From ancient Rome to the European Union, Italy has always been at the core of the humanist tradition and the heart of world affairs. A degree in Italian offers a broad-based humanities education with crucial skills in reading, writing, critical thinking, and intercultural communication useful for any number of pursuits after college. Our majors have gone on to career paths in teaching, government, and business both in the US and abroad. Others have enrolled in prestigious graduate programs in linguistics, literature, and law.
DePaul’s Italian program gives students the opportunity to attain advanced language proficiency while studying all aspects of Italian literature and culture. Topics of our regular course offerings include:
- Language and Culture
- Film
- History and Politics
- Geography
- Food and Wine
- Business
- Literature
- Linguistics
- Translation
Students expand upon the fundamental skills learned in the Italian core by choosing one of three concentrations: Italian Studies, Italian Language and Literature, and Commercial Italian. DePaul majors in world language education, management, marketing, environmental studies, history of art and architecture, international studies, political science and many other disciplines often choose to double major in Italian.
Each Fall DePaul’s study abroad program in Rome offers students the opportunity to study at Italiaidea, a small, student-centered language institute with a superb record and reputation for high quality instruction, and at St. John’s University campus in Rome, a university, like DePaul, driven by its Vincentian mission. Students can also spend a semester or year in Milan through DePaul's partnership with Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The Italian Program has a chapter of the National Italian Honor Society Gamma Kappa Alpha and routinely partners with Italian agencies, businesses, and community organizations to offer its students quality internship opportunities locally and abroad. Home to one of the largest Italian-American communities in the US, Chicago also offers a dazzling array of resources—the Italian Cultural Institute, museums, galleries, film centers, restaurants and cafés—that allow students to immerse themselves in Italian language and culture right here in the city.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Liberal Studies Requirements | 84 |
| Major Requirements | 48 |
| Open Electives | 60 |
| Total hours required | 192 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Communicate in Italian at the Advanced Low proficiency level.
- Analyze cultural products in Italian and English.
- Explain features of Italian and its use.
- Navigate cultural differences effectively.
- Apply their language and cross-cultural skills to other domains.
College Core Requirements
Study in the Major Field
The student’s course of study in the College consists of three parts: Liberal Studies, the major field, and electives. Together these three parts contribute to the liberal education of the student which is the common purpose of all study in the College. By “liberal education” the College understands not only a deep and thorough knowledge of a particular area of study but a knowledge of the diverse areas of study represented by criticism, history, the arts, the behavioral and social sciences, philosophy, religious studies, the natural science, and mathematics.
The major field program generally is built upon a set of core courses and a specialized “concentration.” The number of courses required for a major varies by department. Most students go beyond the minimum requirements, electing additional courses which both broaden and deepen their understanding of their chosen discipline.
Because no academic major program is built in isolation, students are required to pursue a number of electives of the student’s choice. The inherent flexibility of this curriculum demands that the student consult an academic advisor at each stage in the total program and at least once prior to each registration.
Students will be prompted to visit the College Office for their official graduation check early in their senior year.
Declaration of Major, Minor and Concentration
All students in the College are required to declare a major field prior to beginning their junior year. The student will then be assigned a faculty advisor in the major field department or program and should make an appointment to see that advisor at his or her earliest convenience.
Students must declare or change majors, minors, and concentrations, via Campus Connection. However, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of changing a major field, the student should consult an academic advisor in the Office for Academic Advising Support.
The Modern Language Requirement (MLR)
All students will be required to demonstrate competence in a modern language (i.e., a language other than English) equivalent to the proficiency attained from one year of college-level language study. This Modern Language Requirement (MLR) may be demonstrated by:
- placing into 104 or above on the DePaul language placement exam
- completing the last course or earning AP/IB credit for the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language (e.g. 103 for DePaul language classes)
- completing a college course or earning AP/IB credit for a college course beyond the first-year level in any language (e.g. 104 or above for DePaul language classes)
- completing the final course of a four-year sequence of the same modern language in high school*
- completing a proctored exam by BYU and passing the exam (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
- completing a proctored Written Proficiency Test (WPT) by Language Testing International (LTI) and achieving a score of Beginner High or above (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
*Students are strongly encouraged to take the DePaul language placement exam even if they have met the MLR via study of a language in high school. This will ensure continuation of language study at the proper level.
Please note: Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement.
Students who complete an Inter-College Transfer (ICT) to the College will abide by the MLR in place on the effective date of the ICT, regardless of when they first matriculated at DePaul.
Students who have met the MLR and wish to pursue further work in the language may elect the “Modern Language Option” (see below).
The Modern Language Option (MLO)
The Modern Language Option is available to all BA students who wish to study a modern language beyond the level required by their College, and to all other undergraduate students without a modern language requirement who wish to study a language at any level.
Students selecting the MLO may substitute a sequence of three courses in the same language for three domain courses.
The three MLO substitutions must be made in three different domains, and any substitutions must be consistent with the principle that students complete at least one course in each learning domain.
MLO substitutions may not be used to replace requirements in the Math & Computing, and Scientific Inquiry, domains.
Students majoring in one modern language may use the Modern Language Option for study of a second language at the Intermediate level or above.
Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Option.
NOTE: Please contact your college/school regarding additional information and restrictions about the Modern Language Option.
External Credit and Residency
A student who has been admitted to the College begins residency within the college as of the first day of classes of the term in which the student is registered. Students in residence, whether attending on a full-time or part-time basis, may not take courses away from DePaul University without the written permission of the college. Permission must be obtained in advance of registration to avoid loss of credit or residency in the college; see the LAS website for more information.
Liberal Studies Requirements
Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.
| First Year Program | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Quarter | ||
| LSP 110 or LSP 111 | DISCOVER CHICAGO or EXPLORE CHICAGO | 4 |
| Focal Point | ||
| LSP 112 | FOCAL POINT SEMINAR | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WRD 103 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 | 4 |
| WRD 104 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| MAT 120 | QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 | 4 |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Race, Power, and Resistance | ||
| LSP 200 | SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE | 4 |
| Junior Year | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Required | 4 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Required 1 | 4 | |
- 1
Students must earn a C- or better in this course.
- 2
Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam, or by credit earned for advanced math coursework at DePaul (MAT 135, MAT 136, MAT 147, MAT 148, MAT 149, MAT 150, MAT 151, MAT 152, MAT 155, MAT 156, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 162, MAT 170, MAT 171, MAT 172, or equivalent) or any transfer, CLEP, IB, or AP Calculus credit. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfil any of the three QR/MCD requirements.
Learning Domains
Arts and Literature (AL)
- 1 Course Required
Historical Inquiry (HI)
- 2 Courses Required
Math and Computing (MC)
- 2 Courses Required
[1 CR Course and 1 SR Course]
Philosophical Inquiry (PI)
- 2 Courses Required
Religious Dimensions (RD)
- 2 Courses Required
Scientific Inquiry (SI)
- 2 Courses Required
[1 Lab Course and 1 SWK Course]
Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)
- 3 Courses Required
Notes
A student whose only major is in Modern Languages is required to complete the Capstone offered by the Department of Modern Languages (MOL). A student who is double majoring (or pursuing dual degrees) with the primary major (or primary degree) in MOL may substitute the Capstone of the secondary major or degree. An MOL major in the University Honors Program shall take only the University Honors Capstone, not both the Honors Capstone and the MOL Capstone.
Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major. Students who choose to take an experiential learning course offered by the major may count it either as a general elective or the Experiential Learning requirement.
In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.
Major Requirements
Majors in Italian must complete a total of 12 courses (48 quarter hours), comprised of an 8-course core at the Intermediate and Advanced levels and a 4-course concentration in "Italian Studies," "Italian Language and Literature," or "Commercial Italian."
Core Courses (32 quarter hours)
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ITA 105 | INTERMEDIATE ITALIAN II | 4 |
| ITA 106 | INTERMEDIATE ITALIAN III | 4 |
| Select six 300-level ITA courses * | 24 | |
300-level courses will vary based on quarterly offerings.
300-Level Italian Course Listings*
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ORIGINS OF ITALIAN LITERATURE: THE MIDDLE AGES | ||
| MASTERPIECES OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE | ||
| LITERATURE AND SCIENCE IN ITALY: 1600-1800 | ||
| ITALIAN CIVILIZATION I: THE MIDDLE AGES AND RENAISSANCE | ||
| TOWARDS UNIFICATION: ROMANTICS, REVOLUTIONARIES, AND REALISTS | ||
| FUTURISM AND BEYOND: TWENTIETH CENTURY WRITERS AND CULTURE | ||
| DANTE'S INFERNO: THE WORLD OF THE CONDEMNED | ||
| DANTE'S PURGATORY AND PARADISE: THE REALM OF SALVATION | ||
| THE ITALIAN NOVEL | ||
| PETRARCA AND BOCCACCIO | ||
| ITALIAN POETRY | ||
| ITALIAN DRAMA | ||
| ITALIAN WOMEN WRITERS | ||
| CONTEMPORARY MULTICULTURAL WRITERS IN ITALIAN | ||
| CILS EXAMINATION PREPARATION COURSE | ||
| ITALIAN FOR BUSINESS | ||
| TRANSLATION | ||
| ITALIAN CINEMA | ||
| ITALIAN CIVILIZATION II: EARLY MODERN ITALY | ||
| ITALIAN CIVILIZATION III: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ITALY | ||
| HISTORY OF THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE | ||
| ITALIAN LANGUAGE IN THE SOCIETY OF COMMUNICATION | ||
| ITALIAN PHONOLOGY AND PHONETICS | ||
| FOREIGN LANGUAGES ACROSS THE CURRICULUM | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN ITALIAN | ||
| STUDY ABROAD |
Additional Domain Course Listings
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ITA 260E | EAT ITALY: THE HISTORY, CULTURE AND POLITICS OF ITALIAN FOOD | 4 |
| ITA 262E | STYLE MATTERS: ITALIAN FASHION THROUGH LITERATURE | 4 |
Open Electives
Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours. Majors in Italian should select these courses in consultation with the Italian Program Director and Modern Languages Staff Advisor. Students can use their open electives to pursue a double major or one or more minors.
Concentration Requirements
Concentrations, tracks and specializations provide focus to the major. In addition to any college core requirements, liberal studies requirements and major requirements, students are required to choose one of the following:
Each of these concentrations allows Italian majors to develop their broad intercultural communicative skills through a rigorous interdisciplinary education tailored to their academic and professional interests. While the course listings for each concentration are not exhaustive, they represent a substantial sampling of courses from around the university that can be applied toward the respective concentrations. Students are encouraged to meet regularly with the Italian Program Director and the Modern Languages staff advisor to discuss elective course options for whichever concentration they choose. Other relevant courses may count as electives for the concentrations with consultation/permission of the Italian Program Director.