Explore Italian culture, language and arts

Whatever your interest—language, literature or the intersection between Italian studies and other disciplines—DePaul’s flexible master’s in Italian provides you with a customizable curriculum to help you develop advanced linguistic and cultural expertise.

The program may be completed in two years. Core courses are offered in the evenings, while most elective courses are offered in the afternoon/evening.

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Apply your skills in Chicago and beyond

As part of your service-learning experience, you’ll apply your linguistic expertise at sites across the city. Chicago is home to numerous multilingual cultural institutions, organizations and nonprofits, such as the Italian Cultural Institute, Casa Italia Chicago and more.

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, though we encourage you to submit materials at least two months prior to the quarter in which you wish to enroll.

Admission Requirements

Submit an online application, language proficiency test scores, letters of recommendation, letters of application, and complete an interview with a faculty member in our Italian program.

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Required Courses

You’ll take three core courses and nine electives taught in either Italian or English.

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93%

of College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences graduates were employed, continuing their education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation.

Add real-world projects to your ?portfolio

You’ll study with Clara Orban, whose students have “numerous opportunities” to work on projects with direct ties to Italy. Students in our Italian program have produced creative works in film, business reporting, and more; select students even travel overseas to teach in partnership with the country’s northern region of Lombardy.

Alumni Network

Alumni of graduate programs in the Department of Modern Languages have gone on to a range of careers, including teaching, translation and interpreting. You’ll benefit from a wide network of more than 8,900 fellow College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences graduate alumni living and working in Chicago and around the world.

Scholarships & Aid

Graduate school is an investment in your future. Learn more about the fellowships, scholarships and grants available to you.

Admission Requirements

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.  All applicants to any of the MA Programs within the Department of Modern Languages must have, at the time of matriculation into the program:

• A completed BA or BS degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or abroad,
• A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a scale where A=4.0) in all undergraduate coursework, and
• At least 20 quarter credit-hours of advanced undergraduate coursework in the target language OR a rating of at least “Intermediate High” on both the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) for the target language.
  • For Spring 2021 and beyond, applicants to Arabic, Chinese and Japanese must rate at least "Intermediate Mid" on the ACTFL OPI and WPT.
• Ability to complete graduate-level coursework in both English and the target language.

In addition, applicants must submit:

• Two letters of recommendation, and

• A formal statement of purpose (500-750 words) written in English explaining the applicant's areas of professional interest, reasons for seeking advanced training in a language, and possible post-degree plans, and

• A formal statement of qualifications (500-750 words) written in the language of study describing the applicant's previous language experience and how it has prepared them for graduate study

After all materials are received, applicants will be contacted for an interview with a faculty member to help ascertain their ability to complete graduate-level coursework in both English and the target language. 

Applicants may transfer for credit to their chosen MA Program no more than 8 quarter credit hours of graduate-level coursework completed at other institutions, provided that:

1.  The courses have not already counted in satisfaction of requirements for another degree program, and
2.  The courses bear grades of at least B- or higher (coursework graded P/NP will not be acceptable).

International students (those who were educated outside of the U.S. and/or require an F1 visa) must take additional steps to be considered for admission.  Please click here for exact information.

 

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Degree Requirements

Course Requirements

The curriculum of the MA in Italian consists of twelve courses (48 quarter credit hours), divided into two parts:

1. A core curriculum of three required courses (12 quarter credit hours), and
2. Nine courses (36 quarter credit hours) in the language area.  All courses in the language area must be courses taught in the target language of the student’s program (i.e. courses with prefixes ITA).  In exceptional cases, with the approval of the student’s advisor and the director of the graduate program, a student may count one or two courses taught in English from allied fields (such as art history, economics, education, geography, health sciences, management, philosophy, political science, religion, sociology, etc.) among the nine “language area” courses in the student’s program.

Core Curriculum

The core curriculum consists of the following three courses:

Course	Title	Quarter Hours
MOL 401	PROFESSIONAL FOUNDATIONS	4
MOL 402	LANGUAGE, SELF AND SOCIETY	4
MOL 496	MAMOL CAPSTONE	4

In addition, all 300-level language courses are offered simultaneously as 400-level electives to complete the MA program.  The 400-level courses have additional requirements. 

Additional Requirements

Additional requirements include:

• Portfolio

The portfolio (completed while enrolled in MOL 496) consists of a compilation and critical assessment of select work done throughout the program and a capstone project.  Capstone projects may include a community service experience, internship, performance or creative work, teaching portfolio, thesis, or translation.

Graduation Grade Point Average Requirement

In order to graduate from the program, students must complete all program requirements with a minimum GPA of 3.000.

Thesis Option

A thesis option will be available for students who attain a GPA of at least 3.7 in the program after completing 24 credit hours of coursework. 

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