Welcome to Italian Studies, part of the Department of Modern Languages and Literature.
Italian has been offered at Villanova since 1962 as a part of core curriculum requirements and as cultural enrichment for students from all colleges of the University. Today, the Division of Italian offers students the opportunity to minor or major in the language, literature and culture of Italy and to earn a teaching certificate in conjunction with the Department of Education and Human Services.
The program offers a variety of courses , from the elementary to the advanced level, including language, literature and culture. The diversity of our courses is sustained by the diverse backgrounds of the faculty and the response of the student body. Students are also encouraged to study in Italy through the Urbino/Florence Study Programs at the University of Urbino, in either a summer program , or a semester abroad . The classroom experience is enriched through the mediation of the Italian Club (Circolo Italiano) which sponsors a variety of cultural activities, including field trips to points of interest, scholarly lectures, and conversation tables.
The Italian program at Villanova aims at providing for the student the opportunity to come in close contact with those elements that were crucial to the development of Western civilization, and on which is founded our present culture. Italian historians, Philosophers, economists, musicians, artists, scientists, and cinematographers of universal fame paved the way to modern and contemporary Western civilization. Moreover, knowledge of Italian has proven to be a significant asset for career-oriented students in business, government, education, law and medicine.
Majoring in Italian at Villanova provides undergraduate students with a strong background in the language, literature and culture of Italy.
Besides completing all the graduation requirements of their respective colleges, students must also complete 10 courses of Italian beyond the 1131/1132 level. All courses taken in fulfillment of the requirements must be approved by the coordinator of the Italian program.