Italian (ITAL)
Visit the Course Schedule Search website to find out when courses will be offered during the academic year.
Read more about the courses within this subject prefix in the descriptions provided below.
ITAL 401 - Elementary Italian I
Credits: 4
For students without previous training in Italian. Aural comprehension, speaking, writing, reading, (No credit for students who have had two or more years of Italian in secondary school; however, any such students whose studies of Italian have been interrupted for seven years should consult the Program Coordinator about possibly receiving credit).
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 402 - Elementary Italian II
Credits: 4
For students who have completed ITAL 401 or an equivalent. Aural comprehension, speaking, writing, reading. (No credit for students who have had two or more years of Italian in secondary school; however, any such students whose studies of Italian have been interrupted for seven years should consult the Program Coordinator about possibly receiving credit).
Attributes: Foreign Language Requirement
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 425 - Introduction to Italian Studies
Credits: 4
This course explores Italian culture and society and examines the role of Italian art, cuisine, literature and history via readings, films, music, and lectures. What makes Italy Italy? What does it mean to be Italian? How do phenomena such as regionalism, the Mafia, and the European Union shape our understanding of contemporary Italy? The course analyzes the interactions among culture, politics, history, and society as a means of defining national identity.
Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery)
Equivalent(s): ITAL 425H
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 444A - Italians Come to America: Representing Emigration and Immigration on Both Sides of the Atlantic
Credits: 4
Course is designed around the phenomenon of emigration from Italy to the United States over the last century or so, with particular attention to the time period between the end of the nineteenth century and the mid-twentieth century. While core media under examination are literature and film, we also draw on historical, anthropological, political and sociological readings to help us consider the many issues involved.
Attributes: Humanities(Disc); Inquiry (Discovery); Writing Intensive Course
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 444B - Mamma Mia! Italian Motherhood from the Virgin Mary to Carmela Soprano
Credits: 4
This course examines motherhood and the special role of the Italian mother - la mamma italiana - in past and present italian society. Through readings from a wide variety of disciplines - theology, history, medicine, and literature - as well as an examination of art and film, we will analyze the origins and conflicted nature of Italian attitudes toward motherhood. Topics include: maternal love and self-sacrifice, beliefs about generation and their influence on maternal and paternal roles, Italian family structure. Mussolini's promotion of motherhood, the phenomenon of mammismo or "Mama's boys", and Italian-American mothers, including Carmela Soprano.
Attributes: Humanities(Disc); Inquiry (Discovery); Writing Intensive Course
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 503 - Intermediate Italian I
Credits: 4
For students who have completed ITAL 402 or an equivalent. A complete review of the fundamentals of grammar and syntax. Selected readings as a general introduction to Italian civilization and culture. Films and activities.
Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery); Writing Intensive Course; Foreign Language Requirement
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 504 - Intermediate Italian II
Credits: 4
For students who have completed ITAL 503 or an equivalent. A review of the fundamentals of grammar and syntax. Selected readings as a general introduction to Italian civilization and culture. Films and activities.
Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery); Writing Intensive Course; Foreign Language Requirement
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 510J - Rome: The Eternal City in Italian Culture
Credits: 4
This course offers an interdisciplinary introduction to the Eternal City and its role in Italian culture from the Middle Ages to the present. Together, the online and on-site components of the course allow students to compare their theoretical historical, social and artistic knowledge of Italian culture (acquired through readings, films and online lectures) with experiential knowledge gained through first-hand exposure to contemporary Rome. All readings in English. Fulfills the World Cultures Discovery requirement.
Co-requisite: INCO 589
Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery)
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
Special Fee: Yes
ITAL 522 - Modern and Contemporary Italian Culture
Credits: 4
This course explores the culture and society of modern and contemporary Italy through major works of fiction and non-fiction. In examining the emergence of the new nation-state, the course poses such questions as: What does "We have made Italy; now we need to make the Italians" mean? What is Fascism? What is "la dolce vita?" How have climate change and the refugee crisis changed Italy and Italians? The unification of Italy, colonialism, Fascism, Made in Italy, La Dolce Vita, domestic terrorism, North vs South are some of the topics examined. No prerequisites and all work is in English.
Attributes: Humanities(Disc); Inquiry (Discovery); Writing Intensive Course
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 525 - Italian Cinema
Credits: 4
Italian Cinema is a survey of the development of the film industry in Italy and of major Italian films. Through film, the course explores the culture, society, history, and politics of Italy, as well as the aesthetics, technology, economics, and theory of cinema. No prerequisites and all work is in English.
Attributes: FinePerformingArts(Discovery)
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 526 - The Art of Cinema in Italy
Credits: 4
While studying in Italy students explore the relationship between cinema as art, the reception and distribution of films cinema historiography (including archives), and technology. Students read about movements, directors, and expectations of genre, and identify connections between artistic concerns and the technology involved in making, preserving and restoring films. Students visit the Cineteca di Bologna and attend the annual Cinema Ritrovato film festival.
Attributes: FinePerformingArts(Discovery)
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
Special Fee: Yes
ITAL 552 - Race, Gender and Identity in the Renaissance
Credits: 4
How were race and gender understood in the Renaissance? How did differential social power influence culture while impacting daily life? How might this relate to race and gender in American culture today? This course explores the various ways race, gender, and other forms of identity were represented in Renaissance literary and artistic works, and how literature, theater and art can impact culture, politics, and society, especially in Renaissance Italy and the contemporary United States.
Attributes: Humanities(Disc)
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Investigate how race, gender, religious, and class differences were understood in Renaissance Europe.
- Compare how these differences were conceptualized in the past with how they are understood and defined today.
- Engage with literary, philosophical and artistic works that confront the ideas of "identity" and "otherness" in the premodern world.
- Identify how differential social power in the Renaissance influenced culture and people's daily lives through in-class presentations and take-home assignments.
- Reflect on and dialogue with the instructor and classmates concerning issues of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in the Renaissance and in contemporary society.
- Participate in thoughtful conversations with fellow students in online discussion boards and in class discussion.
- Produce regular written and oral reflections engaged with class readings and themes.
ITAL 553 - Containing Difference: Race and Identity in Contemporary Italy
Credits: 4
This course explores how marginality, difference, and memory intersect in the Black, Jewish, and Slav communities of contemporary Italy. Through analysis of literary texts, film, and historical representation, students will map points of connection between representations of the Holocaust, violence along Italy's eastern borderland, Italian colonialism, and contemporary migration to Italy across the Mediterranean. These connections are not intended to suggest historical equivalency but rather an opportunity to "think together" different histories of violence and explore how the legacies of colonialism, antisemitism, and racism intertwine in Italy.
Attributes: Humanities(Disc); Inquiry (Discovery); Writing Intensive Course
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 595 - Practicum
Credits: 2
Practical use of Italian language and culture through special projects outside the classroom.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated for a maximum of 4 credits.
Equivalent(s): ITAL 595A
Grade Mode: Credit/Fail Grading
ITAL 631 - Advanced Conversation and Composition I
Credits: 4
Rapid review of basic grammatical structures and in-depth study of more complex linguistic patterns. Vocabulary building. Frequent written compositions and oral presentations using materials on contemporary culture taken from the various media. Phonetics and oral/aural skills development.
Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery); Writing Intensive Course; Foreign Language Requirement
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 632 - Advanced Conversation and Composition II
Credits: 4
Advanced spoken and written Italian to attain aural-oral fluency. Advanced reading and composition.
Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery); Writing Intensive Course; Foreign Language Requirement
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 635 - Italian Food Studies
Credits: 4
Italian Food Studies acquaints students with the principles of aesthetics as they pertain to our understanding of and relationship to food. The philosophical aspects of the course are complemented by experiential components that emphasize the particularity as well as the diversity of the Italian regions.
Attributes: Humanities(Disc)
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 651 - Introduction to Italian Culture and Civilization I: Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque
Credits: 4
Survey of major representative writers and artists, studied against the backdrop of social and cultural history. Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Marino. (Not offered every year).
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 652 - Introduction to Italian Culture and Civilization II: Age of Enlightenment, Romanticism, Modernism
Credits: 4
Survey of major representative writers and artists, studied against a backdrop of social and cultural history. Parini, Goldoni, Leopardi, Manzoni, Pavese, Calvino. (Not offered every year).
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Prerequisite(s): ITAL 631 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of D-.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 675 - Special Topics in Italian Studies
Credits: 4
Topics drawn from all aspects and periods of Italian Studies. May be repeated for credit barring duplication of materials.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 681A - Ancient and Medieval Italy
Credits: 4
Taking an interdisciplinary, but historically centered perspective, this course examines the construction of Italy as both a nation and culture from the pre-Roman period to the fifteenth century.
Attributes: Historical Perspectives(Disc)
Equivalent(s): ITAL 681B
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 681B - Ancient and Medieval Italy
Credits: 4
Taking an interdisciplinary, but historically centered perspective, this course examines the construction of Italy as both a nation and culture from the pre-Roman period to the fifteenth century.
Attributes: Humanities(Disc)
Equivalent(s): ITAL 681A
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 682B - Italian Culture: Early Modern, Modern and Contemporary
Credits: 4
Taking an interdisciplinary, but humanistically-centered perspective, this course examines the construction of Italy as both a nation and culture from the fifteenth century to the contemporary era.
Attributes: Humanities(Disc)
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 683 - UNH in Bologna Summer Program
Credits: 0-8
This is an administrative placeholder course for the UNH in Bologna summer program. Students can be registered for both this administrative course number and the course number(s) of course(s) being offered on site.
Co-requisite: INCO 589
Attributes: Foreign Language Requirement
Grade Mode: Credit/Fail Grading
Special Fee: Yes
ITAL 701W - Capstone Course
Credits: 4
Students will investigate the intersections of the fields of Classics, Humanities, and Italian Studies through the exploration of a common theme. Working across disciplines, students will learn how scholars from these fields have approached common issues. Students will also demonstrate their ability to conduct research by engaging in a semester-long specialized project connected to the course theme.
Attributes: Writing Intensive Course
Equivalent(s): CLAS 701W, HUMA 701W
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
View Course Learning Outcomes
- Synthesize and discuss course materials across disciplines in order to generate and investigate original research questions.
- Conduct research, analyze and assess primary and secondary sources across disciplines.
- Navigate and use online and offline research databases.
- Communicate research methods and results in a coherent manner to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
ITAL 775 - Topics in Literary & Cultural Studies
Credits: 4
Advanced course on a literary/cultural topic. Possible topics include African Italian Literature, Dante, Poetry, Theatre, Italy and the European Union, Social & Political Movements, Environment, Sustainability, Film. Barring duplication of subject, the course may be repeated for credit.
Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 795 - Independent Study in Italian Language and Literature
Credits: 1-4
Individual guided study.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading
ITAL 796 - Independent Study in Italian Language and Literature
Credits: 1-4
Individual guided study.
Grade Mode: Letter Grading