Program Overview

The KSU Italian Studies Program is the largest in the metro Atlanta area and the second largest in the state of Georgia according to the most recent MLA data. Our nationally and internationally recognized faculty members and award-winning students work closely together through courses at all levels (from language to cultural studies, from business Italian to literature, theatre, and cinema), individualized research opportunities, and multiple study abroad and internship options.

parli italiano on hanging blackboard on wall with flags

B.A. in Modern Languages and Culture, Primary Language Italian. The degree program prepares students in the language and explores the literature, art, history and politics of Italy and its contributions to world cultures. The program provides the basis for a lifetime of personal inquiry. There are three Concentrations available in the Program. The Concentrations complement the primary program and provide knowledge that is an invaluable asset to students working in the globalized marketplace.

Faculty

Name
Position

  • Principal Lecturer of Italian

    rcreekmu@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6366
    PS 247

  • Chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures and Professor of Italian and Interdisciplinary Studies

    fsantini@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6366
    PS 215

  • Associate Professor of Italian

    ascapolo@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6366
    PS 245

  • Part Time Faculty - Foreign Languages

    adipiet2@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6366
    PS 221

  • Part-Time Instructor of Italian

    vdipietr@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6366
    PS 221

  • Part-Time Instructor of Italian

    alucchi@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6366
    PS 221

 

Language Resources

Italian Major

The B.A. in Modern Language and Culture with a primary language in Italian has three concentrations to choose from:

  • Second Language and Culture
  • Applied Business
  • Cross-disciplinary Perspectives

A double major in Italian Studies consists of 21 hours of upper-level Italian courses in addition to the requirements for the first major. In many courses of study, a majority of these courses can be used in Related Studies and General Electives.

Italian Minor

The minor in Italian Studies offers students exciting opportunities to gain global skills through engaging, culturally intensive classes and personalized instruction. Students majoring in areas such as history, music, international relations, communication, art history, or film will find the Italian Studies minor ideally suited to add an international dimension to their specific field of expertise. Students can fulfill part of their minor requirements through a Maymester study abroad program in Montepulciano, Italy, and have access to a funded opportunity to study abroad through a partnership with the University of Milan.  

Why Italian at KSU?

We work with students toward their success

  • You can obtain a Major or Minor in Italian, and take courses toward your second concentration (BA in ML&C, Concentration I).
  • KSU Italian Studies students have been extremely successful in being recognized as outstanding undergraduate scholars and researchers, including: 2018 CHSS University Scholars Awardee Santiago Meneses, 2018 DFL Homecoming Alumni Honoree Nicole Stoecker and numerous undergraduate researchers who conducted focused research in Italian Studies and presented at the KSU Symposium of Student Scholars or published work in our departmental undergraduate research journal, the Kennesaw Tower.
  • Low instructor-to-student ratios in intermediate and advanced courses guarantee you individualized attention and close academic and professional advising.
  • Our Italian Studies faculty work towards inclusivity by providing OER course experiences to all of our students: in Fall 2018, the KSU Italian Studies faculty received a Textbook Transformation Grant through Affordable Learning Georgia, through which all Italian first-year courses will only use innovative, open access resources.

 

Student Organizations (Language Clubs)

The Italian Club is a student run organization that unites students with a common interest in the Italian language and culture and provides opportunities to further this educational enlightenment by organizing events both on and off campus.

Italian Club Advisor: Renata Creekmur and Andrea Scapolo

We ensure countless opportunities for learning beyond the classroom

  • Italy is KSU’s Home Abroad
    KSU’s deep connection to Italy is exemplified by our university’s state-of-the-art facilities in Montepulciano, which were established through the generosity of the KSU Foundation and the efforts of the Division of Global Affairs. KSU in Tuscany serves as a resource for the entire state of Georgia and, through it, the university offers a unique set of study abroad experiences and opportunities for students engaged in all disciplinary fields.
  • Internships and Professional Opportunities in Georgia
    Learning Italian in Georgia opens up many professional opportunities: Georgia is home to approximately 95 Italian Companies and about 260 Factories that are controlled by these Italian Companies. According to The former Italian Honorary Consul Ryan Kurtz, “it’s estimated that Italian Companies employ approximately 2500 people in the state of Georgia. In addition to having Italian business employment in the State, every year there are more and more first generation Italians coming directly from Italy to settle in Atlanta.”
  • Connecting with the World
    Our vibrant Italian Club provides many opportunities to network with other students, community leaders, and world-famous intellectuals at cultural and social events on and off campus, such as award-winning author Antonia Arslan, who visited us in 2017, and many others.

By learning Italian, you will:

  • Be immersed in the language and culture of the fifth most visited country in the world, with the highest number of UN world heritage sites.
  • Enhance your intellectual experience with in-depth understanding of a culture whose influence spans from antiquity to the present in music, the figurative arts, literature, cinema, design, gastronomy, science, and philosophy.
  • Increase your marketability in fields in which Italy is a world economic leader as a G7 country: the culinary arts, interior design, fashion and jewelry, graphic and furniture design, leisure and cultural tourism, art restoration, transportation equipment, computer and software services, energy and utilities, and industrial manufacturing.
  • "Go global”: Italy and the U.S. have always been close trade and political partners, and there is a strong presence of Italian business in the U.S. and U.S. global companies with headquarters in Italy.