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UCAS code R300
The Italian language carries an unparalleled cultural capital. Whilst according to UNESCO over 60% of the world’s art treasures are found in Italy, around the world the long history of Italian migration underlies food, arts, sport, fashion, tourism and heritage industries in millions of local enterprises and ventures. Italian culture is truly global and testifies to the human passion for learning and making art, beauty and history.
Italian at Liverpool has a distinctive approach to help you become highly proficient in Italian and critically understand its history and culture: one that develops the ability of students to engage confidently with Italian language, history and culture inside and outside Italy, in the Italian peninsula as well as in the context in which students live and study.
By learning about history, sociolinguistics, film and literature through the lens of Italian, our students develop a crucial set of linguistic and cultural skills to navigate the transcultural processes of the of the world in which they live.
In close association with staff’s research expertise and interests, modules explore Italian language – including translation and interpreting – linguistics, cultural history, cinema, contemporary fiction, popular culture, post-colonial and transcultural studies. Extracurricular activities include film screenings and social activities as well as an annual Italian themed public event, the Lucrezia Zaina Bequest Lecture, which brings to Liverpool inspiring contemporary figures associated with Italian culture from around the world.
The Italian subject group at Liverpool consists predominantly of tutors and language assistants with Italian as their first language. We continue to work on the expansion of both academic and business links with Italy to assist during the Year Abroad.
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
In year one you will study appropriate language modules as well as foundational modules which serve as a broad introduction to the literary, cultural, film, linguistic and historical modules offered in the subsequent years of the degree. You will also take a ‘Language awareness’ module in the first year which is designed to support your language learning by sensitising you to issues in language and linguistics, and a ‘Texts and context’ module which develops your research skills through a portfolio of tasks structured around a chosen text or film.
Students take 30 credits of required modules and 15 credits of optional modules in each semester.
Student must take EITHER ITAL112 and ITAL134 OR ITAL105 and ITAL106. Students with A Level Italian or equivalent should normally take ITAL105 and ITAL106. Students with no previous experience of learning Italian, or with qualifications below A Level should normally take ITAL112 and ITAL134.
Language modules must be taken in pairs.
Students may study an additional language as part of their optional modules if they wish.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. The University is currently reviewing all of its programmes for 2027 entry. View the 2027 version of this course for more information.
During your second year, you will take language and cultural modules which have a strong emphasis on the history, literature and film of Italy, complemented by departmental modules which offer thematic approaches to cities, graphic novels and film adaptations among other subjects.
Students take 45 credits of optional modules in Semester 1.
Students take MODL250 and 30 credits of optional modules in Semester 2.
Italian language modules should continue from those taken in Year 1 (i.e. students who took ITAL112 and ITAL134 should take ITAL256 and ITAL278; students who took ITAL105 and ITAL106 should take ITAL207 and ITAL208).
MODL200 is subject to a suitable placement being sourced.
Up to 15 credits of optional modules may be taken from cognate subjects elsewhere in the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures with prior permission from the Subject Lead.
| Compulsory modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| INTERMEDIATE ITALIAN 5+6 (ITAL256) | 15 |
| ADVANCED ITALIAN 7 (ITAL207) | 15 |
| ADVANCED ITALIAN 7+8 (ITAL278) | 15 |
| ADVANCED ITALIAN 8 (ITAL208) | 15 |
| EXTENDED PROJECT IN MODERN LANGUAGES (MODL250) | 15 |
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. The University is currently reviewing all of its programmes for 2027 entry. View the 2027 version of this course for more information.
You will spend one year in an Italian-speaking country as a language assistant in a school, as a student at a partner university, or on a work placement. If you combine Major Italian with a minor in another language, you will split the year abroad between an Italian-speaking country and another country.
Assessment during your year abroad
You will complete assessment tasks appropriate to your year abroad placement, either producing one or more pieces of work in Italian or completing modules at your host university.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. The University is currently reviewing all of its programmes for 2027 entry. View the 2027 version of this course for more information.
Your fourth year brings together your interests from your second year of study, complements the activities from your Year Abroad, and includes a compulsory dissertation.
Students take 30 credits of required modules and 30 credits of optional modules in Semester 1, and 45 credits of mandatory modules and 15 credits of optional modules in Semester 2.
MODL307 is a ‘year-long’ module and represents 15 credits in each semester.
Up to 15 credits of optional modules may be taken from cognate subjects elsewhere in the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures with prior permission from the Subject Lead.
MODL311 is a prerequisite for MODL312. Students will need to achieve a mark of 60% or above in MODL311 in order to progress to MODL312. MODL307 is a ‘year-long’ module and represents 15 credits in each semester.
| Compulsory modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| PROFICIENT ITALIAN 11 (ITAL311) | 15 |
| PROFICIENT ITALIAN 12 (ITAL312) | 15 |
| THE SOCIOLINGUISTICS OF CONTEMPORARY ITALY (ITAL320) | 15 |
| DISSERTATION (MODL307) | 30 |
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. The University is currently reviewing all of its programmes for 2027 entry. View the 2027 version of this course for more information.
If you split your degree between Italian and another subject area, you will study an Italian language module, at beginners’ or advanced level, and a cultural module per semester, alongside two other modules in your other subject.
If you combine Italian with a non-language subject, you will spend the year abroad in a Italian speaking country as an assistant in a school, as a student at a university or on a work placement. If you combine Italian with another language, you will split the year abroad between the two countries.
You will be taught in a mixture of formal lectures, seminars and small group tutorials where a friendly environment prevails and great attention is paid to giving feedback on assessed work.
In language classes, we make every effort to ensure that we have a small number of students compared to competitor institutions, which means that academic staff are able to support students to achieve their full potential. All language modules involve continuous assessment such as oral presentations, listening tests and grammar tests as well as exams. Tuition takes place in small groups with first-language speakers playing a prominent part and includes a range of skills such as listening, writing, speaking, interpreting and translation.
Students are also expected to make regular use of our fully-refurbished Language Lounge to enhance their own study. We encourage our students to become independent learners, and support them through our dedicated library resources in the Sydney Jones Library which is open 24-hour in term time. We also make extensive use of our virtual learning environment VITAL where students can complete structured tasks outside the classroom.
Performance throughout the year is carefully monitored and used to supplement examinations. For language, such a programme of continuous assessment involves evaluating performance in a variety of written and oral exercises. Other modules have a mix of essay and exam assessment. Our aim is always to assess by methods of evaluation appropriate to the skills being developed and to allow students to gain credit for good work done during the year.
Exams take place at two points in the academic year: at the end of semester one in January and at the end of the session in May, so that the workload is evenly distributed. As regards the final degree result, for language programmes, the second year’s work counts for 20%, the work done during the year abroad (foreign exams or extended essay or portfolio) counts for another 10%, and the final year’s work counts for 70%.
At Liverpool, we take a distinctive approach to education through the Liverpool Learning Framework. This means teaching that is engaging, inclusive and designed to help you succeed during your studies and beyond.
You’ll develop specialist subject knowledge alongside the skills employers value most, including:
Our curriculum is characterised by the three Liverpool Hallmarks:
We also embed key priorities across our curriculum, including AI literacy, employability, and sustainability, helping you prepare for the future and make a positive impact in the world.
We’re committed to creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive.
Studying with us means you can tailor your degree to suit you. Here's what is available on this course.
University of Liverpool students can choose from an exciting range of study placements at partner universities worldwide.
Broaden your world by spending an additional year of study at a partner university abroad following your second year of study.
Every student at The University of Liverpool can study a language as part of, or alongside their degree. You can choose:
With a combined degree, you can study two subjects as part of the same degree programme.
Teaching is delivered by the Department of Languages, Cultures and Film, who bring together experts in a wide range of disciplines. A cutting edge research programme and award-winning teaching provide great opportunities to study all aspects of language and culture within a global context.
From arrival to alumni, we’re with you all the way:
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Studying Italian goes beyond preparing students for a specific career, as the skills learned offer many possibilities. The Higher Education Statistics Agency consistently records high employment levels for language graduates, and the employability of graduates in Italian is excellent.
We are justifiably proud of our excellent record on graduate employment. Our graduates go on to careers in all sectors worldwide. These include: