Italian Literature and Culture Major
Students must also complete the Undergraduate Registration Requirement and the degree requirements of their home school.
The Italian Literature and Culture program offers an interdisciplinary exploration of Italy’s artistic, literary, and political traditions—from Dante to Ferrante, from medieval epic to global cinema.
At Northwestern University, alongside two years of proficiency-oriented language training, students explore Italian history, culture, and society from the Middle Ages to the present day. The program offers a six-quarter long language sequence taught by trained experts, and a variety of courses (in English and Italian) exploring Italian culture taught by scholars in Italian studies, comparative literature, cinema and media studies. Recent offerings include courses in medieval and modern Italian literature, Italian cinema in a global perspective, critical theory, visual studies, and fashion studies. Courses in fields related to Italian studies and offered by different departments may count toward requirements for the major.
The Italian program also puts special emphasis on Study Abroad programs, including the Bologna Consortial Studies Program, BU Padua Language & Liberal Arts Program, and SU Abroad Florence, as well as programs specifically tailored to students of economics, music, and classics.
Major Requirements (13 units)
Double-counting note: Weinberg College prohibits double-counting a major course toward some other major or minor, except where this is explicitly permitted in this catalog. Weinberg College does allow double-counting a major course toward a general bachelor's degree requirement (i.e. degree requirements other than majors or minors). Other programs or schools may have their own restrictions that supersede this, so check the relevant parts of this catalog for possible limits.
Requirements for the 13 courses in the major1
- At least 10 courses offered by the Italian department (ITALIAN)
- At most 6 courses taught in English
- At most 3 200-level courses taught in Italian
- At most 3 courses dealing with Italian culture offered by other departments2
- 1 or more courses on theory and methodology may be counted
- Courses offered by other departments are subject to approval by the Italian director of undergraduate studies
- The 13 courses must include at least 8 300-level courses
- 1
100-level courses do not count toward the major.
- 2
With department approval, students returning from a study abroad program in Italy may, depending on the length of the program, direct up to 8 credits earned abroad to the major, including up to 4 dealing with Italian culture that may be articulated as courses offered by other departments. Returning students must take 2 300-level courses in Italian in senior year.
Courses
Courses Taught in Italian and/or with Readings in Italian
Prerequisites for all 300-level courses taught in Italian: 2 200-level courses in Italian or consent of instructor.
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| ITALIAN 101-1 & ITALIAN 101-2 & ITALIAN 101-3 | Elementary Italian and Elementary Italian and Elementary Italian |
| ITALIAN 102-1 & ITALIAN 102-2 & ITALIAN 102-3 | Intermediate Italian and Intermediate Italian and Intermediate Italian |
| ITALIAN 103-1 | Italian for Musicians |
| ITALIAN 110-0 | Italian in the Business World |
| ITALIAN 133-1 & ITALIAN 133-2 & ITALIAN 133-3 | Intensive Italian and Intensive Italian and Intensive Italian |
| or ITALIAN 134-1 & ITALIAN 134-2 & ITALIAN 134-3 | Intensive Italian and Intensive Italian and Intensive Italian |
| ITALIAN 201-0 | Italian Through Media |
| ITALIAN 203-0 | Creative Writing in Italian |
| ITALIAN 204-0 | Introduction to Italian Literature |
| ITALIAN 205-0 | Voyage Through Italy |
| ITALIAN 206-0 | Business Italian |
| ITALIAN 207-0 | Conversation in Italian |
| ITALIAN 304-0 | Politics and Mass Culture |
| ITALIAN 306-0 | Migrations |
| ITALIAN 310-0 | Reading Italian Literature |
| ITALIAN 348-0 | The Italian Novella |
| ITALIAN 349-0 | Topics in Italian Culture and Literature |
| ITALIAN 399-0 | Independent Study |
Courses with Discussion in English
No prerequisites in Italian.
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| ITALIAN 250-0 | Topics in Italian Culture and Literature |
| ITALIAN 251-0 | Introduction to Italian Cinema |
| ITALIAN 275-0 | Dante's Divine Comedy |
| ITALIAN 277-0 | Global Neorealism |
| ITALIAN 304-0 | Politics and Mass Culture |
| ITALIAN 306-0 | Migrations |
| ITALIAN 310-0 | Reading Italian Literature |
| ITALIAN 348-0 | The Italian Novella |
| ITALIAN 350-0 | Advanced Topics in Italian Culture and Literature |
| ITALIAN 351-0 | Italian Film and Transnational Cinema |
| ITALIAN 360-0 | From the Avant-Garde to the Post-Modern |
| ITALIAN 370-0 | Major Figures in Italian History and Culture |
| ITALIAN 374-0 | Love and Sexuality in the Medieval and Early Modern Period |
| ITALIAN 377-0 | Gender and Sexuality in Italian Culture |
Honors in Italian
Majors with strong academic records and an interest in pursuing honors should contact the director of undergraduate studies no later than spring quarter of junior year. The honors thesis is produced through 1 or 2 quarters of ITALIAN 399-0 Independent Study; these ITALIAN 399-0 enrollments will count toward the 14 required units for the major. The thesis may build on previous work done in a 300-level course or, with consent of the instructor, in a graduate seminar.
Students whose theses and grades meet department criteria are recommended to the college for graduation with honors. For more information see the department website, consult with the director of undergraduate studies, and see Honors in the Major.