Italian
Major, Supplementary Major, and Minor Requirements
The Italian Studies Program offers undergraduates eight options: a Major, Supplementary Major, and Honors Major in each of two concentrations, plus a Minor and a combined five-year BA/MA.
The Literature and Culture Concentration is for students who want the deepest immersion in the language, and who wish to study great literature, cinema, and general Italian culture. This concentration corresponds to the traditional major in Italian language and literature, and is also recommended for anyone contemplating graduate work in Italian.
The Italian Studies Concentration is for students who wish to craft their own broader interdisciplinary program centered on Italy, based on proficiency in the language and a grounding in the culture.
Download a comparative overview of Majors and Minors in Italian here or read about individual programs of study below.
1) The Major in Italian: Literature and Culture Concentration
Download requirements worksheet for the Literature and Culture major>
The major in Italian with a concentration in literature and culture requires 30 credits or 10 courses at the 20xxx level or above, including no more than two 20xxx-level courses (ROIT 20215 counts as two courses for the major), ROIT 30711 (Medieval-Renaissance Italian Literature and Culture), ROIT 30721 (Modern Italian Literature and Culture), ROIT 53000 (Italian Seminar), and a minimum of five elective ROIT courses in Italian literature or culture at the 30xxx or 40xxx level or above. ROIT 30310 (Textual Analysis/Advanced Grammar Review) is recommended for all majors. A maximum of two of these elective ROIT courses may be conducted in English or with texts in translation, or may be substituted by courses on Italian subjects originating in other disciplines or departments (for example, architecture, art history, music, or history). Equivalent Italian language, literature, or culture courses from foreign study programs or other universities may be substituted for any of the courses by permission. Fifty percent of the credits for the major must be taken in residence at Notre Dame. AP credit may not be applied toward the major.
The Supplementary Major in Italian: Literature and Culture Concentration
Supplementary majors in Italian with a concentration in literature and culture are expected to demonstrate competency in the language and to complete 24 credits or eight courses at the 20xxx level or above, including no more than two 20xxx-level courses (ROIT 20215 counts as two courses for the supplementary major), ROIT 30711 (Medieval-Renaissance Italian Literature and Culture), ROIT 30721 (Modern Italian Literature and Culture), ROIT 53000 (Italian Seminar), and a minimum of three elective ROIT courses in Italian literature or culture at the 30xxx or 40xxx level or above. ROIT 30310 (Textual Analysis/Advanced Grammar Review) is recommended for all supplementary majors. A maximum of two of these elective ROIT courses may be conducted in English or with texts in translation, or may be substituted by courses on Italian subjects originating in other disciplines or departments (for example, architecture, art history, music, or history). Equivalent Italian language, literature, or culture courses from foreign study programs or other universities may be substituted for any of the courses by permission. Fifty percent of the credits for the major must be taken in residence at Notre Dame. AP credit may not be applied toward the major.
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.
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2) The Major in Italian: Italian Studies ConcentrationDownload a requirements worksheet for Italian Studies major>
The major in Italian with a concentration in Italian studies requires 30 credits or 10 courses at the 20000 level or above, to be chosen as follows: Five courses must be ROIT courses in Italian language, literature, and culture and taught in Italian, including at least one of ROIT 30711 (Medieval-Renaissance Italian Literature and Culture) or ROIT 30721 (Modern Italian Literature and Culture), and one course at the 40000 level or above; ROIT 41590 (Italian Theatre Workshop) does not count toward this major. No more than two of these five courses may be at the 20000 level (ROIT 20215 counts as two courses for the major). The other five courses must be on Italian subjects or strictly relevant to Italian culture, but must originate in at least one and no more than three disciplines or departments other than ROIT, such as history, art history, classics, FTT, music, or political science (the courses may of course be cross-listed with ROIT). Four of these five courses must be at the 30000 level or above, and include at least one course at the 40000 level or above; no more than one of the five may be at the 20000 level. In order to create a coherent program when selecting these courses, the student will form a committee of one or more faculty advisers, including at least one from ROIT, and must declare the major not later than their junior year. Equivalent courses from foreign study programs or other universities may be substituted by permission. Fifty percent of the credits for the major must be taken in residence at Notre Dame. AP credit may not be applied toward the major. Read more >
The Supplementary Major in Italian: Italian Studies Concentration
The supplementary major in Italian with a concentration in Italian studies requires 24 credits or 8 courses at the 20000 level or above, to be chosen as follows: Four courses must be ROIT courses in Italian language, literature, and culture and taught in Italian, including no more than two courses at the 20000 level; ROIT 41590, Italian Theatre Workshop, does not count toward this supplementary major The other four courses must be on Italian subjects or strictly relevant to Italian cutlure, but must originate in at least one discipline or department other than ROIT, such as history, art history, classics, FTT, music, or political science (the courses may of course be cross-listed with ROIT). Three of these four courses must be at the 30000 level or above; no more than one may be at the 20000 level. In order to create a coherent program when selecting these courses, the student will form a committee of one or more faculty advisers, including at least one from ROIT, not later than the first semester of their senior year. Equivalent courses from foreign study programs or other universities may be substituted by permission. Fifty percent of the credits for the major must be taken in residence at Notre Dame. AP credit may not be applied toward the major. Read more >
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.
Download a requirements worksheet for the minor>
The minor in Italian comprises 15 credits or five courses at the 20xxx level or above, including at least three courses at the 30xxx or 40xxx level. Three of the five courses must be ROIT courses in Italian language, literature, and culture, and taught in Italian; the fourth and fifth courses may be on Italian literature and culture taught in English or with texts in translation, or may be courses on Italian subjects originating in other disciplines or departments (for example, art history, architecture, or history). Courses from foreign study programs or other universities may be substituted by permission, but at least two courses for the Italian minor must be taken in residence at Notre Dame. AP credit may not be applied toward the major.
4) The Combined BA/MA program in Italian (Literature and Culture Concentration)
Download a worksheet for the BA-MA program>
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures offers its majors in Italian with a concentration in literature and culture the opportunity to participate in its graduate program through a combination BA/MA degree in Italian. This accelerated program requires students to take 30 credit hours at the 20xxx level or above during the normal four year undergraduate period, followed by a total of 30 credit hours of graduate courses taken during the fourth and fifth years of residence. Six credit hours can be counted toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. During their senior year, participants in this program take two graduate courses, the qualifying oral exam given to all first-year graduate students, and apply to the Graduate School for admission during the spring semester. BA/MA students are eligible for a teaching fellowship during their fifth year that includes a tuition waiver and a generous teaching stipend. Students should have a strong academic record and substantial progress toward their Italian major completed by the second semester of their junior year. It is imperative that students interested in this program contact the director of Graduate Studies and/or the graduate coordinator in Italian during their junior year, before registering for the first semester of their senior year.
