Italian Studies Language Culture and History

The Italian Studies MA is a pathway in the faculty-wide MA in Language, Culture and History, offering an extensive range of courses in Italian literature, history and literary theory. Students can take this flexible, interdisciplinary programme as self-contained study or as preparation for a research degree.

The programme introduces students to texts from a variety of periods in Italian history and places them within a historical and philosophical framework. Students develop subject-specific, professional skills necessary for the pursuit of their chosen options, including sourcing material, field-work techniques, bibliographic skills and linguistic skills.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme offers two pathways: taught and research.

Taught: one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), dissertation (60 credits). Research: one core module (30 credits), two optional modules (60 credits), dissertation (90 credits).

A Postgraduate Diploma, one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits) full-time nine months or part-time two years, is offered.

A Postgraduate Certificate, one core module (30 credits), one optional module (30 credits) full-time three months, part-time six months, is offered.

Core module

• Language, Culture and History. This core module permits research into two areas of major contemporary interest; for example, topics explored during the current year include the following:
• Trauma
• Memory
• Visual Culture
• Queer(y)ing Sexuality

Optional modules

Students take a choice of optional modules on topics such as the following:

• Medieval and Renaissance Italian
• Renaissance Texts: Resources and Research Techniques
• Dante: Divina Commedia
• Genre in Italian Cinema
• Italy: A Difficult Modernity
• Advanced Translation from and into Italian
• Contemporary Italian Cultures

Dissertation/report

All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 12,000 words (taught pathway) or 18,000 words (research pathway).

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of seminars, tutorials, seminar-presentations, film screenings, and visits to research libraries including the British Library, the Warburg Institute, Institute of Historical Research and Senate House. Students are assessed by a variety of methods: unseen examinations, long essays, course work and the dissertation.

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants must demonstrate proven competence in the Italian language, including good reading knowledge and aural comprehension. Applicants whose first degree is not in Italian, or whose first language is not Italian will normally be required to pass a test of their knowledge of the language before they can be admitted.

Funding from the Arts & Humanities Research council (AHRC) may be possible with this degree.

Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed below.

Jean Orr Scholarship

Value:

£7,000 (1 year)

Eligibility:

UK, EU, Overseas students

Criteria:

Based on academic merit