Careers
Study Italian. Do Anything.
What can I do with an Italian major?
The world is more interconnected now than it ever has been before. Knowledge of the diverse languages and cultures is vital to our engagement with the global community at large. The study of Italian is indispensable for many sectors, including business, humanities, social sciences, communications, technology, and the arts. Notre Dame Italian majors find full-time employment in a variety of positions, enroll in graduate school, service programs, join the military, or launch independent projects after graduation.
Skills you'll learn
- Effective oral communication
- Strong writing
- Team Work
- Critical thinking and analytical reasoning
- Ability to apply knowledge to real-world settings
- Ethical judgment and decision making
- Ability to analyze and solve problems with people from different backgrounds
- Research and Data Analysis
- Cultural Sensitivity
- Social Adaptability
Melchior F.R. Perella-Savarese IV ’17
Application Project Manager, Epic
I currently live and work in Helsinki, Finland. My liberal arts education comes into play daily. Studying Italian, I learned how to interact with texts in different languages and individuals from a variety of backgrounds while studying abroad. Those experiences and learned skills were invaluable after moving to Finland where I’ve experienced what Americans call “working in the grey” which refers the to cultural and linguistic differences between working in the US and Finland.
My major fostered important communication and analytical skills that I use in every meeting, presentation, and customer interaction. Internally at my company, I’ve built on the classics focus I took as an undergraduate to create professional development programs for fellow employees.
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Melchior F.R. Perella-Savarese IV ’17
Application Project Manager, Epic
I currently live and work in Helsinki, Finland. My liberal arts education comes into play daily. Studying Italian, I learned how to interact with texts in different languages and individuals from a variety of backgrounds while studying abroad. Those experiences and learned skills were invaluable after moving to Finland where I’ve experienced what Americans call “working in the grey” which refers the to cultural and linguistic differences between working in the US and Finland.
My major fostered important communication and analytical skills that I use in every meeting, presentation, and customer interaction. Internally at my company, I’ve built on the classics focus I took as an undergraduate to create professional development programs for fellow employees.
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Adrián López ’11
Architecture success manager, Architizer
“I wanted to study a language, and Italian is essential to the study of other fields like art, literature, history, and philosophy. I knew a major in Italian would enrich whatever professional path I’d eventually take. Today, as an architect, I am still benefiting from having studied Italian.
“Learning a language is a way to develop and enhance skills that are applicable to every facet of your academic and professional life."
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Tom White ’14
Founder of TJW Media LLC, a Writing and Growth Consulting Firm in New York
At Notre Dame, Tom majored in Italian and the Program of Liberal Studies (PLS). "It taught me the ability to better craft the perfect phrase, encapsulate an idea, and persuade counterparts with language," he said.
"My senior thesis on Machiavelli helped serve as capstone to my study of The Prince in PLS and his native tongue in Italian. It was difficult, but satisfying."
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Gianna Van Heel ’19
English teacher at a bilingual school in Rome, Italy
"My fluency in Italian allows me to communicate with my coworkers, friends, and family in Italy, and makes me a more competitive candidate for jobs in Italy. It also facilitates all the bureaucratic processes that come with moving to and working in Italy."
Read more about Gianna's experiences studying Italian at Notre Dame.
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Lucia West '20
currently applying to medical school
"Studying Italian gave me the invaluable opportunity to discover a new culture and it gave me a greater appreciation for people of all backgrounds, said Lucia, who majored in Italian and Neuroscience at Notre Dame.
"I studied abroad with the Summer Language Acquisition Grant in Siena, Italy. I also had the opportunity to complete an internship in an international hospital in Rome, Italy. It is by far the most asked about activity in my medical school interviews."
94% of recent Notre Dame Italian majors started full-time jobs, enrolled in graduate school, entered service programs, joined the military, or launched independent projects within six months of graduation.
Note: Outcomes data comes from First Destination reports, a survey of recent graduates conducted by the Notre Dame Center for Career Development and Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Research. Status is known for more than 90% of each graduating class.