Italian
M.A. in Italian Studies
Italian language, literature, and culture is the heart of the cultural and spiritual heritage of Western civilization. As the hub of the Roman empire, Italy transmitted the world of ancient Roman and Greek classical culture and language to the modern age. As the epicenter of Christianity, Italy transfigured the classical legacy to create the fabric of Christian culture and spirituality. As the wellspring of the European Renaissance, Italy reinvented the vast patrimony of classical-Christian culture to create the modern humanistic civilization of the West. To this day, much of the cultural vocabulary of Western civilization has its roots in Italy. To enter into Italian culture is to understand who we are and how we got here.
In each of the fields of human action -from literature, art, music, architecture, theatre, and film, to science, religion, philosophy, business, and politics- Italy has produced many of the greatest geniuses in history. Today, Italy is both one of the most culturally-vibrant nations of Europe (Italian writers have won six Nobel Prizes in the last century), and one of the most prosperous, industrialized, and technologically-advanced nations in the world.
Italian Studies is an area of exceptional and growing strength at the University of Notre Dame. First taught at Notre Dame in 1847, and re-established in 1947 by Paul Bosco (Ph.D. Harvard, 1942), who taught at Notre Dame for fifty years with his Bolognese wife, Vittoria (Magistero, University of Florence, 1954), Italian has grown to a teaching staff of 20 and about 450 students per semester: it is now the second-most-studied language at the University. Great resources, outstanding faculty, and ground breaking institutional initiatives create unparalleled opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate study.
Graduate Program Tracks in Italian
There are four tracks through which graduate students may pursue graduate degrees in Italian Studies at Notre Dame:
M.A. in Italian Studies
Normally a two-year program, although in exceptional circumstances students with a laurea (or foreign Ph.D.) in Italian literature are able to complete it in one year.
B.A.-M.A. in Italian Studies
A continuing degree for particularly-advanced Notre Dame undergraduates, which allows them to complete a master's degree with a fifth year of study.
Ph.D. in Literature/Italian
Offered through the Ph.D. in Literature Program, this allows an intensive concentration in Italian equivalent to a Ph.D. in Italian, in a context that also transcends national boundaries.
Ph.D. in Medieval Studies/Italian
Offered by Notre Dame’s renowned Medieval Institute, the program trains its students in the skills, methods, and knowledge essential to medievalists, while developing their professional profile within a department or discipline, which can be Italian literature or Italian studies.
Notre Dame has exceptional resources for graduate study in Italian.
