Immerse yourself in the rich language, culture, and history of Italy.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Italian Studies in the College of Letters & Science is an interdisciplinary enterprise. Students will find courses in Italian language, literature, history, cultural studies, film, and folklore, both in Italian and English. The Department of Italian Studies is widely acknowledged to be one of the leaders and innovators in our field in North America and internationally.
While the department still has strong roots in its traditional mission of teaching and promoting the language and literature of Italy, it has broadened its scope to include multiple disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives and to view the country, its language, and its peoples in regional, national, European, Mediterranean, and even global contexts, from the Middle Ages and Renaissance down to the present day.
Highlights
- Present at the department’s annual Bocciardi Undergraduate Conference.
- Practice your Italian language with peer tutoring and conversation sessions.
- Carry out research under the guidance of a faculty member as part of the Italian Studies Honors Program.
Curriculum
The Department of Italian Studies offers courses in Italian language, literature, history, cultural studies, film, and folklore in both Italian and English. You will also discover that courses with significant Italian content are often taught in other departments and programs, including history of art, music, comparative literature, film studies, anthropology, political science, history, and medieval studies which may be applied to major or minor requirements by advance consultation with the undergraduate advisor.
Learn more at italian.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/major-minor
Options in Italian
We offer a Minor in Transnational Italian Studies, requiring only one year of elementary Italian language with remaining requirements conducted in English. We also offer courses that fulfill L&S breadth as well as reading and composition (R&C) requirements.
Want to learn Italian? Consider ITALIAN 1R (for those who already speak French, Spanish or Portuguese), ITALIAN W1 (a combined online/in-person elementary Italian class), or summer language study abroad in Italy.
Declaring the Major
Upon acceptance to UC Berkeley, you are admitted to the College of Letters & Science as an undeclared student. To declare the Italian Studies major, contact the Undergraduate Student Services Advisor as early as possible in order to plan an individualized course of study. The earliest you can declare the major is following the completion of one year of elementary Italian or the equivalent.
If you entered UC Berkeley as a transfer: register for a language placement assessment with the language coordinator to determine the level of language you should enroll in next, and meet with the Undergraduate Student Services Advisor as soon as possible after you arrive at UC Berkeley.
Italian Studies is an interdisciplinary degree that helps students explore a wide range of interests and open the door to a wide variety of careers. Graduates with an Italian Studies degree from UC Berkeley pursue diverse career paths, including education, translation, international business, diplomacy, and cultural preservation. The major's emphasis on language proficiency, cultural literacy, and critical thinking makes it valuable in global industries such as tourism, journalism, and nonprofit work. Additionally, many graduates continue with advanced studies in Italian literature, art history, or related fields.
UC Berkeley offers a number of career resources for students studying Italian Studies. The College of Letters & Science spotlights career pathways for students in the Arts & Humanities, and offers advising for undergraduates pursuing medical or health professions programs, law school, or masters and PhD programs. Additionally, Berkeley Career Engagement provides career and graduate school advising, job and internship listings, and events such as career and graduate school fairs.
Employment
Alumni find employment in a variety of fields and industries after graduation. Examples include:
- Business Platform Agent
- Clinical Services Coordinator
- Consultant
- Culinary Producer
- Diplomat
- English Teaching Assistant
- Foreign Services Officer
- Lawyer
- Restaurant Partner
- Victims’ Rights Advocate
Graduate Study
Alumni pursue graduate education to gain more depth of knowledge in their field as well as prepare for jobs that require advanced degrees. Examples include:
- Art History
- Biomedical Engineering
- Biomedical Technology
- Comparative Literature
- Educational Leadership
- Historical Musicology
- International Affairs
- International Business
- Italian Studies
- Law
- Museum Studies
Lily, class of 2021
Lily Chavez (B.A. Italian Studies and Political Science) is a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State.
Why did you choose Italian Studies? Italian Studies has great professors who are incredibly passionate about teaching. The class sizes are small so you can make meaningful friendships with your classmates.
How did your degree shape your career? It inspired me to pursue a career in international affairs. I live overseas and study foreign languages.
What skills do you use that you learned as an Italian Studies student? Communication skills—in particular presentation skills in foreign languages.
Advice for students? Step out of your comfort zone!
First Year
Plan Your Studies
- Start exploring with L&S 1 and first-year guides from L&S and Arts & Humanities.
- Visit L&S Advising for help with major exploration and degree requirements.
- Familiarize yourself with the Italian Studies major; start on the Italian language sequence (take a placement exam if needed).
- Discover new interests in a Freshman Seminar, Changemaker, or A&H Compass or Gateway course.
- Learn how to prepare for office hours and build relationships with faculty.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Get involved with a student organization like the Italian Society at Berkeley.
- Join Berkeley Connect for 1:1 mentoring and to meet peers with shared interests.
- Find community service opportunities through the Public Service Center
- Visit the Discovery Hub to get started with research, entrepreneurship, public service, and creative projects.
- Practice your Italian with a peer tutor
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Visit the UHS Career Counseling Library and Berkeley Career Engagement.
- Start exploring career paths for the major; check out career resources on the Arts & Humanities website.
- Begin making a plan to get career ready.
- Create or update your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Use Handshake to start connecting with career events and opportunities.
Second Year
-
Plan Your Studies
- Meet with your major and college advisor to discuss your academic plans.
- Continue exploring with a Sophomore Seminar or Big Ideas course.
- Look into study abroad; see resources from the department.
- Enrich your studies with a course thread, certificate, or minor such as Applied Language Studies.
- Complete lower division requirements in elementary and intermediate language, and declare the major.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Attend the department’s Bocciardi Undergraduate Conference.
- Develop your skills in the Berkeley Student Leadership Academy.
- Explore research opportunities on the OURS website; apply to URAP to work on a faculty research project.
- Explore the Berkeley Language Center.
- Apply for a FLAS Fellowship.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Meet with a BCE career educator to discuss career options and goals.
- Begin building your network and exploring career fields via job shadowing and informational interviews.
- Pursue an internship to build skills and explore fields.
- Considering graduate school? Explore resources from the Graduate Division, L&S Advising, and BCE; look into the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship.
Third Year
Plan Your Studies
- Begin taking upper division requirements in Italian language, culture, and electives.
- Review your degree progress with your major and college advisor.
- Develop your writing and critical thinking in an Art of Writing seminar.
- Consider applying to the Italian Studies Honors Program; look into the Haas Scholars and SURF programs.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Help other students as an Italian peer tutor or member of the A&H Dean’s Leadership Team.
- Check out College Corps and the Haas Public Service Leaders Program.
- Welcome new students to Berkeley as a Golden Bear Orientation Leader.
- Have original creative work in Italian? Submit to Vagabond multilingual journal.
- Share your language skills in the SLC Language Exchange Program.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Speak with faculty, advisors, and career educators about post-graduate options.
- Join a professional association such as Modern Language Association.
- Interested in public service? Look into the John Gardner Fellowship, Peace Corps, Teach for America, and U.S. Department of State.
Fourth Year
Plan Your Studies
- Finish all upper division requirements and electives.
- Receive thesis guidance in the Townsend Center Honors Thesis Workshop.
- Complete any remaining degree requirements and prepare for graduation.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Interested in teaching? Give it a try by teaching your own DeCal course.
- Submit a course research project for the Library Prize, American Cultures Student Prize, or other awards.
- Get published! Submit your thesis or research paper to the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal.
- Pursue a special project after graduation with the Stronach Prize.
- Fund your post-grad study in Italy with the Biasin Prize.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Check in with a BCE career educator.
- Start connecting with alumni groups and events.
- Apply to graduate school or post-graduate programs such as the SITE program in Italy.
- Meet employers at info sessions, on-campus recruiting, and career fairs.
- Utilize job search tools from BCE and apply for job opportunities.
- Learn about alumni career services.
Summer Options
- Make progress on language or other degree requirements with a Summer Sessions course.
- Spend the summer in Trieste and Venice with Berkeley Summer Abroad, or Florence or Rome through UCEAP.
- Look into a summer internship with Cal in the Capital, Cal in Sacramento, or Berkeley Global Internships.
- Complement your degree with a summer minor—check out programs in Digital Humanities, Teaching English, or Performance & Culture.
- Learn about applying to graduate school with the PhD Admissions Bootcamp.
First Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Get your bearings with L&S 198 Transitioning to Cal and transfer guides from L&S and Arts & Humanities.
- Meet with your major and college advisor to discuss your academic plans.
- Review info for transfers, determine your language placement, and begin upper division coursework in the major.
- Learn how to prepare for office hours and build relationships with faculty.
- Verify that you have completed the major prerequisites and declare the major.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Get involved with a student organization like the Italian Society at Berkeley.
- Join Berkeley Connect for 1:1 mentoring and to meet peers with shared interests.
- Find support at the Transfer Student Center or Re-entry Student Program.
- Develop your skills in the Berkeley Student Leadership Academy.
- Practice your Italian with a peer tutor.
- Attend the department’s Bocciardi Undergraduate Conference.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Visit the UHS Career Counseling Library and Berkeley Career Engagement.
- Begin exploring career paths for the major and check out career resources on the Arts & Humanities website.
- Create or update your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Use Handshake to start connecting with career events and opportunities.
- Meet with a BCE career educator to discuss career options and goals.
Second Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Continue with upper division coursework in Italian language, culture, and electives.
- Look into study abroad; see resources from the department.
- Enrich your studies with a course thread, certificate, or minor such as Applied Language Studies.
- Consider applying to the Italian Studies Honors Program; look into the Haas Scholars and SURF programs.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Visit the Discovery Hub to get started with research, entrepreneurship, public service, and creative projects.
- Explore research opportunities on the OURS website; apply to URAP to work on a faculty research project.
- Find community service opportunities through the Public Service Center.
- Explore the Berkeley Language Center.
- Apply for a FLAS Fellowship.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Begin building your network and exploring career fields via job shadowing and informational interviews.
- Pursue an internship to develop skills and explore fields.
- Considering graduate school? Explore resources from the Graduate Division, L&S Advising, and Berkeley Career Engagement.
- Speak with faculty, advisors, and career educators about post-grad options.
Third Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Review your degree progress with your major and college advisor.
- Develop your writing and critical thinking in an Art of Writing seminar.
- Receive thesis guidance in the Townsend Center Honors Thesis Workshop.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Help other students as an Italian Peer Tutor, Transfer Peer Advocate, or member of the A&H Dean’s Leadership Team.
- Interested in teaching? Give it a try by teaching your own DeCal course.
- Check out College Corps and the Haas Public Service Leaders Program.
- Welcome new students to Berkeley as a Golden Bear Orientation Leader.
- Share your language skills in the SLC Language Exchange Program.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Check in with a BCE career educator.
- Join a professional association such as Modern Language Association.
- Interested in public service? Look into the John Gardner Fellowship, Peace Corps, Teach for America, and U.S. Department of State.
- Apply to graduate school or post-graduate programs such as the SITE program in Italy.
Fourth Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Finish all upper division requirements and electives.
- Complete any remaining degree requirements and prepare for graduation.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Have original creative work in Italian? Submit to Vagabond multilingual journal.
- Submit a course research project for the Library Prize, American Cultures Student Prize, or other awards.
- Get published! Submit your thesis or research paper to the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal.
- Pursue a special project after graduation with the Stronach Prize.
- Fund your post-grad study in Italy with the Biasin Prize.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Meet employers at info sessions, on-campus recruiting, and career fairs.
- Utilize job search tools from BCE and apply for job opportunities.
- Start connecting with alumni groups and events.
- Learn about alumni career services.
Summer Options
- Get ready for Berkeley with RHET 100 Writing at the University.
- Thinking about a PhD? Apply to the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship the summer before your first semester at Berkeley.
- Make progress on language or other degree requirements with a Summer Sessions course.
- Spend the summer in Trieste and Venice with Berkeley Summer Abroad, or Florence or Rome through UCEAP.
- Look into a summer internship with Cal in the Capital, Cal in Sacramento, or Berkeley Global Internships.
- Complement your degree with a summer minor—check out programs in Digital Humanities, Teaching English, or Performance & Culture.
- Learn about applying to graduate school in the PhD Admissions Bootcamp.
Undergraduate Advising
Have questions about Italian Studies or choosing a major?
The Department of Italian Studies offers complete advising services for undergraduates interested in Italian Studies, including language placement, majors, double majors & minors, transfer students, summer sessions, breadth requirements and R&C in English, and study abroad opportunities. For advising hours, contacts and additional information, visit italian.berkeley.edu/undergraduate/major-minor.
The College of Letters & Science helps students with non-major-specific academic topics, including major exploration, general program planning, finding campus resources, and pre-professional graduate programs. L&S College Advisors are available for in-person and virtual meetings. Visit lsadvising.berkeley.edu or email asklns@berkeley.edu.
Related Programs
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