Italian Studies at Stony Brook is a versatile program that allows the student to concentrate on the study of Italian language, culture, and literature. Students may choose an individualized course of study to fit their needs. Students interested in teaching Italian should concentrate on courses taught in the Italian language, while those interested in other careers should choose courses in culture, film studies, and Italian American social issues.
The Italian Studies major consists of an intensive study of the Italian language along with the study of the culture that has shaped Italian society and its interaction with American society through the study of literature, culture, and film studies.
The undergraduate program in Italian Studies provides training for secondary language teachers and for graduate studies in Italian. In conjunction with other disciplines, the Italian program also provides a basis for careers such as international business, law, and economics.
Placement in Language Courses for Incoming Students
The prerequisites for courses indicate approximate placement levels. One year of high school foreign language is generally considered the equivalent of one college semester. Students are advised to consult the ITL Program Coordinator if they believe the recommended course is inappropriate.
Requirements for the Major
The major in Italian Studies leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Students must complete Concentration A or Concentration B. These concentrations are designed to allow maximum flexibility in the students' programs and to fulfill their varying needs and interests. Both require as a basis a solid preparation in the language of the major. Concentration A provides preparation for teaching at the secondary school level or for graduate study in literature; Concentrations A and B both provide appropriate background for students preparing for work in law, government, international relations, business, banking, hotel management, or translation and interpretation.
All students should consult with the Coordinator of the Italian program. Students opting for Concentration B must obtain Departmental approval for their program by submitting it in advance, after consultation with the advisor, to the director of undergraduate studies.
All courses offered for the major must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. Transfer students must take at least 18 credits of the major language in residence at Stony Brook.
Completion of the major requires 36-42 credits for Concentration A and 42-48 credits for Concentration B, depending on language placement. See https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/llrc/placement_challenge_exams/challenge_exam.html for placement exam information.
A. Concentration in Language and Literature
1. Required courses:
2. Elective courses:
3. Upper-Division Writing Requirement: see C below.
B. Concentration in Italian and a Second Discipline
1. Required courses:
2. Elective courses
3. Upper-Division Writing Requirement: see C below
C. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
To demonstrate proficiency in writing English, students majoring in Italian must register for the 0-credit ITL 459 and present a dossier of a minimum of two papers of at least three to five pages each. The dossier must be submitted before the end of the second semester of the junior year to the ITL Program Coordinator. The dossier consists of papers previously composed for upper-division courses. If these papers were originally written in Italian, they must be rewritten in English. The papers are judged by a faculty committee for clarity, accuracy, and appropriateness of style. If the dossier is found to be unsatisfactory, the student will be asked to rewrite and resubmit the work in the senior year.
Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the "Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD) learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD.
Notes:
1. Credits for ITL 411 and ITL 412 cannot be transferred and must be taken at Stony Brook.
2. Students who wish to offer their native language as the main area of concentration are asked to replace ITL 211, 212, 311, and 312 by English courses appropriate to their level of proficiency in that language.
3. Students in the Foreign Language Secondary Teacher Education Program must complete 36 ITL credits.
4. ITL 475, ITL 476 and HUI 475, HUI 476 cannot be applied toward the requirements for the major in Italian.
Foreign Language Secondary Teacher Education Program
See the Education and Teacher Certification entry in the alphabetical listings of Approved Majors, Minors, and Programs.
Requirements for the Minor
For students majoring in other disciplines, an Italian minor, is available with two choices of emphasis. Students must complete either Emphasis A Language or Emphasis B Italian Studies.
All courses for the minor must be taken for a letter grade, excluding those graded S/U. All upper-division courses for the minor must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher.
Transfer students who wish to graduate with a minor in Italian must take at least six credits of upper-division Italian courses in residence at Stony Brook.
Completion of the minor with either emphasis requires 21-27 credits, depending on language placement. See https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/llrc/placement_challenge_exams/challenge_exam.html for placement exam information.
A. Emphasis on Language
B. Emphasis on Italian Studies
Note: Credits for ITL 411 and ITL 412 cannot be transferred from any other institution without prior permission of the department.
Honors Program in Italian
To be eligible to participate in the honors program, majors must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 and an average of 3.50 in Italian through the junior year. An eligible student wishing to write a senior thesis must find a faculty member of the Italian program to act as thesis advisor. The student must submit a proposal of a project in writing to the ITL Program Coordinator. Deadline for submission of the proposal for fall semester is April 30 and for spring semester is November 30. Final selection of candidates and topics is determined by an honors committee. Students selected for the program must enroll in ITL 495 for the semester in which the thesis is written. The thesis is evaluated by the thesis advisor, another member of the Italian program, and a third reader from outside the Italian program. For further information consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
| FRESHMAN |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 101 | 1 |
| WRT 101 | 3 |
| ITL 201 or ITL 211 | 6 or 3 |
| HUI or ITL elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
|
|
|
| Total | 13-16 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 102 | 1 |
| WRT 102 | 3 |
| ITL 311 or ITL 212 | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC
|
3 |
| Total | 16 |
| SOPHOMORE |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| ITL 395 | 3 |
| HUI or ITL elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| ITL 396 | 3 |
| ITL 411 | 3 |
| ITL Upper-division elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| JUNIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| ITL 412 | 3 |
| HUI or ITL Upper-division elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| ITL Upper-division elective | 3 |
| HUI or ITL Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Upper-division elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SENIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| ITL 432 | 3 |
| HUI or ITL Upper-division elective | 3 |
| ITL Upper-division Elective | 3 |
| ITL Upper-division Elective | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| ITL 495 (Honors Project) | 3 |
| ITL Upper-division elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
Major and Minor in Italian Studies
Department of European Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, College of Arts and Sciences
Chair: Sarah Jourdain
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Franck Dalmas
Coordinator of the Program: Irene Marchegiani
Assistant to the Chair: Elizabeth Tolson
Office: Humanities 2128
Phone: (631) 632-7440
Email: irene.marchegiani@stonybrook.edu
Website: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/languages-cultural-studies/