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.

Questions about Italian at KSU?

Contact Renata Creekmur, Italian Program Coordinator

Faculty

Name
Position

  • Part-Time Assistant Professor of Italian

    catwood2@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6366
    PS 221

  • Principal Lecturer of Italian and Spanish

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

  • Part Time Faculty - Foreign Languages (PBE)

    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

  • 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

 

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.

Study Abroad

Maymester in Italy: Exploring Tuscany

Participants spend two weeks in the historic Montepulciano, at the heart of Tuscany. Students participate in small-group, interactive language and culture courses targeted to their specific skill level; they engage in service-learning activities aimed at building long-lasting ties with the local community and explore the area through guided tours of the town and of the surrounding Chianti countryside.

Experiential activities such as an Italian cooking class and tours of local artisan shops are integrated into the program. The program also includes a day trip to Florence to explore the many artistic treasures of this capital of the Italian Renaissance. No prior knowledge of Italian is required.

Learn More and Apply Today!

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.  

Italian Club

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.

Check out our events on OwlLife Follow Us on Instagram

Italian Club Advisors: Renata Creekmur and Andrea Scapolo

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)

 

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.