Italian Studies Minor
Students interested in an interdisciplinary approach to Italian culture through the combined study of language, literature, history, and art history may pursue a minor in Italian studies. A detailed checklist for the minor is available on the Italian studies program web site.
Staff advisers for the Italian studies minor are available in the Literature Department office, located in Humanities 1, room 303. The Italian studies program is administered by the Literature Department. Declaring a minor in Italian studies is a three-step process:
1. Complete the Petition for Major/Minor Declaration and submit it to litdept@ucsc.edu. Be sure to indicate your expected graduation term (EGT) on the petition. Your EGT is visible in your Student Advising Summary or on your MyUCSC Student Portal.
2. Make an appointment with the Italian studies program director to discuss your plans and fill out an Italian Studies Minor Checklist.
3. Make an appointment with an Italian studies advisor in the Literature Department in order to review and complete your declaration form. To schedule an advising appointment, visit ucsc.campus.eab.com, send an email to litdept@ucsc.edu, or leave a message at 831-459-4778.
Course Requirements
Lower-Division Courses
Complete the lower-division Italian language sequence (ITAL 1–ITAL 6), or equivalent.
Italian has an accelerated language track of ITAL 1A and ITAL 1B. These two courses taken together equate to ITAL 1-ITAL 3.
Upper-Division Courses
Students complete five upper-division courses: One in Italian culture, one in Italian history, two in Italian literature, and one in Italian art.
Three of the five upper-division courses must be completed at UC Santa Cruz. A maximum of two courses may be transferred from a UC Education Abroad Program (EAP).
Two courses must have at least a discussion section in Italian. Consult the final section below for a list of possible courses. Additional courses may apply on a case-by-case basis. Contact the Literature advisor to review potential courses.
LIT 102 can substitute for one of the Italian literature, history, or art history requirements after consulting with the Literature advisor. In some cases, LIT 102 can also count as a course taught substantially in Italian.
Students can consult Italian studies course offerings for each of the above categories.
Italian Culture
Take one of the following:
Italian History
Take the following:
Italian Literature
Take two courses from the LIT 185 series or the following list. Students should complete the lower-division Italian language sequence (ITAL 1 - 6) prior to taking Italian literature courses.
Note: All LIT 185-series courses count toward the two-course requirement for courses taught substantially in Italian.
| LIT 114A | Orlando Furioso | 5 |
| LIT 114C | Dante's Divine Comedy | 5 |
| LIT 114E | One Way Ticket to Hell … and Back: Exploring Dante’s Inferno | 5 |
| LIT 114F | Finding Dante: A Reader’s Guide to Getting Out of Hell | 5 |
| LIT 121G | The Idea of Poetry | 5 |
| LIT 130D | The Global Middle Ages | 5 |
| LIT 141A | Early Mediterranean Cultures | 5 |
| LIT 155D | Italian Cinema and Literature | 5 |
| LIT 164G | Literature and the Holocaust | 5 |
| LIT 166C | Early Modern Italian Women Writers | 5 |
| LIT 190A | Topics in Pre- and Early Modern Studies | 5 |
Italian History of Art and Visual Culture Courses
Take one of the following:
| HAVC 154 | Byzantine Visual Culture: Politics and Religion in the Empire of Constantinople, 330-1453 A. C | 5 |
| HAVC 155 | Constructing Cleopatra: Power, Sexuality, and Femininity Across the Ages | 5 |
| HAVC 157B | Italian Renaissance: Art and Architecture | 5 |
| HAVC 157C | High Renaissance | 5 |
| HAVC 157D | Art of the Venetian Renaissance | 5 |
| HAVC 191N | Topics in Renaissance Art and Visual Culture | 5 |
Courses Taught Substantially in Italian
Take two courses that are taught substantially in Italian or have a discussion section taught in Italian.
All LIT 185 series courses count toward this requirement, and a list of current 185 series courses are listed below. In some cases, LIT 102 may count toward this requirement after consultation with the Literature advisor.