Programs
The Italian Program offers five ways of achieving recognition for coursework in Italian Studies. Each of these five pathways, i.e., (1) the Certificate in Italian Language Competency; (2) the Minor in Italian Studies; (3) the BA in Italian Studies; (4) the MA in Italian Studies; (5) and the Single-Subject Teaching Credential in Italian can be completed separately as well as built upon incrementally throughout a student’s academic career at CSULB.
The Certificate in Italian Language Competency is a credit- and competency-based certificate that acknowledges both the completion of 12-25 units of coursework in Italian Language (of which 9 must be at the upper-division level), as well as the achievement of the competency level of A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, or C2 on the scale of the Common European Framework of Languages (CEFL) through the passing of the oral and written components of the final test.
This Certificate may be completed as the first step of an undergraduate degree program in Italian and segues easily into the minor, as well as the BA in Italian Studies. These tiers are interrelated and share common coursework. For example, the student who completes the coursework for the Certificate in Italian Language Competency need only take three additional three-unit, upper-division courses to complete the Minor in Italian Studies, which consists of 18 upper-division units. By the same token, students who have completed the Minor in Italian Studies (18 units of upper-division coursework) may complete the BA in Italian Studies (33 units of upper-division coursework) by taking five additional three-unit, upper division courses equaling 15 units.
The Italian Studies Minor allows students to delve more deeply into Italian literature and culture, as well as Italian for applied purposes. It can be taken in conjunction with any other major, and is complementary to several other disciplines. The Minor consists of 18 upper-division units of which 9 may be counted from the Certificate Program.
The Italian Studies BA offers a further degree of specialization and interdisciplinary coursework through our two BA options: Italian Language and Culture (required for those who wish to pursue the teaching of Italian as a career) and Interdisciplinary Italian Studies (which combines related courses from other disciplines with Italian courses).
The Master of Arts in Italian Studies made its debut at California State University, Long Beach, home to the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies. Our MA students benefit from the Graziadio Center’s commitment to creating a rich academic environment that maintains ongoing dialogue between students, faculty, and community members, not to mention an engaging schedule of speakers and conferences. A combination of high standards, individualized attention, and a wide range of course offerings makes the MA in Italian Studies at Cal State Long Beach an excellent choice for any profession with international reach and global interaction, particularly in the arts and arts management, fashion, design, and advertising. Those wishing to pursue the Ph.D. in literature and cultural studies, or become teachers, translators, museum specialists, hospitality, travel, import/export, and culinary experts will all benefit from this degree.
Completion of Concentration I (Language and Culture) of the Italian major meets the subject matter competence requirement for the Single Subject Teaching Credential in Italian. Prospective students should consult the undergraduate Italian Advisor and the Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Credential Program Advisor early to plan their program.
In addition to meeting the subject matter competence requirement for the Teaching Credential, prospective teachers of Italian are also required to complete 45 units of professional preparation in the Single Subject Credential Program, including student teaching. Students may begin the professional preparation courses as early as the junior year. With careful planning, it is possible to complete all of the credential program courses, except for student teaching, as an undergraduate. Courses may also be completed as a post-baccalaureate student. Refer to the Single Subject Teacher Education section of the university catalog or the Single Subject Credential Program website for a description of professional preparation requirements, courses, and application procedures.
