Minors

The Department of Italian Studies offers two minor tracks: a minor in Italian Studies , and a minor in Transnational Italian Studies.

For more information, course planning, or declaring a minor, contact Amanda Minafo, staff Undergraduate Advisor, at issaug@berkeley.edu.

Update: December 9, 2022: Italian Studies will allow a Pass grade for major/minor requirements for Fall 2022 only, per L&S’s Fall ’22 P/NP late grade option modification due to the strike.

To declare a minor: Students with coursework completed or in progress, complete this form.  Students with no coursework yet, or with questions about the declaration form, contact undergraduate advisor, Amanda Minafo, at issaug@berkeley.edu.

Italian Studies Minor (38 units)

Lower-Division (18 units):

  • Italian language courses to include Italian Studies 1, 2, 3 and 4, Elementary/Intermediate/Advanced Italian or their equivalent in linguistic proficiency.

Upper-Division (20 units):

  • Language: Italian Studies 101, Advanced Writing Workshop (4 units)
  • Introduction to Italian Culture and Literature: Italian Studies 105, History of Italian Culture (4 units)
  • Electives: 3 courses (or 12 units)
    • One course (4 units) with primary readings and discussion in English may be counted toward the minor unit requirement. As noted, such courses may be taken in other departments with advance permission of the Faculty Advisor.
    • Upper-division Italian Studies classes with instruction in English may be taken in Italian (by completing readings and written work in Italian) if the student has completed Italian 101, and with permission of the instructor.

Electives offered by Italian Studies (some in Italian, others in English): 102, 105*, 109, 110, 112, 115, 117, 120, 130A, 130B, 160, 163, 170, 175

*Once the Italian Studies 101 and 105 requirements are fulfilled, 101 and 105 can be repeated for elective credit with Faculty Advisor approval, if the content is sufficiently different.

Elective selections in affiliated departments (in English): Art and History of Art 145, 160, 161,162; History 106A, 106B, 149, C157

At least 12 units must be taken in residence.

Education Abroad: No more than two courses (8 units) may count toward upper-division requirements.

All courses for the minor must be taken on a letter grade basis. An overall grade point average of 2.0 is required in upper division courses used for the minor.

Effective for students graduating in Summer 2023 and forward: You must declare your minor prior to the first day of classes of your Expected Graduation Term (EGT). If your EGT is a Summer term, the deadline to declare a minor is anytime prior to the first day of classes for Summer Session A.

To declare the minor: Students with coursework completed or in progress, complete this form.  Students with no coursework yet, or with questions about the declaration form, contact undergraduate advisor, Amanda Minafo, at issaug@berkeley.edu.

In your final semester, complete the College of Letters & Science Minor Completion form and return it to issaug@berkeley.edu.

This policy has been updated as of December 2022.

Transnational Italian Studies Minor (28-34 units)

The Minor in Transnational Italian Studies focuses on Italy’s many dimensions of political thought, labor theory, migration, refugee, and race studies, the fine arts, opera, food, and poetry, in global contexts. It consists of five upper-division courses in the Department of Italian Studies. Courses or seminars taught by Italian Studies faculty in other departments are also acceptable, with the approval of the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor.

Lower-Division Prerequisites (8-14 units)

One year of Italian language (5-10 units)

  • Italian 1: Elementary Italian (5 units)
    and
    Italian 2: Elementary Italian (5 units)

or

  • Italian 1R: Intensive Italian for Romance Language Speakers (5 units)
    equivalent of Italian 1 and 2.

One lower-division Italian Studies course (3 or 4 units):

  • Italian 30: Dante (3 units)
  • Italian 40: Italian Culture (4 units)

Upper-Division Requirements (20 units)

Five upper-division courses in Italian Studies, including those taught by Italian Studies faculty in other  departments. Most are repeatable for credit when the topic changes. Up to 2 can be taken outside the Department. All upper-division courses can be taken in English.

  • ITALIAN 120: Topics in Italian Studies (4 units)
  • ITALIAN 130A: Dante’s Inferno (in English) (4 units)
  • ITALIAN 160: Studies in the History, Society, and Politics of the Italian Peninsula (in Italian) (4 units)
  • ITALIAN 160S: Studies in the History, Society, and Politics of the Italian Peninsula (in English) (4 units)
  • ITALIAN 170: The Italian Cinema: History, Genres, Authors (4 units)
  • ITALIAN 105: History of Italian Culture (4 units) (Taught in Italian; prerequisite course required)

At least 12 units must be taken in residence.

Education Abroad: No more than two courses (8 units) may count toward upper-division requirements.

All courses for the minor must be taken on a letter grade basis, and an overall grade point average of 2.0 is required in upper division courses used for the minor.

To declare the minor: Students with coursework completed or in progress, complete this form.  Students with no coursework yet, or with questions about the declaration form, contact undergraduate advisor, Amanda Minafo, at issaug@berkeley.edu.

You must declare your minor no later than the semester before your Expected Graduation Term (EGT). If the semester before EGT is fall or spring, the deadline is the last day of RRR week. If the semester before EGT is summer, the deadline is the final Friday of Summer Sessions. See the College of Letters & Science Minors page for the Minor Completion Form.