Department of Italian

Ranked Third in The Complete University Guide 2009

• Italian at St Andrews can be taken by complete beginners as well as by those who have already gained a pre-university qualification in the language.
• Concentration on the core language skills in all years of study, including two Communication Skills modules at Honours level.
• Particular expertise and experience in the teaching of Italian to complete beginners in the subject.
• Skills of analysis and synthesis are developed through linguistic, literary and cultural study.
• The range of our Honours options combining proven teaching expertise with a growing reputation for our scholarly research output.
• The structure of the Italian programme ensures that students receive a solid grounding in both the language and the culture of Italy.
• Excellent opportunities for work and study in Italy through the SOCRATES programme and also through arrangements which the Italian Department has developed for work placements in Italy.

The Italian Department in St Andrews is one of the newest in the UK, but in just over ten years has gained a very good reputation for the quality and range of its teaching, and the high calibre of its graduates. From an historical point of view Italian culture shaped Europe in the middle ages and Italy was the cradle of the Renaissance. The Italian contribution to art and music is enormous and Italian literature, from Dante and Machiavelli to Pirandello and Umberto Eco, has been rich and influential. Italian in St Andrews is ideally placed to take the study of language and culture further through combinations with other Departments of the University that have a strong interest in Italian Art, History, and Cinema for example. However Italy's rich history should not overshadow its continuing importance.

Italy belongs to the G8 nations and is a founding member of the European Union. Italian is, therefore, the language of one of the world's major industrial and commercial powers and is spoken by close to sixty million people in the Italian Republic. In addition it is one of the national languages of Switzerland and is also used widely in the USA and Australia. Italy is also one of the United Kingdom's major trading partners, especially in the small business sector. In St Andrews you can combine your study of Italian with more business-oriented subjects such as Economics or Management, providing you with a sound basis for work in international commerce.

The majority of our graduates begin their study of Italian here with no prior experience of the language. Students with a Scottish Higher, A-Level, or other suitable pre-university qualification in Italian, follow a separate first year course tailored to their particular needs and experience. In the second year our beginners join those students who entered with a qualification in Italian in the combined Second level modules. Language teaching at all levels in Italian takes place in relatively small groups.