Italian Studies

Undergraduate Program

Introduction to the Major

The Italian Studies major is an interdisciplinary program, with courses on Italian language, literature, history, cultural studies, film, and folklore offered in both Italian and English. Students will also discover courses in other departments and programs that have significant Italian content in them, including history of art, music, comparative literature, film studies, anthropology, political science, history, and Medieval studies.

Additional Options 

  • Already have an intended major but interested in Italian Studies? Consider adding an Italian Studies double major or minor.

  • If you have a strong interest in Italian Studies but do not yet know the language, we offer a range of upper and lower division courses in English that fulfill L&S breadth requirements, and Reading and Composition (R&C) courses.

  • Always wanted to learn Italian, but couldn’t fit it into your schedule? Check out summer study opportunities in Trieste, Venice, and Florence, and academic year programs in Bologna, Milan, and Rome.

Amplify Your Major

Studying Italian...has not only enriched my academic career at Cal but also shaped me to be someone who dares to get outside of my comfort zone.
class of 2019 Graduate

Four-Year Student Timeline

First Year

Explore Your Major

Connect and Build Community

Discover Your Passions

Engage Locally and Globally

Reflect and Plan Your Future

Second Year

Explore Your Major

Connect and Build Community

Discover Your Passions

Engage Locally and Globally

Reflect and Plan Your Future

Third Year

Explore Your Major

Connect and Build Community

Discover Your Passions

Engage Locally and Globally

Reflect and Plan Your Future

Fourth Year

Explore Your Major

Connect and Build Community

Discover Your Passions

  • Teach your own DeCal course

  • Undertake an optional honors thesis or independent study.

  • Apply for the European Studies Undergraduate Paper Prize.

  • Keep pursuing your interests through a fellowship or gap year after graduation.

Engage Locally and Globally

Reflect and Plan Your Future

What Can I Do With My Major?

Jobs and Employers

  • Associate, Morrison & Foerster

  • Business Platform Agent, Accenture

  • Clinical Svcs. Coordinator, UCLA

  • Consultant, Capgemini

  • Culinary Producer, Viceland

  • English Teaching Asst., SITE Program

  • Site Coordinator, AmeriCorps

Graduate Programs

  • Applied Math, PhD

  • Art History, PhD

  • Comparative LIterature, PhD

  • Educational Leadership, EdD

  • Historical Musicology, PhD

  • International Business, Masters

  • Italian Studies, PhD

Examples gathered from the First Destination Survey of recent Berkeley graduates.

Learn More

Connect With Us

Cal Day

Come to Berkeley’s annual Open House in April for information sessions, campus tours, special talks, and more.

Golden Bear Orientation

Join your peers in the campus-wide UC Berkeley orientation program for all new students.

Events

Attend department events with students, staff, and faculty. Visit italian.berkeley.edu for news and updates.

Advising

Students can drop in to 6303A Dwinelle Hall to speak with an advisor or email questions to issaug@berkeley.edu

Advising Drop-In Hours

Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5pm

How to Use this Map

Use this map to help plan and guide your experience at UC Berkeley, including academic, co-curricular, and discovery opportunities. Everyone’s Berkeley experience is different and activities in this map are suggestions. Always consult with your advisors whenever possible for new opportunities and updates.