Why Major or Minor in Italian?
Studying foreign language, culture, and society benefits students in many ways, allowing you to develop intercultural competencies, increase your communication skills, develop better analytical and critical thinking skills, and provide a more nuanced and thorough understanding of the world around you. Italy is one of the most-visited countries in the world and has the 8th largest economy in the world. As a significant member of the European Union, it features prominently on the world stage. Our majors, minors, and study abroad programs are designed to enhance your interpersonal and intercultural skills, increase your career-readiness, and support you through your academic journey at Pitt.
Italian and Italian Studies Majors
Our Italian majors and minors are designed with you, the student, in mind. Both the Italian and the Italian Studies majors focus on language proficiency and deep cultural understanding. The Italian Studies majors allows students to take more courses in English and in other departments, allowing for maximum flexibility. Most of our majors are double majors within the Dietrich School, and some even complete dual degrees.
Course Requirements
Italian Studies Major (33 credits) | Italian Major (33 credits) |
ITAL 0100, 0200, 0300 | ITAL 0100, 0200, 0300 |
Three courses in the ITAL 04XX sequence, taken in any order (e.g., 0410, 0412, 0413, etc.) | Three courses in the ITAL 04XX sequence, taken in any order (e.g., 0410, 0412, 0413, etc.) |
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For the most current requirements, please refer to the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Studies Department's Majors, Minors, and Certificates page to view all available Major Sheets. Please contact the Language Program Advisors (Prof. Chiara Montera and Prof. James Coleman) regarding requirements for students with enrollment dates prior to recent course registration policy revisions (the revision date is noted on the program sheet).
Check out our course offerings for next semester here.
Minor in Italian
Our minor consists of any five courses (15 credits total) with the “ITAL” designation in our course catalog. These courses can be taught in English or in Italian and can be at any level. Study abroad courses completed in Italy also count towards the minor. We recommend declaring the minor as soon as possible so that you can receive more information from our advisors and faculty mentors.
Experiential Learning
Our small size allows us to offer individualized advising, as well as unique internship, undergraduate research, and undergraduate teaching opportunities. Many of these experiences can also be funded. Our students leave Pitt with enhanced communication and analytical skills, a deep understanding of one of the world’s most fascinating cultures, and foreign language proficiency that is vital in today’s increasingly interconnected world. Learn more about how they’re using their Italian Major in our Career Paths feature.
Study in Italy
Studying in Italy can be a very rewarding experience and we aim to assist our students in taking advantage of the growing opportunities for academic travel to Italy. Our primary goal is to aid Italian students in making decisions about study abroad programs and institutions, the coursework and opportunities they offer, and ultimately, the kind of study abroad experience they would like to have! Find more information here,
Most of our students choose to study in one of our Panther Programs in Rome or Florence. To help students achieve their goals abroad, each year we award almost $10,000 in Departmental Scholarship funds to help them get there. Our students have also been very successful in winning the annual Italian Nationality Room Scholarships as well. Find a list of other scholarship opportunities here.
Faculty contacts:
Italian Language Program Coordinator and Study Abroad Advisor
Prof. Lorraine Denman
Italian Major Advisors
Prof. Chiara Montera and Prof. James Coleman