ITA 700: Early Italian Theater from 1250 to 1800
This course is a survey of the various genres of theater prevalent from Renaissance Italy to the late seventeenth century. Attention is given the historical and cultural background in which the plays were first produced; technical innovations and literary issues are also central to this course. The course is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 701: Medieval and Renaissance Short Story
This course will investigate the evolution of the Italian narrative prose from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. We will read and discuss representative texts in their historical context. In the first part, we will read excerpt from the Novellino, Dante’s Vita Nuova and the Decameron by Boccaccio. In the second part of the course, we will concentrate on the tradition of the unframed short stories (novelle spicciolate) inaugurated by Petrarch’s version of the story of Griselda and brought to perfection by major Florentine authors such as, among others, Luigi Pulci, Lorenzo de’ Medici and Niccolò Machiavelli. Included will also be some of the most famous stories of Western literature, which later inspired masterpieces like, for example, Romeo and Juliet. Weekly meetings will involve lectures and class discussion, both of which will proceed from a close reading of the texts. Readings, classes and assignments will be in Italian.
(3 credits)
ITA 702: Italian Lyric Poetry from the Thirteenth Century to the Seventeenth Century
This course is a survey of the lyric tradition in Italy from the late Middle Ages to the early Baroque. Special attention is given to thematic and poetic innovation, as well as to the historical circumstances in which the poetry was produced. The course is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 703: Autobiography
This course serves as an introduction to the genre of life writing through the study of a selection of representative autobiographies from different periods and by authors of various disciplines (writers, artists, philosophers, playwrights). Particular attention will be given to those works written in the Eighteenth Century, the era in which autobiographies enjoyed a boom in production and in readership. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 710: Dante I
This course treats Dante's evolution from his early work in the Vita nuova through the Convivio to the first part of the Commedia, the Inferno. The course is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 711: Dante II
This course will focus on a close, critical reading of Dante's Purgatorio and Paradiso with reference to the important religious, philosophical, political, and social elements of early fourteenth-century Italy. The course is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 750: Art and Politics of Renaissance Italy
The major interest of this interdisciplinary course will be to explore the intersections between the worlds of art, philosophy, and literature and that of politics in the main city-states of Quattrocento and Cinquecento Italy. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 760: Renaissance Epic Poetry
This course is a survey of the major works of the Italian Epic tradition, with particular attention on poetic invention and manipulation of traditional motifs of this genre. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 780: Italian Baroque and Enlightenment
This course is an examination of the art, culture, and literature of the period of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, with particular attention on the counter-reformation in the 17th century and the Enlightenment in the 18th century. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 800: Modern Italian Theater
In this course we will analyze the masterpieces of Italian Modern Drama through the reading of theatrical works spanning almost 200 years, from the late 18th century to the late 20th century. Included will also be the reading and discussion of several operas. Students will also view film representations of select performances. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 810: Foscolo, Manzoni, and Leopardi
This course is meant to present significant social, political, and literary trends in early eighteenth century Italy by focusing on the three principle writers of the age, Ugo Foscolo, Alessandro Manzoni, and Giacomo Leopardi. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 850: Italian Civilization from the Risorgimento to World War I
Focused on the history, literature, and painting of Italy from 1860 until 1918, this interdisciplinary course aims to offer students a deeper understanding of the complex historical events that helped to shape Italy after the Unification and into the twentieth century. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 860: Modern Italian Narrative
In this course we will read the great novels written in Italy in the last 150 years: from just after National Unification in 1861 through WWI, the Fascist Era, WWII, and up to the post-war reality and beyond. The course is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 880: Modern Italian Poetry
In this course, we will study the development of Italian poetry in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, exploring how creativity is affected by personal experience, artistic conventions, culture, and politics. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 900: Italian Cinema
This course will examine Italian cinema from a variety of cultural, artistic, and historical perspectives from its origins in the first years of the twentieth century to the present. The course will center upon several of the great masterpieces of Italian cinema the emerged after World War II, often viewed under the rubric of "neo-realism. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 910: Italy and Fascism
This course will address the phenomenon of Italian Fascism through the study of historical texts, literary works, and art. Emphasis will be placed on addressing issues such as how Mussolini come to power, how the regime influenced the daily lives of Italians, what ties the Duce had to German Nazism, and the birth of the Resistance Movement. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 920: History of the Italian Language
In this course we will chronologically trace the development of the Italian language from its Latin roots to the language of the present day. Emphasis will be placed on the historical formation of Italian and its dialects. Historical phonology and morphology, and problems of syntax and lexicon will also be addressed. Examples from early Italian texts will be used for linguistic analysis. Students will also be learn and practice translation techniques at the end of the course. To be taught in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 930: Women Writers of the Twentieth Century
In this course we will investigate the most important works written by Italian women during the last century. Texts will be read in their cultural context, in the framework of the history of Italian women. Readings will include novels, short stories and poetry, and the course will be conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 950: Fantastic Literature
This course aims to discuss fantastic fiction through a reading of short stories, brief novels and plays by important modern Italian authors. Much emphasis will also be placed on the viewing of important cinematic representations of these texts. During the semester, students will investigate the unique contribution of Italian writers to the fantastic tale, which was – and continues to be – intensely present in the literary production of the peninsula. The class is conducted in Italian. (3 credits)
ITA 980: Culminating Experience
This course is required for the completion of MS in Adolescence Education (7-12): Italian. Under the supervision of a faculty member approved by the department chair, the student will prepare a special project that reflects the student's interests and course of study. The project may focus on a variety of topics, including teaching methodology, literature, and culture. The student will submit a detailed proposal for the project to the faculty advisor before registering. Prerequisites: completion of 18 credits in Italian and permission of the department chair. (3 credits)
ITA 990: Special Topics
This course is designed for the creation of courses that focus on a particularly relevant topic not covered sufficiently in the current curriculum. (3 credits)
EDU 959: Special Project in Italian Education
Supervised research in Italian Education. Degree candidates in the MS Ed program in Italian and the MST Italian program will be required to develop a special project under the direction of a faculty member in the program. Prerequisite: Completion of 21 graduate credits or permission of the department chair. Closed course card signed by chair of the department of foreign languages required. (3 credits)
Graduate Program