Program Director: Catherine Puglisi
Program Faculty:
Andrea Baldi, Italian; Ph.D, California (Los Angeles)
Rudolph Bell, History; Ph.D., CUNY
T. Corey Brennan, Classics; Ph.D., Harvard
Joseph Consoli, Art Library; Ph.D., Rutgers
Eric Davis, Political Science; Ph.D., Chicago
Archer St. Clair Harvey, Art History; Ph.D., Princeton
Samantha Kelly, History; Ph.D., Northwestern
Elisabeth Leake, Italian; Ph.D., California (Berkeley)
Tod Marder, Art History, Ph.D., Columbia
David Marsh, Italian; Ph.D., Harvard
Sarah Blake McHam, Art History; Ph.D., Institute of Fine Arts (New York)
Paul McLean, Sociology; Ph.D., Chicago
Catherine Puglisi, Art History; Ph.D., Institute of Fine Arts (New York)
Kirk Sanders, Classics; Ph.D., Texas (Austin)
Jonah Siegel, English; Ph.D., Columbia
Sarolta Anna Takács, Classics; Ph.D., California (Los Angeles)
Alessandro Vettori, Italian; Ph.D., Yale
Laura S. White, Italian; Ph.D., California (Los Angeles)
Virginia Yans-McLaughlin, History, Ph.D., SUNY (Buffalo)
Major Requirements
This option is designed to provide
students with a comprehensive understanding of the peoples, history,
language, literature, and arts of Italy and the Italian diaspora from
antiquity through the present. It consists of 36 credits, distributed
as follows. Five courses are taken in Italian language and/or
literature, beginning at the level of 01:560:131 or higher and
continuing with 01:560:132 and 321. The other two courses of the five
can be taken either in Italian (01:560:322, 250, 305, 306) or in
English, as per the list of electives in Italian. (Students planning on
careers demanding a high level of Italian language proficiency are
encouraged to take all five courses in Italian.) All students must also
take the two core seminars, 01:560:231 (within one term of declaration
of major) and 01:560:232, with 1-credit CASE component (after returning
from Study Abroad experience). Five additional courses forming a
coherent set are to be chosen from the Italian studies course list with
the approval of the Italian studies director.
Students are
encouraged to choose an option around which elective courses may be
selected across disciplines (art history, classics, history, Italian,
music). Possible options include a period specialization, such as
Ancient Italy, Early Modern Italy, Modern Italy, or a theme, such as
the classical tradition, imperial myths, humanism, cultural identity,
the role of women. No more than three courses or 9 credits may be taken
in any one discipline.
All majors must take part in a study
abroad experience. Participation in the Rutgers Study Abroad yearlong
or term program in Florence, the Italian department summer program in
Urbino, or an approved equivalent fulfills this requirement. Up to 9
credits of the 15 elective credits meeting the approval of the Italian
studies director can be taken toward the major in the Rutgers Study
Abroad yearlong or term program in Florence or the Italian department
summer program in Urbino.
Italian Studies Minor
The Italian studies minor consists of six
courses or a total of 18 credits. At least three of the six courses
must be taken in Italian language and/or literature beginning at the
level of 01:560:131 Intermediate Italian or above. The remaining three
courses may be chosen from the Italian studies course list.
Honors in Italian Studies
Students with a 3.0 or higher GPA and an
average of 3.5 or higher in the major will be invited to write an
honors thesis, which may be supervised by any Italian studies faculty
member. The thesis project may earn up to 6 credits toward the Italian
studies major.
