional programs, including, for example, those in public or business administration, law, or the healing arts. Recent graduates of the Department have pursued careers in education and research, government and diplomatic service, travel and tourism, music and art.
Italian Major
The Italian Department offers a major with two distinct tracks, one in Italian and one in Italian Studies.
The Italian track involves all coursework in the Italian Department, and therefore in the Italian language. This track offers the greatest opportunity for refining, using, and being exposed to the language as a cultural form shaped by its political, historical, literary, artistic, and social contexts.
The Italian Studies track allows students to take two courses for the major outside of the Department. In these two courses, taught in English, students approach Italian history and culture through the lenses of specific humanistic fields: Art History, Classics, Comparative Literature, History, or Music.
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