Italian and History BA
Join our friendly and dynamic Department of Modern Languages and European Studies, which offers the opportunity to study in a lively, multilingual community with staff and students from all over the world. We offer a flexible and supportive approach to learning which allows you to tailor your degree to your interests, including the opportunity to learn other languages.
Through this course you will become confident and highly skilled in written and spoken Italian. You will master the fundamental elements of the language, to the point where you will graduate with a near-native command of it. We’re proud of our small language classes, led by native speakers. Direct access to expert staff for help and feedback ensures you develop your language skills to the best of your ability.
Optional modules in Italian politics, culture, history, literature and cinema enhance your learning, and provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the country. You will gain a broad understanding of the most important features of the culture and history of Italy, from the Middle Ages to today. You will have the opportunity to study with leading academics on topics including Dante, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, fascism, the history of the language, the resistance, Fellini and contemporary culture.
The course enables you to pursue your own interests beyond the language you're learning through comparative modules. For example, if you really enjoy film, then you can take a module in Italian cinema together with comparative modules in European and world cinema. It's a great way to broaden your knowledge and get even more enjoyment from the course.
In the history component you will have the opportunity to discover a thousand years of history whilst experiencing all the specialist areas on offer at the University of Reading, including Britain, Europe, Russia, Africa, America, the Middle East and South Asia. Your first year acts as an introduction and helps you identify your particular areas of interest. You will explore people, politics and revolution and we will teach you the skills you need to study and research history. One particular optional module enables you to study Italy since the Risorgimento – a great way to complement your study of Italian.
An integral part of the course is the opportunity for you to spend up to a year in Italy, either studying at a partner institution through the Erasmus+ programme, undertaking a work placement or working as a British Council language teaching assistant. It allows you to directly immerse yourself in the culture and greatly improve your knowledge of Italian at the same time. The core language module in the second year will prepare you for your time abroad, equipping you with the skills and knowledge required to work and live in a different culture.
We provide accelerated learning in Italian, meaning that you can start from beginner's level if you have not studied the language before, or at intermediate level if you have only learnt it up to GCSE or AS level. Regardless of what level you join the course at, all students achieve the same standard of written and spoken Italian by the final year. Please check the entry requirements for more details on entry points.
Świadectwo ukończenia drugiej klasy (liceum) lub trzeciej klasy (technikum) – załącz ten dokument jeśli wciąż się uczysz i dlatego nie masz jeszcze świadectwa ukończenia szkoły średniej. Nie musisz załączać tłumaczenia tego dokumentu.
Świadectwo dojrzałości oraz świadectwo ukończenia szkoły średniej – w przypadku ukończenia szkoły średniej wystarczy, że do formularza aplikacyjnego załączysz świadectwo dojrzałości (maturalne) wraz ze świadectwem ukończenia liceum (bądź technikum) - do obu tych dokumentów potrzebne jest też tłumaczenie przysięgłe.
Ważne jest, by uczelnia otrzymała wyniki testu z języka angielskiego do 31 lipca.
Spełnienie wymagań w zakresie języka angielskiego można udokumentować w następujący sposób:
IELTS - 6.0 lub 6.5 (Wynik, który musisz uzyskać z testu językowego aplikując na wybrany kierunek studiów znajdziesz w wymaganiach rekrutacyjnych danego programu)
TOEFL – 80 lub 100 (Wynik, który musisz uzyskać z testu językowego aplikując na wybrany kierunek studiów znajdziesz w wymaganiach rekrutacyjnych danego programu)
By the time you graduate, you will be able to write and speak fluently in Italian – an immensely useful skill to have given that there is currently a great shortage of well-qualified linguists in the UK. The experience of studying or working abroad also distinguishes you from non-language graduates, providing evidence of self-reliance, adaptability and enterprise. The course also provides you with numerous transferable skills in research, clear and critical thinking, presenting and group working, which will prove useful in a wide range of careers.
Our graduates have an excellent record of gaining employment or progressing to further study. They find careers in many different sectors, including education, publishing, translation, EU institutions, finance, fashion, entertainment, the film business and tourism, both in the UK and abroad. They have found employment with companies and organisations such as the Ministry of Defence, Energis Communication, BNP Paribas, the Taylorian Institution Library and Riso Scotti SRL, Christie’s, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, PGL Travel Ltd. 22% of our 2012 graduates opted to continue their studies at postgraduate level and have in recent years included PhDs at Siena, Oxford and Cambridge.
