Italian Language and Literature
The Italian Language and Literature Department takes a multidisciplinary approach to study Italian culture throughout time and space, focusing on Italy's central role in forming Western civilization's foundational arts, ideologies, and materials. The foundation of the undergraduate curriculum is interdisciplinary and involves substantial language preparation. Film, philosophy, literature, history, art, architecture, and music are just a few of the many topics and emphases that are often covered in the department's many courses. People often question the relevance of Italian literature. Still, we soon discover that it serves as a window into the country’s storied past, depicting the heroic legends that have endured there for centuries. Before the 13th century, Latin was used in Italian literature. Latin was the language of choice for the era's chronicles, historical poems, and religious poems. Students of Italian acquire not just a fluency in the language but also a thorough familiarity with Italian literature and culture. Courses at the undergraduate level introduce students to Italian culture and the arts while teaching them the fundamentals of the language (reading, writing, and speaking). Skills in literary and film analysis and theory and knowledge of contemporary social issues are acquired in upper-division coursework.