So, you fell in love with Italian A this year, and now you want to know if it's possible for you to concentrate in Italian. Ma certo! There are three ways in particular for you to approach a concentration with an Italian focus, as the sample study plans below show.

Joint or Combined concentration in Italian
It's easy to combine Italian language and literature with another discipline. Say, for example, your love for Italian is matched only by your love of Music, or Art History, or Sociology, or Economics, or History, or practically anything else. You can have the best of both worlds by studying the two disciplines as a joint concentration. Or, combine Italian with French, Portuguese or Spanish for a combined concentation in RLL.
Italian Studies
If your interests are basically in things Italian --even Italian American-- but you don't want to focus only on literature, why not combine Italian language and literature with a variety of related courses? Italian and music, history, art, anthropology, whatever! That's what we call the Italian Studies concentration. This program of study allows you to satisfy your interest in several disciplines while keeping an Italian frame of reference.
Italian Literature
You want to study the language and culture of Italy while reading great works of Italian literature -- Dante, Petrarca, Boccaccio, Verga, Pirandello, Calvino and anything in between. If this is your goal, then a concentration in Italian literature will help you get there.
Just consider these plans of study, for example... (bold-faced = for concentration ; italic = basic requirements)

Joint Concentration

6 half courses in Italian literature and language + 6 (or more) half courses in another discipline

Italian Studies

8 half courses in Italian literature and language + 4 half courses in related fields

Italian Literature

12 half courses in Italian literature and language


Considering Honors? Add Ital 99, a full year course for thesis writers, to your Senior year.


Looking for summer reading? Check out our Concentrator's Reading List for some smart suggestions.

For more information, send email to Elvira Di Fabio, edifabio@fas.harvard.edu

ask about.....

Just one more thing...

You're wondering what you could possibly do with a degree in Italian?
Answer.... Anything!!!

Our concentrators have gone into Investment Banking, Consulting, Teaching, Law School, Business School. You're not "giving up" anything by concentrating in Italian, or in Romance Languages in general. In fact, you are distinguishing yourself from the crowd. According to one French/Italian concentrator, the J.P.Morgan recruiter told her quite frankly that it was her appreciation of other cultures that distinguished her from the scores of other applicants, and landed her the job!

And we have a fabulous department, too!

But don't take my word for it: Click here to read what Li Ran ('01, Italian Studies) has to say about her choice of concentration.

Back to the Italian Home Page, or browse through the online descriptions of our many Italian literature courses.