Italian, Undergraduate, Department of French and Italian, Northwestern University

Dante and Enrico Fermi, Machiavelli and Saint Catherine of Siena, Michelangelo and Federico Fellini, Roman roads and popular fashion; Italy has been called the fountain of Western culture and the pivot around which it revolves. Italian language and literature open a door on two thousand years of history,thought, and style.

Proficiency in language and knowledge of culture are keys to careers in business and art, in teaching, engineering, and media. Northwestern offers an undergraduate major and minor in Italian. After a beginning language sequence of six quarters, students advance to a variety of courses exploring Italian culture and literature. In addition to establishing an indispensable foundation in Italian literature and thought, these courses are designed to encourage students to participate in developing their own curriculum and mapping out their own research.

Courses in related fields may contribute toward requirements for the major. Many Italian majors are double majors in fields as diverse as music, history, and cinema, and many create independent study programs joining Italian with their other interests.

The Italian program also puts special emphasis on Study Abroad programs, including Northwestern's celebrated year-long Bologna Program, as well as other programs offered by non-affiliated colleges and universities. Students completing the major in Italian will have language proficiency and be skilled in textual analysis, independent research, and composition.