Italian

Honors Opportunities

The Honors Track Major in Italian: Literature and Culture Concentration
The honors track major in Italian with a concentration in literature and culture consists of 33 credits or 11 courses, including all the requirements for the major, a GPA in the major of at least 3.7, plus a substantial final essay, to be written in Italian for a graduate course or for ROIT 58000, Honors Thesis Direction, which will constitute the eleventh course. Majors are admitted to the honors track by invitation, but qualified students may petition their adviser for admission in the second semester of their junior year. No students will be accepted to the Honors Track after October 1 of their senior year.

A student who will have completed two graduate courses in Italian by the end of his/her senior year may also apply to the combined B.A./M.A program, which grants the M.A. degree with a fifth year of study.

The Honors Track Major in Italian: Italian Studies Concentration
The honors track major with a concentration in Italian studies consists of 33 credits or 11 courses, including all the requirements for the major in Italian with a concentration in Italian studies, a GPA in the major of at least 3.7, plus a substantial final essay, to be written for a graduate course or for ROIT 58000, Honors Thesis Direction, which will constitute the eleventh course. The course or topic will be selected in consultation with the student’s advisory committee for the major.  Majors are admitted to the honors track by invitation, but qualified students may petition their adviser for admission in the second semester of their junior year. No students will be accepted to the Honors Track after October 1 of their senior year.

Gamma Kappa Alpha, National Italian Honor Society
The Gamma Kappa Alpha National Italian Honor Society acknowledges superior scholastic performance in the field of Italian language, literature, and culture, and is open to membership at institutions of higher learning in the United States and Canada. The Society encourages college students to acquire a greater interest in, and a deeper understanding of, Italian culture, art and history.

Students of Italian at Notre Dame are encouraged to apply for membership in Gamma Kappa Alpha. To be eligible for membership, a student must have taken at least five courses in Italian (the fifth course may be a current one), have obtained at least a B average in those courses, and be in the upper 1/3 of his/her graduating class.  The Department will pay the $11 membership fee. This money goes to the national office of GKA and is used for defraying the cost of a handsome certificate suitable for framing.

If you are interested in being considered for membership, please provide the following information to John Welle (jwelle@nd.edu), in an email marked “Gamma Kappa Alpha”:

  • your name and home address,
  • a list of Italian courses completed,
  • grades received in those Italian courses.

Professor Welle will check to see if you meet the eligibility requirements.

New members of Gamma Kappa Alpha will be inducted into the society during the Italian Studies Honors Convocation in the Spring. Members will also be recognized at the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures annual Recognition Ceremony and Breakfast Reception during the graduation ceremonies in May.  Certificates will arrive some time during the summer and will be sent to the home address that you provide in your e-mail.

Italian Studies Honors Convocation
A yearly ceremony, including a guest speaker, the presentation of the Joseph Italo Bosco Award for Excellence in Italian Studies, the Ravarino Travel Scholarships, and inductions onto the Italian National Honor Society, Gamma Kappa Alpha, of which Notre Dame is a longstanding member.