2014-15 General Catalog

Department of Literature
303 Humanities 1
(831) 459-4778

Faculty

Program Description

Students interested in an interdisciplinary approach to Italian culture through the combined study of language, literature, history, art history, and other subjects may pursue a major or minor in Italian studies. The guidelines for the completion of the major may be obtained from Professor Deanna Shemek of the Literature Department or Professor Cynthia Polecritti of the History Department. There are several options for study in Italy through the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), either for a year (Bologna, Milan, Padova), for an intensive semester (Bologna, Florence, Milan, Padova, Rome), or for the summer (Florence). Students may also divide their time between Italy and Spain for one semester or one quarter. The Italian studies program is administered by the Literature Department.

Requirements of the Major

Each student must complete the lower-division language sequence (Italian 1–6, or equivalent). In addition, students are required to take 10 five-credit courses (one of which may be lower division), including a core unit of five courses which must be taken at UCSC: two Italian literature courses, Italian 106 (Italian Culture Through Film), one course in Italian history, and one course in Italian art history. A course featuring the work of Dante is recommended. A minimum of five courses must be taught substantially in Italian. Five may be approved elective courses, which may feature Italy in a European or global context. Up to five elective courses may be approved from UC EAP’s yearlong study abroad in Italy. All students in the major must satisfy the Italian Studies senior exit requirement by writing a senior essay focused on Italian literature, history, or visual culture. This essay may be produced within an approved seminar, or (with faculty permission) by enrolling in a one-credit Italian Literature 191 course in conjunction with another upper-division course in Italian literature, history, or history of art and visual culture. This combination must be approved by a faculty adviser in Italian Studies.

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

Students of every major must satisfy that major’s upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement.  Italian Studies majors satisfy the DC Requirement through satisfactory completion of the senior essay, as described above. Please refer to updated information at http://registrar.ucsc.edu/catalog/programs-courses//disciplinary-communicationchart.html.

Minor Requirements

Each student must complete the lower-division language sequence (Italian 1–6, or equivalent). Students must also complete five upper-division courses in Italian studies: two Italian literature courses, Italian 106 (Italian Culture Through Film), one course in Italian history, and one course in Italian art history. A course featuring the work of Dante is recommended. Three of the five upper-division courses must be completed at UCSC; three must be taught substantially in Italian. A maximum of two courses may be transferred from EAP.

Honors

Honors in the Italian studies major are awarded to graduating seniors who have earned a 3.70 to 3.89 grade point average in their upper-division Italian studies courses. Highest honors in the Italian studies major are awarded to graduating seniors who have earned a 3.90 or higher grade point average in their upper-division Italian Studies courses. Honors are not awarded in the minor.

2014-15 Tentative Italian Studies Curriculum

Fall 2014

ITAL 1, First-Year Italian 1 (Prencipe; Centineo)
ITAL 4, Second-Year Italian (Centineo)
LTPR 150D, Orlando Furioso (Shemek)
LTIT 170B, Petrarca (in Italian) (Shemek)

Winter 2015

HAVC 137D, Art of the Venetian Renaissance (Langdale)
HAVC 155, Constructing Cleopatra: Power, Sexuality, and Femininity Across the Ages (Evangelatou)
HIS 164A, Late-Medieval Italy, c. 1200-1400 (Polecritti)
HIS 196D, City of Rome (Polecritti)
ITAL 1A, Accelerated Italian (Centineo)
ITAL 2, First-Year Italian (Prencipe)
ITAL 5, Second-Year Italian (Centineo)
LTIT 164 Literature and Fascism (in Italian) (Shemek)

Spring 2015

HAVC 31, Nude in the Western Tradition (Hunter)
HIS 164B, Renaissance Italy, c. 1400-1600 (Polecritti)
ITAL 1B, Accelerated Italian (Prencipe)
ITAL 3, First-Year Italian (Prencipe)
ITAL 6, Second-Year Italian (Centineo)
LAAD 80D, Italian Culture through Cinema/ITAL 106, Italian Culture through Film (in Italian) (Centineo)
LTIT 130D Dante’s Divine Comedy (in Italian) (Staff)

Please note: Courses in bold require completion of Italian 6 or equivalent proficiency.

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Revised: 09/01/14