ITAL-BA - Italian (BA)
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Program Overview
The mission of the undergraduate program in Italian is to expose students to a variety of perspectives on the Italian language, culture, and history by providing majors with training in writing and communication as well as cultural, textual, and historical analysis to develop students into critical and global thinkers prepared for careers in business, social service, and government, or for graduate study in Italian.
Minimum Units in the Program
Minimum University Units
Complete a minimum of 60 units of coursework in the major.
These 60 units may not be used for any other major or minor.
Courses applied to the major must be taken for a letter grade, and a grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or better must be achieved in each course.
No more than 12 units of coursework for the major should be taken as independent study courses.
Relevant courses from other departments or programs may also earn credit toward the major as electives with prior approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Limit to 12 units of coursework completed at another university to count toward the major, and only with approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
The program offers three subplans:
• Italian Culture focuses on the culture, history, and global impact of Italy.
• Italian Literature focuses on the Italian language and literature written in it.
• Italian and Philosophy provides a background in the Italian language and literary tradition with emphasis on philosophical thought.
To enroll in all ITALIAN or ITALLANG courses taught in Italian at or above the 100 level, students must have successfully completed ITALLANG 22A or the equivalent
Students may earn up to 12 units in second-year language courses (maximum 12 units).
Students must take all three of the preceding core courses at Stanford (12 units).
In their senior year, students must enroll in a three-unit Independent Study to prepare a final project that reflects their coursework in the major. In consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, students choose a project from a menu of options. Options include but are not limited to a creative project or short essay. Students will present this project to the faculty of the department before graduation.
* French and Philosophy subplan includes additional capstone requirements. See dropdown menu below for more details.
Students majoring in any DLCL department (i.e., Comparative Literature, French and Italian, German Studies, Iberian and Latin American Cultures, and Slavic Languages and Literatures) who have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or above and who maintain a 3.5 (GPA) in their major courses, are eligible to participate in the DLCL’s honors program.
Declaring Honors
Prospective honors students must choose a senior thesis advisor from among their home department’s regular faculty in their junior year by May 1. During spring quarter of the junior year, a student interested in the honors program should consult with the Chair of Undergraduate Studies of their home department to submit a thesis proposal (1-5 pages), DLCL Honors application, and an outline of planned course work for their senior year. This package is submitted to the DLCL Undergraduate Student Services Officer. When their applications are approved by their home department, students will request honors through Axess.
Honors theses vary considerably in length as a function of their topic, historical scope, and methodology. They may use previous work developed in seminars and courses but display an enhanced comparative or theoretical scope. Quality rather than quantity is the crucial criterion. Honors theses range from 40 to 90 pages, not including bibliography and notes.
Honors students are encouraged to participate in the DLCL program hosted by Bing Honors College. This DLCL Honors College is designed to help students develop their projects and is offered at the end of the summer before senior year. Applications must be submitted through the Bing program. For more information, view the Bing Honors website.
Program Requirements
A minimum of nine units, described below, and a completed thesis is required. Honors essays are due to the thesis advisor no later than 5 p.m. on May 15 of the terminal year. If an essay is found deserving of a grade of A- or better by the thesis advisor, honors are granted at graduation.
Autumn Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189A Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units S/NC) Taught by a DLCL appointed faculty member, this course focuses on researching and writing the honors thesis.
Winter Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189B Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units S/NC) Conducted under the primary thesis advisor, the focus is on writing and revising the thesis draft. Each Independent Study course requires a minimum of two meetings with your primary advisor.
Spring Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189C Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units, letter grade) Each Independent Study course requires a minimum of two meetings with your primary advisor. Students enroll with your primary thesis advisor and present their thesis at the annual Honors Colloquium, held between May 15 and May 30th. The grade for 189C reflects the grade for the thesis and is assigned by the primary advisor, with input from the second reader. Students finalize and submit the thesis to their thesis advisor and the Student Services Officer by May 15 at 5:00 p.m.
The honors thesis in the DLCL embodies Stanford's commitment to excellence in coursework and research. It serves both as a student’s intellectual legacy and as part of the University's scholarly record. Far more than a final paper, the honors thesis reflects original, rigorous research that contributes to broader academic conversations and showcases the intellectual vitality of the discipline.
For these reasons, DLCL honors theses will be visible to future scholars researching similar questions through full online access through the Stanford Digital Repository (SDR) and may be used as course materials for future Stanford honors preparatory courses. A printed copy may also be kept in DLCL spaces. Students who wish to limit the access or sharing formats may do so by submitting a restriction request form to the DLCL Student Services Officer.
To enroll in all Italian literature courses taught in Italian, students must pass first-year Italian [ITALLANG 1, 2, 3 or ITALLANG 1A, 2A] or complete the placement exam through the Language Center.
Elective courses to meet the 60 unit major minimum can be taken within the following parameters. Elective courses can be taken within the following parameters:
Coursework within the department. Additional ITALIAN courses taught by Italian faculty (may be taught in English or Italian) at the 100- or 200-level.
Language coursework. Up to three language courses in Italian at or above ITALLANG 21, such as ITALLANG22 and 23 or ITALIAN 21A and 22A for a maximum of 12 units.
Coursework in other departments relevant to the degree, on Italian topics, with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Bing Overseas Program. Courses taken at the Bing Overseas Studies in Florence program with prior approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Education as Self-Fashioning courses taught at least partially by a French and Italian Department faculty member. Students may count a maximum of ten units.
Structured Liberal Education. Students may count ten units of SLE coursework towards their major elective totals.
Digital Humanities Course. Student work must reflect Italian interests. Prior approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Maximum of five units.
Students may earn a maximum of up to 12 units in second-year language courses.
Complete ONE additional 100-level course or higher for a total of 3 courses. All courses in this section must be taught in Italian.
To enroll in all Italian literature courses taught in Italian, students must pass first-year Italian [ITALLANG 1, 2, 3 or ITALLANG 1A, 2A] or complete the placement exam through the Language Center.
Elective courses to meet the 60 unit major minimum can be taken within the following parameters. Elective courses can be taken within the following parameters:
Coursework within the department. Additional ITALIAN courses taught by Italian faculty (may be taught in English or Italian) at the 100- or 200-level.
Language coursework. Up to three language courses in Italian at or above ITALLANG 21, such as ITALLANG22 and 23 or ITALIAN 21A and 22A for a maximum of 12 units.
Coursework in other departments relevant to the degree, on Italian topics, with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Bing Overseas Program. Courses taken at the Bing Overseas Studies in Florence program with prior approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Education as Self-Fashioning courses taught at least partially by a French and Italian Department faculty member. Students may count a maximum of ten units.
Structured Liberal Education. Students may count ten units of SLE coursework towards their major elective totals.
Digital Humanities Course. Student work must reflect Italian interests. Prior approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Maximum of five units.
Students may earn a maximum of up to 12 units in second-year language courses.
ONE additional 100-level course or higher taught in Italian, totaling THREE courses in this section.
To enroll in all Italian literature courses taught in Italian, students must pass first-year Italian [ITALLANG 1, 2, 3 or ITALLANG 1A, 2A] or complete the placement exam.
This course should be taken as early as possible in the student's career, normally in the sophomore year.
One course from the PHIL 170 Ethical Theory series.
Take one course designated as a philosophy and literature capstone with the approval of the DUS
Students majoring in any DLCL department (i.e., Comparative Literature, French and Italian, German Studies, Iberian and Latin American Cultures, and Slavic Languages and Literatures) who have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or above and who maintain a 3.5 (GPA) in their major courses, are eligible to participate in the DLCL’s honors program.
Declaring Honors
Prospective honors students must choose a senior thesis advisor from among their home department’s regular faculty in their junior year by May 1. During spring quarter of the junior year, a student interested in the honors program should consult with the Chair of Undergraduate Studies of their home department to submit a thesis proposal (1-5 pages), DLCL Honors application, and an outline of planned course work for their senior year. This package is submitted to the DLCL Undergraduate Student Services Officer. When their applications are approved by their home department, students will request honors through Axess.
Honors theses vary considerably in length as a function of their topic, historical scope, and methodology. They may use previous work developed in seminars and courses but display an enhanced comparative or theoretical scope. Quality rather than quantity is the crucial criterion. Honors theses range from 40 to 90 pages, not including bibliography and notes.
Honors students are encouraged to participate in the DLCL program hosted by Bing Honors College. This DLCL Honors College is designed to help students develop their projects and is offered at the end of the summer before senior year. Applications must be submitted through the Bing program. For more information, view the Bing Honors website.
Program Requirements
A minimum of nine units, described below, and a completed thesis is required. Honors essays are due to the thesis advisor no later than 5 p.m. on May 15 of the terminal year. If an essay is found deserving of a grade of A- or better by the thesis advisor, honors are granted at graduation.
Autumn Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189A Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units S/NC) Taught by a DLCL appointed faculty member, this course focuses on researching and writing the honors thesis.
Winter Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189B Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units S/NC) Conducted under the primary thesis advisor, the focus is on writing and revising the thesis draft. Each Independent Study course requires a minimum of two meetings with your primary advisor.
Spring Quarter of the senior year (required): DLCL189C Honors Thesis Seminar (3-4 units, letter grade) Each Independent Study course requires a minimum of two meetings with your primary advisor. Students enroll with your primary thesis advisor and present their thesis at the annual Honors Colloquium, held between May 15 and May 30th. The grade for 189C reflects the grade for the thesis and is assigned by the primary advisor, with input from the second reader. Students finalize and submit the thesis to their thesis advisor and the Student Services Officer by May 15 at 5:00 p.m.
The honors thesis in the DLCL embodies Stanford's commitment to excellence in coursework and research. It serves both as a student’s intellectual legacy and as part of the University's scholarly record. Far more than a final paper, the honors thesis reflects original, rigorous research that contributes to broader academic conversations and showcases the intellectual vitality of the discipline.
For these reasons, DLCL honors theses will be visible to future scholars researching similar questions through full online access through the Stanford Digital Repository (SDR) and may be used as course materials for future Stanford honors preparatory courses. A printed copy may also be kept in DLCL spaces. Students who wish to limit the access or sharing formats may do so by submitting a restriction request form to the DLCL Student Services Officer.
To write the paper, students must enroll in a 3-unit, letter-grade independent study with a faculty member (or affiliate) in the Philosophy and Literature Focal Group. The paper must involve philosophy and literature, and the faculty member must approve the topic by the add/drop deadline.
Students may earn a maximum of up to 12 units in second-year language courses.
The Italian and Philosophy subplan requires 66 units, as described above. Students interested in this subplan should review the Philosophy and Literature website. Substitutions and transfer credits are generally not permitted for the PHIL 170 series class or the PHIL 180 series class. They are never allowed for PHIL 80, ITALIAN 181 Philosophy and Literature, or the capstone seminar. Up to ten units of courses taken in the Philosophy department may be taken ‘CR/NC’ or ‘S/NC’; the remainder must be taken for a letter grade. Once students have completed the SLE sequence (all three quarters), they may count up to ten units toward this major. The SLE units can replace one history of philosophy course and one upper-division ITALIAN course.