Graduate Programs

The Italian Studies program offers students the opportunity to study the language, history and culture of Italy under the guidance of internationally renowned scholars in anthropology, history, history of art and architecture, literature and modern culture and media.

The doctoral program in Italian Studies prepares students for research and teaching positions in academic environments, and in the world of advanced thought more generally. The program emphasizes an interdisciplinary "cultural studies" perspective, while maintaining vital links to literary-critical, philosophical, art-historical and historical disciplines. Along with intensive training in teaching language and culture at all levels, we offer our students preparation in the most recent relevant theories and methodologies, including special training in the digital humanities.

Additional Resources

Audio-visual equipment, online resources for teaching and research (the Virtual Humanities Lab), departmental library, and reading room.

Application Information

Application Requirements

GRE Subject:

Not required

GRE General:

Not required

Writing Sample:

Required (in Italian and English).

Additional Requirements:

Fluency in Italian. Proficiency in English.

Dates/Deadlines

Application Deadline

Completion Requirements

At least 12 courses in Italian Studies are required of doctoral students, including:

  • ITAL 1610 – Dante
  • ITAL 2100 – Introduction to Italian Studies
  • ITAL 2820 – Italian Studies Colloquium
  • ITAL 2900 – Teaching Methodology

Distribution requirements: All students must take at least 3 courses in Medieval/Early Modern Italian Studies and 3 courses in Modern/Contemporary Italian Studies. All students must take at least one 1000– or 2000–level course in three out of the four following disciplinary fields: Italian literature; Italian history and anthropology; History of Italian art and architecture; Italian film and media studies.

Please note: one course can fulfill both the chronological and the field requirement (for example: a course in Renaissance art can fulfill both the Medieval/Early Modern and history of Italian art and architecture field requirement).

Additional Requirements: First year review; preliminary examination; dissertation; four–semester teaching requirement; language requirement (demonstrated reading proficiency in two languages, other than English and Italian).

Students entering with a master's or an Italian Laurea may transfer up to eight course credits, of which only four may be applied to course requirements in Italian Studies.

Alumni Careers

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Leadership

Department Chair
Suzanne Stewart-Steinberg
Director of Graduate Studies
Massimo Riva

Contact and Location

Department of Italian Studies

Mailing Address

Brown University
Box 1942
Visit the Department of Italian Studies

Resources