Overview

Italian is the voice of one of the formative cultural traditions of the Western world. The study of Italy and its language offers a rigorous, interdisciplinary exploration of the continuing vitality of modern Italian and Italian American culture though literature, cinema, translation studies, the arts, Roman thought, fashion, tourism, Mediterranean cuisine, and much more.
Italian, in its humanistic breadth and depth, offers students access to a wide variety of professional pathways through an emphasis on global communicative understanding and cultural sensitivity.
Italian is increasingly important in business; six of the 100 biggest companies are headquartered in Italy, and Italy is the world’s fifth largest industrial producer of goods.
Learning a foreign language also improves oral and written skills in English interactions. Penn State's Italian program is small, and prides itself on its capacity to provide individual attention and mentoring to each of its majors and minors.
As one of the humanistic programs of the College of the Liberal Arts, the Italian major at Pennsylvania State University prepares students for rewarding and unique careers in business, media, travel, ministry, banking, and education. In addition, the federal government employs liberal arts graduates with foreign-language skills in organizations including the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Information Agency, and the Department of Labor.
The Italian major is also preparatory for graduate work directed to the Ph.D. degree required for teaching and research in colleges and universities. Students with degrees in the humanities are particularly successful applicants to professional schools, such as law and medicine.

Careers

Italian prepares students to access a wide array of rewarding and unique careers, including those related to international business, travel, journalism, ministry, diplomacy, banking, science fields, the arts, and education.
The federal government employs graduates with advanced foreign-language skills in organizations including the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Information Agency, and the Department of Labor.
Students with degrees in the humanities are also particularly successful applicants to graduate and professional schools, such as law, business, and medicine.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Italian Culture: Food, Fashion, Family
Applied Advanced Conversation
Greatest Books of Italian Literature
Theory and Practice of Translation
Dante in Translation
Italian Children's Literature
Organized Crime in Film and Society
Twentieth-Century Italian Literature
Ghosts and Otherworldly Visions in Italy c. 1300-1600
Modern Italian Literature and Cinema

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-01-12 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-01 00:00:00
Starting 2027-05-18 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-11-01 00:00:00
Starting 2027-08-25 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-11-01 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

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AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

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4.9/5 student rating

Credits

122 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

University Park, United States

Disciplines

Italian studies View 141 other Bachelors in Italian studies in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Application
Official secondary school records
Official test scores: SAT or ACT
English language proficiency, if your native language is not English

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

43290 USD / year

≈ 43290 USD / year
Out-of-State

41790 USD / year

≈ 41790 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

20644 USD / year

≈ 20644 USD / year

Living costs

University Park

United States

1000 - 1500 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

About

Overview

Careers

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

University Park

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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