Program Overview

Italian (JH)

B.A. Honours Bachelor Degree (NFQ Level 8)

Overview

Studying Italian opens the door to a beautiful new world. Italy holds up to 75% of the world’s art treasures, has been home to some of the world’s greatest writers and thinkers, boasts fabulous food, fashion and design, and has a dynamic economy. Having fluent Italian is extremely beneficial for the job market; as Italian is less common, you will stand out. You do not need to have studied Italian before; most students of Italian start as beginners.

Course Details

• Awards: B.A. Honours Bachelor Degree (NFQ Level 8)
• CAO Information: CAO Points 367-601 (2024)
• Number of Places: 8 Places

Course Options

Italian is studied as a Joint Honours subject with one of the following options:

• TR177 Classical Civilisation
• TR239 Classical Languages
• TR323 Drama Studies
• TR324 Film
• TR326 Geography
• TR447 History
• TR455 History of Art and Architecture
• TR563 Middle Eastern, Jewish and Islamic Civilisations
• TR597 Mathematics
• TR639 Philosophy
• TR666 Religion
• TR756 Sociology
• TR757 Social Policy
• Modern Language (Early Irish, French, German, Irish, Russian, Spanish)

Admission Requirements

• Leaving Certificate: H4 in Italian or, for beginners, in a language other than English
• Advanced GCE (A Level): Grade C in Italian or, for beginners, in a language other than English
• International Baccalaureate: IB HL Grade 5
• English Language Requirements: All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements.

Course Fees

For a full list of undergraduate fees, please refer to the relevant section.

Your Degree and What You’ll Study

At entry, Italian must be combined with one other subject. In later years, you will be able to select additional subjects and electives. The degree offers you flexibility and choice.

First and Second Years

In first year, you follow an intensive course in Italian language. This includes grammar classes, conversation and listening practice, and learning how to write in Italian and produce basic translations. You will also be introduced to Italy’s history and to some literature and cinema. In second year, you continue language classes and explore Italy’s rich literary tradition, including Dante’s Inferno, as well as modern Italian culture, history, and Italian cinema.

Third and Fourth Years

The third and fourth years focus on major authors of the medieval, Renaissance, and 20th and 21st centuries, as well as contemporary Italian politics and life. You also study optional modules. In previous years, for example, we offered these options: Italian Drama 1470s-1530s; Italian Cinema; Gendered Narratives in 20th Century Italian Literature; The Poetry of Michelangelo; and Introduction to Second Language Teaching and Learning.

In your final year, the programme includes advanced modules on Italian language varieties, cultural studies, and key literary texts and films. The final-year Capstone project allows you to specialise in the area you find most interesting, supported by regular one-to-one meetings with a professor who will share their expertise with you.

At all levels, you will be assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and exams. We use a mix of traditional and innovative continuous assessment methods: essays, project work, presentations, book reviews, and dossiers, podcast creation.

Graduate Skills and Career Opportunities

Advanced language and communication skills are in high demand – especially here in Ireland, a vibrant knowledge economy which depends on European and international trade. Our graduates develop successful global careers in management, law, journalism, charities, international business, translation, the arts, fashion, tourism, PR, diplomacy, finance, football management, teaching, and banking. Many of our graduates now live and work in, for example, Italy, France, Belgium, UK, USA, and Hong Kong.

You can build quickly on communication and language skills of a language degree, specialising once you are sure of your career direction. A short postgraduate course can take you into advertising, social media management, journalism, law, marketing, teaching, event planning, web development, operations management, research, and much more.