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Messages & Announcements Thank you for your interest in our program. For messages from our language and literature faculty, please click here. |
Course Descriptions We offer a wide variety of courses spanning all the levels of Italian language instruction, as well as courses on literature, culture, and film. For all course descriptions, click here. |
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Faculty Our Italian faculty include experts in linguistics, classical Italian literature, and poetry. For a complete list of all full and part-time Italian faculty, please click here. |
Majors & Minors We offer a minor in Italian Language and Literature. For all information on degree plans, prerequisites, and CCAS requirements, please click here. |
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Placement and Credit Do you need to take our placement exam? Did you take an AP or similar exam in Italian? Do you need to transfer credit from another institution? For our department's policies on these issues, please click here. |
Grad Student Exams Are you an M.A or Ph.D. student in the Columbian College or the Elliott School? For more information on exams in RGSLL languages, please click here. |
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Study Abroad GW offers a number of study abroad opportunities to Italy. For a list of these programs, as well as our policies on study abroad course approvals, please click here. |
Italian Links Interested in learning more about Italian language and culture? Click here for a list of useful links. |
Italian Language and Literature at GW
The language, literature and culture of Italy have played a key role on the world stage since the Middle Ages, when knowledge of Italian language and culture was, as it continues to be, an important asset for cultural, political and commercial exchange. The Italian section aims to prepare students for a variety of career paths through its Italian minor, which allows students to polish their Italian and to hone their critical thinking and writing skills as they gain knowledge of Italian social and cultural life from the Middle Ages to the present. Whether discussing Dante’s idea of the cosmos in the Divine Comedy, Machiavelli’s understanding of leadership in the Prince, the depiction of fascism in contemporary films, or the current relationship between Italian and American foreign policy, students are exposed to central issues which founded or animate the modern world. Because of the small class sizes, students have the opportunity to work closely with faculty members and to be involved in cultural and research initiatives. Students often spend a summer or a semester on an academic program in Italy to solidify language skills and to gain a richer understanding of Italian culture.
The study of Italian at GW is enriched by many local resources. The Cultural Institute of the Italian Embassy offers a year-round program of diverse cultural activities: film series, seminars on art and literature, art and photography exhibits, talks by contemporary Italian writers, artists and film directors, and regular roundtables that discuss the political and social issues of modern-day Italy. The Institute also provides a substantial number of internships to GW students. Washington is also the home to several Italian cultural associations including the Italian Cultural Society, the National Italian American Foundation and the Order of the Sons of Italy. These groups also provide internships for students of Italian as well as scholarships for study in Italy.
