Italian Requirements

Our programs offer students the opportunity to achieve high competence in written and spoken Italian, in understanding Italian literature and culture, and in applying this linguistic, literary, and cultural knowledge to the study of other disciplines. During the academic year our program emphasizes the study of literature and culture in the context of language acquisition. The other integral components of Italian at Middlebury are the Italian School (summer on the Middlebury College campus), and the C. V. Starr-Middlebury College School in Italy (junior year or semester), where students can take courses in our magnificent Sede in Florence (in the Renaissance Palazzo Giugni) as well as at the University of Florence, or can direct-enroll in our programs at the University of Ferrara or the University of Rome (for students who prefer immersion into the Italian university system). These rich programs encourage students to deepen and broaden their study of Italian literature, cinema, history, art history, political science, and many other disciplines. During the academic year in Middlebury, all four levels of courses in Italian are available every semester, and--for qualified students--faculty members are also available to direct independent research projects (ITAL 0550) as well as senior honors research (ITAL 0755).
     For a Major in Italian: For a full or double major in Italian, students must complete eleven credits beyond ITAL 0103, including senior work (two courses at the 0400 level). (Please note: ITAL 0101, 0102, and 0103 do not count for the major). Majors are normally expected to study a year at the C.V. Starr-Middlebury College School in Italy (Florence), or at the University of Ferrara or University of Rome, and upon their return from Italy they must take an Italian literature course each semester. With careful advance planning, a student can complete a major with one semester in Italy and courses at the Italian School in the summer. No more than seven of nine credits from Florence or Ferrara are applicable to the major (three out of four, or four out of five credits for each semester). 
     Joint Major in Italian: For the joint major in Italian, students complete seven credits beginning with ITAL 0251, including two courses at the 0400 level. Students must also complete a joint project credited in either of the two disciplines, as well as fulfill the requirements in the second discipline. Students are normally expected to complete one semester at either the C.V. Starr-Middlebury College School in Florence, the university of Ferrara, or the university of Rome. No more than three out of four credits or four out of five credits per semester from coursework in Italy are applicable to the Italian part of the major. ITAL 0355 must be completed upon return by students who opt for the fall semester in Italy; spring semester students must complete the equivalent of 0355 in Italy.
     International and Global Studies Major with Italian (European Studies Track): Along with other required courses and senior work as described in the International and Global Studies major section, the Italian language component of an International and Global Studies major requires completion of the following: 1) Italian courses required for study in Italy (see below); 2) one semester, and preferably a full year, at the C.V. Starr-Middlebury College School in Florence, the University of Ferrara, or the University of Rome; 3) ITAL 0355 (or its equivalent in the summer school or in Italy); 4) at least one 0400-level course in Italian upon return from Italy. Regional specialization requirements for the International and Global Studies major may include ITAL 0290-level courses (in English) as well as 0300-level courses taught at Middlebury or in Italy.
     Minor in Italian: The Italian minor consists of six courses: ITAL 0251, ITAL 0252, (or two courses counted from ITAL 3251-3252-3253 in the Italian Summer School) and four 0300-level courses. Students entering the program with a standing beyond the ITAL 0252-level are required to take at least one 0400-level course as part of the Italian minor. All courses at the 0300-level can be completed during the academic year at Middlebury, at the Italian School, or at one of the affiliated Middlebury programs in Italy (Florence, Ferrara, or Rome).
     Fulfilling The Middlebury College Writing Requirement: All Italian majors, joint majors, minors, and International and Global Studies majors with literature and culture focus in Italian are strongly encouraged to fulfill their college writing requirement by enrolling in CMLT 0101 Introduction to World Literature.
     Requirements for Junior Year/Semester Abroad: The Italian language proficiency requirements for participation in study abroad in Italy can be completed with any combination of courses at the Middlebury campus (summer or academic year) that culminates with the successful completion of ITAL 0252 during the academic year or ITAL 3253 at the Summer School. Students must also have an overall academic average of at least B-, an average of B in Italian (or additional course work), and be enrolled in an Italian course the semester before departure. Because of the demanding and intensive nature of our programs in Middlebury, and because of the difficulty of finding equivalent programs in the United States or in Italy, we do not accept alternative programs for the fulfillment of study abroad requirements.
     C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in Italy-Florence: Students may study for a semester or for a full year in Italy. Fall and spring term students enroll for language, literature, and civilization courses in September and January. For examples of recent courses, please refer to the course database: http://www.middlebury.edu/international/sa/cid.  Students studying in Florence are also expected to enroll in at least one elective course at the Universit degli Studi di Firenze. Subject areas generally offered there include archeology, philology, Italian literature, linguistics, international relations, political science, comparative politics, sociology, history, art history, and history of economics.
     C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in Italy-Ferrara/Rome: Students who apply to the programs at the University of Ferrara or the University of Rome must contact the department chair to discuss their plans. Important: All students studying at the University of Ferrara or the University of Rome must take a literature course each semester, in consultation with the department chair, preferably including a survey or monographic course on medieval or Renaissance Italian literature. Subject areas often offered include Italian literature, comparative literature, history, linguistics, philosophy, geography, art history, architecture, theater history, sociology, and international economics as well as other disciplines.