Major and Minor Requirements
Based on an interdisciplinary approach that views culture as a global phenomenon, the aims of the major in Italian are to acquire a knowledge of Italian language and literature and an understanding of Italian culture, including cinema. The Department of Italian also cooperates with the Departments of French and Spanish in the Romance Languages major and with the other foreign languages in the TRICO for a major in Comparative Literature.
The major in Italian builds on a sequence of courses spanning the history of Italian literature from the Middle Ages to the present. Most courses are taught in Italian. The introductory course (i.e. Italian 200) for majors gives students practice in speaking and writing Italian and offers a general presentation of the methods of literary criticism. Advanced courses focus on the the stylistics, linguistic, and social problems involving literary movements, such as verismo, or major authors such as Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. Some courses focus on a specific genre: The short story or drama. Majors develop individual research interests in course work supervised by a faculty member and may work on a project for departmental honors. Courses offered at the university of Pennsylvania may be taken for major credit. Summer study in Italy (Bryn Mawr's Summer Study in Pisa Program or the junior year abroad at an approved program in Italy are encouraged. An Italian house in Haffner and a lively Tavola Italiana provide a comfortable environment for spontaneous expression.
Major Requirements
Major requirements in Italian are 10 courses:
- ITAL 101 Intermediate Italian
- ITAL 102 Intermediate Italian
- ITAL 301 Dante
- ITAL 304 Petrarca and Boccaccio
- two courses on modern Italian literature
- one course on literary theory/literary ciriticism
- three additional units, at least one of which is to be chosen from the offerings on the 300 level, and no more than one from an allied field*. Where courses in translation are offered, students may, with the approval of the department, obtain major credit provided they read the texts in Italian, submit written work in Italian and, when the instructor finds it necessary, meet with the instructor for additional discussion in Italian.
*Courses allied to the Italian major include, with departmental approval, all courses for major credit in ancient and modern languages and related courses in archaeology, art history, history, music, philosophy, and political science. Each student’s program is planned in consultation with the department.
Students who begin their work in Italian at the 200-level will be exempted from ITAL 101 and 102 or from ITAL 105.
Minor Requirements
Requirements for the minor in Italian are
- ITAL 101
- ITAL 102
- two courses at the two 200 level
- two courses at the 300 level
Where courses in translation are offered, students may, with the approval of the department, obtain major credit provided they read the texts in Italian, submit written work in Italian and, when the instructor finds it necessary, meet with the instructor for additional discussion in Italian. With departmental approval, students who begin their work in Italian at the 200 level will be exempted from ITAL 101 and 102 or from ITAL 105.
College Foreign Language Requirement
The College’s foreign language requirement may be satisfied by completing ITAL 105 (intensive) with a grade of 2.0, or by completing ITAL 101 and 102 (non-intensive) with an average grade of at least 2.0 or with a grade of 2.0 or better in ITAL 102.
Students may obtain permission from the instructor to transfer from a regular language course to an intensive language course.
Study Abroad
Italian majors are encouraged to study in Italy during the junior year in a program approved by the College. The Bryn Mawr Summer Study in Pisa Program at the University of Pisa offers courses for major credit in Italian (both in Intensive Elementary/Intensive Intermediate and in Italian Literature/Culture/Cinema).
Summer Study in Pisa
Bryn Mawr offers a six-week summer program in the language, literature, and culture of Italy. Classes are offered at the University of Pisa, one of Europe's oldest universities, and are tailored toward beginning, intermediate, or advanced students. Courses are taught by Bryn Mawr College and University of Pisa faculty. For more information go to http://www.brynmawr.edu/italian/pisa
Requirements for Honors
The opportunity to conduct a project of supervised sustained research (ITAL 403 Independent Study) is open to all majors with a 3.7 GPA. Students who want to graduate with honors are asked to write a senior thesis and to defend it with members of the Italian Department and/or a third outside reader at the end of the senior semester. Students wishing to do so will present a topic that a faculty member is willing to supervise, a written proposal of the topic chosen, and, if approved by the department, will spend one semester in the senior year working on the thesis.
