Mar 29, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2016-2017 
    
Undergraduate Record 2016-2017 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Italian


Prerequisites for Major in Italian Studies


There are no prerequisites for the Italian Studies major. Students may declare the major and begin to take courses to fulfill it before they have completed the ITAL 2020 language requirement. These initial courses will likely be those taught in English on Italian topics (Group B ITTR courses and Group C courses). Before beginning the major’s core language courses (Group A), students must complete ITAL 2020 or the equivalent, with a grade of C or better. Native speakers of Italian must consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies before taking any Italian courses in order to determine how best to proceed.

Requirements for Major in Italian Studies


The Italian Studies major consists of 30 credits completed at the 2000, 3000 or 4000-level with a grade of C or better. Courses in which a student receives a C- or less will not count toward the major. The combination of 10 courses is constituted as follows:

Group A: Core Italian Language Courses


3 courses required in total. ITAL 2020 or equivalent required before enrolling in Group A Core Language Courses; any two from the following list, taken in any order:

  

  

  

  

and

ITAL 3030 - How to Do Things with Words Credits: 3  (required, on-grounds; 3030 requires previous or concurrent enrollment in one of the following: ITAL 3010, ITAL 3020, ITAL 3040, ITAL 3050)

Group B: Italian Literary, Film, and Cultural Studies


Required: 5 courses, divided between ITAL (taught in Italian, min. 2, max. 5) and ITTR (taught in English, min. 0, max. 3); enrollment in ITAL courses requires previous or concurrent enrollment in one of the following: ITAL 3010, ITAL 3020, ITAL 3040, ITAL 3050.

Courses in Italian include:

Group C: Italian Studies in Wider Context


Required: 2 courses taken in disciplines/depts. outside ITAL and ITTR, provided course has strong Italian component. These courses will enhance understanding of cultural and historical achievements in Italian. Departments offering these types of classes include: Architectural History, Art History, Classics, Drama, History, Linguistics, Music, and Politics. Most courses offered at UVa in Siena and UVa in Florence also apply. Students are encouraged to seek out courses that have a strong Italian component and present them for approval, if they are not listed below.

The course offerings for this group include but are not limited to:

Requirements for Minor in Italian Studies


The Italian Studies minor consists of 18 credits, exclusive of ITAL 1010-2020. As with the Italian Studies major, students may declare the minor and take courses toward fulfilling it, before they have completed ITAL 2020. These courses will likely be those taught in English on Italian topics (Group B ITTR and C). Before beginning the minor’s core language courses (Group A), students must complete ITAL 2020 or the equivalent, with a grade of C or better. The combination of 6 courses is constituted as follows:

Group A: Core Italian Language Courses


3 courses required in total. ITAL 2020 or equivalent required before enrolling in Group A Core Language Courses; any two from the following list, taken in any order:

and

ITAL 3030 How to Do Things with Words (required, on-grounds; 3030 requires previous or concurrent enrollment in one of the following: ITAL 3010, ITAL 3020, ITAL 3040, ITAL 3050).

Group B: Italian Literary, Film, and Cultural Studies


Required: min. 1, max. 3 courses taught in Italian (ITAL); min. 0, max. 2 courses taught in English (ITTR); see course lists above in Italian Studies Major. Enrollment in ITAL courses requires previous or concurrent enrollment in ITAL 3010 or ITAL 3020.

Group C: Italian Studies in Wider Context


Required: min. 0, max. 2 courses taken in other disciplines/depts. outside ITAL and ITTR; see course list above in Italian Studies Major.

Study Abroad


The Italian faculty at UVa strongly encourage all Italian Studies majors and minors to spend a term of study in Italy. For most students it is the best way to accelerate language acquisition and significantly deepen academic and cultural experience. The Italian program distinguishes between “recommended” and “approved” study abroad programs. The following two programs are recommended by Italian faculty: UVA in Siena and UVA in Florence. Both offer summer and semester-length study terms.

Consult UVa’s International Study Abroad Office for an up-to-date list of approved programs. Students who wish to study in a program that is not recommended or on the approved programs list must go through the petition process run by the International Studies Office, and provide a compelling academic reason for studying in a non-approved program.

Even when a study abroad program has been approved, students seeking to satisfy Italian Studies major or minor requirements must have the specific courses approved by the Italian major/minor advisor. Students who study in a recommended program may count up to 15 credits per semester of study abroad, or 24 credits per year of study abroad toward their Italian Studies major. Students who study at an approved program in Italy may count up to 12 credits per semester of study abroad or 18 credits for a year of study abroad toward their Italian Studies major.

All students wishing to earn ITAL or ITTR credit for work done abroad must have this credit approved by the Italian Studies program. Students are advised to seek more detailed information on study abroad credit transfer on the Italian program web site.

Independent Study


Based on faculty availability, independent study with a faculty advisor is available to advanced students of Italian who wish to pursue specific areas in depth that are not included in the regular curriculum. Usually these courses are taught in Italian. For an independent study course to count for the Italian Studies major it must be taken for a grade.

Distinguished Major Program in Italian


Italian Studies majors of exceptional ability and dedication are encouraged to enroll in the Distinguished Major Program. Like other Italian majors, the DMPs are required to take ten courses (30 credits) as indicated above. Students also complete 6 additional credits, which include the completion of a thesis written in Italian in the fourth year.

In the fall semester of their 4th year, Distinguished Majors enroll in the DMP Colloquium (a 3-credit credit/no credit course), meeting regularly with the DMP Coordinator to discuss research strategies and set intermediate goals. In the second semester of their 4th year, DMPs enroll in DMP Thesis (3 credits) and meet regularly with the faculty advisor supervising their thesis. At the end of this year DMPs present their research results to faculty, graduate students, and invited guests.

The finished thesis will be evaluated by the faculty sponsor in tandem with at least one other member of the Italian program faculty. The level of distinction (Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction) is based on the quality of the student’s thesis, the student’s overall work in the major, and the student’s overall college record (minimum GPA of 3.4).

Distinctions and Awards


The Italian program recognizes outstanding students of Italian in a variety of ways. Each spring, the program hosts its Garden Reception and Awards Ceremony, to celebrate and honor our students of Italian at both undergraduate and graduate levels. At this April gathering we award the Lola Pelliccia Undergraduate Prizes, and the Lola Pelliccia Graduate Prize. In alternating years, we also present one or more of our fourth-year students with the Marie M. Giuliano Prize, for demonstrated academic excellence in Italian language study and contribution to the growth and nurturing of Italian at the University.

Language Requirement


ITAL 1010 is a course reserved exclusively for true beginners, students who have never studied Italian before entering UVA. Students who have studied Italian prior to coming to UVA and who wish to continue in Italian will be placed according to scores obtained on the UVA Italian placement exam. The UVA Italian placement exam is offered only twice a year, on the Monday before the Fall and Spring semesters (registration required). The sequence of courses, depending on the level at which the student begins, is as follows: ITAL 1010, 1020, 2010, 2020; or ITAL 1020, 2010, 2020; or ITAL 2010, 2020; or ITAL 2020. The sequence must be followed to complete the language requirement. Once students begin the sequence of courses, they cannot skip any course in the sequence. Students are not permitted to self-place in a language course. Students who place themselves incorrectly will receive an F for the courses in which they enroll without permission. ITAL 1010 and 2010 are offered in Fall only, and ITAL 1020 and 2020 are offered in Spring only. All Italian courses to be counted toward the language requirement must be taken at UVA or at a UVA approved study abroad program.

Additional Information


For more information, contact current DUP Prof. Enrico Cesaretti, 459 New Cabell Hall (efc4p@virginia.edu); Tel. 434-924-7534; http://spanitalport.virginia.edu/.