College of Arts and Sciences
Curriculum
Solidify your Italian language skills through language-focused coursework, then take upper-division courses taught in Italian. In these upper-division courses, gain expertise in sociocultural issues as well as literary and cinematic history, analysis and theory. This interdisciplinary curriculum is grounded in the history of Italy and its culture from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to the present.
- Demonstrate a general knowledge of Italian culture, giving examples from literature, art, history, geography, religion, politics, film and music.
- Recognize differences in cultural behavior between your culture(s) and Italian culture.
- Express yourself in Italian on a number of subjects of practical and intellectual relevance.
- Engage in conversations on complex ideas—for example, through discussion and analysis of a literary text—and provide a supported argument, including emerging evidence in support of your points of view.
- Comprehend a broad range of subjects of practical and intellectual relevance based on the specific vocabulary studied.
- Comprehend complex texts previously presented and discussed in class—such as novels, short stories, essays and newspaper articles—and understand their main ideas and supporting details.
- Derive meaning from context and linguistic features.
- Write summaries, descriptions and critical interpretations of complex texts—for example, on canonical literary works of the Middle Ages and modern times using different tenses and expressing your points of view.
- Italy Today: Language, Media and Culture in Contemporary Italy
- Dante’s Divine Comedy: Inferno
- Lies, Deception, and Miscreants in Italian Literature
- Africa in Italian Literature
- Love, Italian Style
Extracurricular Opportunities
Network with Italian Program Alumni
Students have the opportunity to learn about the different career paths that Syracuse Italian majors have pursued with great success. As part of this opportunity, students develop mentor/mentee relationships with professionals who can highlight the diversity of opportunities available to students with advanced language proficiency. This is an especially important piece of our program’s commitment to advising and career planning.
Syracuse Florence
Students majoring in Italian language, literature, and culture are encouraged to immerse themselves in Italian culture. What better way to do this than to study abroad in Italy? For a full semester, Syracuse students can live, learn and even pursue internships at the University’s center in Florence, Italy. Syracuse professors living in Florence offer coursework that is infused with Italian cuisine and art. While abroad, students live with Italian host families for even deeper cultural immersion and language practice.
Study at Italian Universities
While abroad, choose to study at the University of Florence, where courses are taught in either English or Italian. The Centro di Cultura per Stranieri, which is part of the University of Florence, is located just across the piazza from the Syracuse Florence Center.
Learn more about this program