Affiliated programs
The Italian Language Program works in conjunction with various other programs and groups of the University of Chicago and beyond.
Romance Languages
Our program forms part of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. It is, therefore, in contact with all the languages offered, such as Spanish, French, Portuguese, Catalan, Basque, and Haitian Creole. Check out Vaeranda, the magazine of the Romance Language programs at the University of Chicago. Here is the section dedicated to Italian, including short stories our students wrote.
Undergraduate students can major and minor in Italian Studies, Hispanic and Luso-Brazialian Studies, and French and Francophone Studies. In addition, students can major and minor in more than one romance language.
University of Chicago Language Center
The Italian Language Program often works with the Language Center, particularly in developing and grading the Foreign Language Proficiency Assessments and Certifications in Italian.
Currently, students can take the Practical Language Proficiency Assessment, which measures students’ ability to functionally use a foreign language in most personal and some academic or professional settings. The Advanced Language Proficiency Assessment, which measures students’ ability to functionally use a foreign language in a wide variety of settings, including all personal settings and many academic or professional settings, is currently being developed and will soon be available.
Study Abroad
The University of Chicago offers various study abroad programs located in Italy. In particular,
- faculty-led programs
- Florence: Living with History
- Rome: Antiquity to the Baroque, Civilization Studies Core
- direct-enrollment programs
- Bologna: University of Bologna: “The University of Chicago Bologna program provides students in the College with an opportunity to live for a semester or year in the medieval/modern city of Bologna while studying at the venerable University of Bologna, arguably Europe’s oldest university.” This is the only program in Italy that requires at least two years of Italian language study. The Bologna Consortial Studies Program connects UChicago students with students from other institutions and allows them to experience life and study in Italy in a truly immersive program.
- Milan: Bocconi University Exchange Program
- Bologna: University of Bologna: “The University of Chicago Bologna program provides students in the College with an opportunity to live for a semester or year in the medieval/modern city of Bologna while studying at the venerable University of Bologna, arguably Europe’s oldest university.” This is the only program in Italy that requires at least two years of Italian language study. The Bologna Consortial Studies Program connects UChicago students with students from other institutions and allows them to experience life and study in Italy in a truly immersive program.
- summer grants
- Foreign Language Acquisition Grant (FLAG): the FLAG Program offers awards of $5,000 to defray the costs of intermediate or advanced language study abroad. Several students complemented the study of Italian in cities as Turin, Taormina, Bologna.
Global Studies
Global Studies often collaborates with the Italian Language Program in organizing cultural events, such as talks and cooking nights. Caterina Fugazzola, in particular, acts as a liaison with the Program.
Italian RSO: CIAO
The Chicago Italian Appreciation Organization aims to provide a space on campus for students to engage with Italian culture. It is currently run by students majoring in Italian and is a lively group you can find on Instagram.
Italian Cultural Institute in Chicago
The Italian Cultural Institute in Chicago organizes and sponsors events connected with the Italian language and culture and their membership “allows you to download two e-books per month from our online digital library, featuring a network of over 6,000 Italian libraries, have access to Italian newspapers included in the digital newsstand, and participate more actively in the life of the Institute”.
Chicago International Film Festival
Every year in October, Chicago hosts the International Film Festival, which usually features Italian films and documentaries and interviews with directors.
Lyric Opera of Chicago
The Lyric Opera of Chicago often features operas by renowned Italian composers, such as Puccini, Verdi and Rossini.