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Italian

 italy waterfront
Benvenuti!

Welcome! The Italian Program at Hunter College offers majors and minors that explore literature, language and civilization, and more.

On This Page:

  • About the Program
  • Italian Undergraduate Programs
  • Italian Faculty
  • FAQs

About the Program

As you progress through your academic journey, we encourage you to explore the enriching opportunities available within our Italian Program at Hunter College, CUNY. Whether you are just beginning to learn Italian, are passionate about Italian-speaking cultures, or simply wish to broaden your horizons, our program offers a diverse range of courses designed to inspire and challenge you.

Learning Outcomes
  • Recognize and appreciate key periods, genres, modes and techniques in Italian Literature.
  • Describe, contextualize and interpret Italian texts of major writers of literary movements in written and oral reports.
  • Develop critical thinking by establishing connections between literary works and cultural/historical traditions.
  • Apply critical insight from secondary sources to primary sources.
  • Write expositive and interpretative essays on literary texts, and their aesthetic, cultural and historical contexts.
  • Establish connections across historical periods and in the interdisciplinary framework of cultural and gender studies.
  • Improve grammatical skills at the advanced level.
  • Be able to write complex texts reflecting syntactic and morphologic skills at an advanced level; be able to distinguish genres and registers in written prose.
  • Improve phonetics and diction skills based on standard practices in professionally spoken advanced Italian.
  • Be able to translate spoken and written English texts from a variety of genres and registers into the proper register in Italian.

Italian Undergraduate Programs

1. Italian Literature

This concentration focuses on Italian literature with an emphasis on the study of literary history and texts. The majority of the courses are offered in Italian.

Fulfill ALL of the following requirements:

  • Complete ANY of the following Courses:
    • ITAL 10100 - Elementary Italian 1
    • ITAL 10200 - Elementary Italian 2
    • ITAL 10300 - Intensive Elementary Italian
    • ITAL 20100 - Intermediate Italian I
    • ITAL 20200 - Intermediate Italian 2
    • ITAL 20300 - Intensive Intermediate Italian
  • Earn at least 9 credits from the following:
    • ITAL 31100 - Advanced Italian Grammar
    • ITAL 31200 - Advanced Italian Composition
    • ITAL 33100 - Italian Phonetics and Diction
    • ITAL 34100 - Introduction to Italian Literature from the Middle Ages to the 16th Century
    • ITAL 34200 - Introduction to Italian Literature from the 16th Century to the Present
    • ITAL 34300 - Dante's Vita Nuova and Inferno
  • Earn at least 3 credits from the following:
    • ITAL 34400 - Dante's Purgatorio snd Introduction to Paradiso
      OR ITAL 34500 - Dante's Paradiso and Major Prose Works
  • Earn at least 15 credits from the following:
    • ITAL 34600 - Petrarch, Boccaccio, and the Literature of Humanism
    • ITAL 34700 - 16th-Century Italian Literature
    • ITAL 34800 - 17th and18th Century Literature
    • ITAL 34900 - The Modern Italian Lyric
    • ITAL 35000 - The Modern Italian Novel
    • ITAL 35100 - The Modern Italian Theatre
    • ITAL 36000 - The Middle Ages: Special Topics
    • ITAL 36100 - The Renaissance: Special Topics
    • ITAL 36200 - The 17th Century: Special Topics
    • ITAL 36300 - The 18th Century: Special Topics
    • ITAL 36400 - The 19th Century: Special Topics
    • ITAL 36500 - The 20th Century: Special Topics
    • ITAL 37000 - Italian Literature: Special Topics
    • ITAL 37500 - Seminar in Italian Literary History
    • ITAL 49500 - Independent Study
  • Earn at least 7 credits from the following:
    (Note: Students planning to teach in grades 7-12 must also complete 3 credits in Second Language Acquisition)

    • ITAL 39900 - Second Language Acquisition
    • ITAL 49500 - Independent Study
      OR SEDC 21200 - Methods 1: Foundations of Literacy, Language and Learning in the Foreign/Heritage Language Classroom
      OR SEDC 71200 - Methods 1: Intensive Study of Classroom Organization, Management, and Assessment of Instruction in L
  • Complete ALL of the following Courses:
    • ITAL 34100 - Introduction to Italian Literature from the Middle Ages to the 16th Century
    • ITAL 34200 - Introduction to Italian Literature from the 16th Century to the Present
    • ITAL 34300 - Dante's Vita Nuova and Inferno

Note: Students who demonstrate proficiency in Italian through a placement exam may be exempted from some courses.

2. Italian Language and Civilization

Fulfill ALL of the following requirements:

  • Earn at least 12 credits from the following:
    • ITAL 10100 - Elementary Italian 1
    • ITAL 10200 - Elementary Italian 2
    • ITAL 10300 - Intensive Elementary Italian
    • ITAL 20100 - Intermediate Italian I
    • ITAL 20200 - Intermediate Italian 2
    • ITAL 20300 - Intensive Intermediate Italian
  • Earn at least 15 credits from the following:
    • ITAL 22100 - Italian for Oral Communication
    • ITAL 31100 - Advanced Italian Grammar
    • ITAL 31200 - Advanced Italian Composition
    • ITAL 32100 - Italian Translation
    • ITAL 33100 - Italian Phonetics and Diction
    • ITAL 36500 - The 20th Century: Special Topics
  • Earn at least 15 credits from Group A (offered in English) and Group B (offered in Italian) with no more than 9 credits from Group A and at least 6 credits from Group B:
    • Italian Group A:
      • ITAL 26000 - Modern Italian Short Story
      • ITAL 27500 - Masterpieces of Italian Literature
      • ITAL 27600 - Dante's Divine Comedy in English
      • ITAL 28000 - The Italian Renaissance: An Introduction
      • ITAL 33400 - Italian Civilization in the Baroque in English
      • ITAL 33500 - Italian Culture 1
      • ITAL 33600 - Italian Culture 2
      • ITAL 33700 - Italian Women Writers
      • ITAL 33800 - 19th and 20th-Century Italian Women Writers, in Translation
      • ITAL 33900 - Italian American Women Writers and Artists: Issues of Identities
    • Italian Group B:
      • ITAL 34100 - Introduction to Italian Literature from the Middle Ages to the 16th Century
      • ITAL 34200 - Introduction to Italian Literature from the 16th Century to the Present
      • ITAL 34300 - Dante's Vita Nuova and Inferno
      • ITAL 34400 - Dante's Purgatorio and Introduction to Paradiso
      • ITAL 34500 - Dante's Paradiso and Major Prose Works
      • ITAL 34600 - Petrarch, Boccaccio, and the Literature of Humanism
      • ITAL 34700 - 16th-Century Italian Literature
      • ITAL 34800 - 17th and 18th Century Literature
      • ITAL 35000 - The Modern Italian Novel
      • ITAL 35100 - The Modern Italian Theatre
      • ITAL 36000 - The Middle Ages: Special Topics
      • ITAL 36100 - The Renaissance: Special Topics
      • ITAL 36200 - The 17th Century: Special Topics
      • ITAL 36300 - The 18th Century: Special Topics
      • ITAL 36400 - The 19th Century: Special Topics
      • ITAL 37000 - Italian Literature: Special Topics
      • ITAL 37500 - Seminar in Italian Literary History
      • ITAL 49500 - Independent Study

Note: Students who demonstrate proficiency in Italian through a placement exam may be exempted from some courses.

The minor of 12 credits utilizes four existing courses, all taught in Italian.
Prerequisite for the minor: ITAL 202 or ITAL 221 or placement test.

Complete at least 4 of the following Courses:

  • ITAL 22100 - Italian for Oral Communication
  • ITAL 31100 - Advanced Italian Grammar
  • ITAL 31200 - Advanced Italian Composition
  • ITAL 32100 - Italian Translation
  • ITAL 33100 - Italian Phonetics and Diction

Note: Students who do not place into a 300 level language course may have to take additional language courses. Please consult with the Italian department advisor.

Italian Faculty

Photo of Monica Calabritto
Monica Calabritto
Professor and Chairperson
Office
68th Street West 1308
Phone
(212) 772-5098
Email
mcalabri@hunter.cuny.edu
Photo of Paolo Fasoli
Paolo Fasoli
Associate Professor
Office
68th Street West 1309
Phone
(212) 772-5129
Email
pfasoli@hunter.cuny.edu
Photo of Julie Van Peteghem
Julie Van Peteghem
Associate Professor
Office
68th Street West 1311B
Phone
(212) 772-5090
Email
jv41@hunter.cuny.edu
Photo of Stefania Porcelli
Stefania Porcelli
Doctoral Lecturer
Office
68th Street West 1348
Phone
(212) 650-3551
Email
sp1122@hunter.cuny.edu

FAQs

Q: What are the rules governing the language requirement?

A: Hunter College's official policy is stated here.


Q: I studied Italian in high school. Can I be exempted?

A: Students who have successfully completed 4 years of Italian in high school should contact an Italian advisor. Such courses must have been taken in high school. Italian courses taken in middle school do not count. A high school transcript must be presented. If you have taken between 1 and 3 years of Italian in high school, you would normally take the language placement test. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, however, there is currently no placement test in Italian. Italian advisors will conduct informal interviews via Zoom to approximate your level of proficiency. Depending on the result of the interview, you may also be asked to take a short writing test.


Q: I passed the New York State Regents Exam in Italian. Does that exempt me?

A: No. If you scored a 3 or higher on the Italian AP Exam, you may be exempted from ITAL 202. No other exam is valid.


Q: I'm a transfer student. Do I need to fulfill the language requirement?

A: Please consult this page and select the link that describes your situation to find out.


Q: I graduated from a high school in Italian or an Italian-speaking country. Am I exempt from ITAL 202?

A: Yes! Contact an Italian advisor. You will need to present a high school transcript or diploma.


Q: I successfully completed an advanced college Italian course that has a fourth-semester prerequisite. Am I exempt from ITAL 202?

A: Yes! Contact a Hunter College Academic Advisor.


Q: This is my last semester and I just found out that I need to fulfill my language requirement. What should I do?

A: Uh oh! You should not have waited so long to address this issue. Contact a Hunter College Academic Advisor immediately. Unfortunately, it is very likely that you will need to stay one or more semesters to fulfill the requirement.


Q: My current Italian class is too easy or too difficult. How do I get placed at the right level?

A: Contact an Italian advisor. He or she will approximate your level of proficiency, based on an informal interview via Zoom. Depending on the result of the interview, you may also be asked to take a short writing test.


Q: Who should take the placement test?

A: Normally, you are encouraged to take the placement test if you need to fulfill the language requirement, and if:

  • you have had between 1 and 3 years of language in high school;
  • more than 2 years have passed since your last foreign language course;
  • you have some knowledge of the language but never studied it formally;
  • you have had additional exposure to the language through family, school, travel, or work connections.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there is currently no placement test in Italian. Italian advisors will conduct informal interviews through Zoom to approximate your level of proficiency.


Q: What should I expect for the informal placement interview?

A: During the Zoom interview, you will be asked some questions about your experience with the Italian language, and have a short conversation in Italian. Depending on the result of the interview, you may also be asked to take a short writing test.


Q: Can I do the informal placement interview more than once?

A: No, it cannot be repeated.

Q: The section of the language class I wanted/needed to take is full.

A: We do not over-tally. Please check CUNYfirst regularly, as seats may open up over the course of the enrollment period and (especially) during the first days of class.


Q: I have been placed on the waitlist for my language class. How does it work?

A: Unfortunately, the waitlist is deceiving. It is used by Hunter administrators to gauge which courses have the most demand for the purposes of opening a new section. The computer does not automatically add you to the section you want when someone gives up a seat. Students on the waitlist have to be added to the class manually. Nor does the waitlist respect the order in which you are listed. Someone not on the list could theoretically take an open seat before you see it. Seats for all classes are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.


Q: The waitlist for the language class I want is quite long. Will another section of that course be opened?

A: Not necessarily. The computer does not always remove students from the waitlist once they have registered. More importantly, the opening of new sections depends on the availability of personnel to teach them as well as sufficient funds.


Q: There are seats available in the section of the language class I want, but CUNYfirst says that they are being held. What do I do?

A: Every semester, especially during the summer break, the Hunter Administration reserves a certain number of seats for transfer students and for Learning Community students. Just because these seats are being held does not mean that they will fill up. Typically, the hold will be lifted from two to four weeks before the start of the next semester. So, for the spring, it lifts in the middle of January. For the fall, it lifts on August 1. You must check CUNYfirst vigilantly to register at the first possible opportunity.


Q: Do you offer the intensive ITAL 10300 and ITAL 20300?

A: We do not offer the 6-credit courses ITAL 10300 (intensive elementary Italian) and ITAL 20300 (intensive intermediate Italian) on a regular basis. Check the Schedule of Classes on CUNYfirst for the Spring, Summer, and Fall terms to find out more.

Q: I don't meet the course prerequisites listed on CUNYfirst, but I'm interested in taking the course.

A: You will have to ask permission from an Italian advisor.


Q: I meet the course prerequisites listed on CUNYfirst, but I still can't register.

A: Please speak to an Italian advisor. When you email, your message must include the following information: your full name, your Empl ID, the course number (and section number, if applicable), and the reason CUNYfirst listed for the failed registration (e.g., “Needs departmental permission”).

Italian Advising Hours

HUNTER

Hunter College
695 Park Ave NY, NY 10065
(212) 772-4000

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