If you wish to study modern languages at Exeter, the BA in Modern Languages will enable you to study one, two or three languages (from a choice of French, Spanish, German, Russian and Italian), with a wide variety of different emphases. Your final degree title will reflect the combination of languages you have studied, so for example, you could end up with BA Italian, BA Italian with Russian or BA Italian and German.
Studying Italian at the University of Exeter brings you into contact with one of the most fascinating cultures in the world. The Italian department at Exeter is small enough to offer you personal support in your studies, but large enough to maintain diverse research expertise amongst its staff.
The research interests of our lecturers will give you access to a wide range of aspects of Italian culture that they are passionate about. You’ll be able to interact with this research by following particular pathways that interest you most, including Italian film, literature, linguistics (including dialectology), or Italy’s political history; alternatively you can study across these topic areas. If you are not yet sure which area of Italian interests you, our introductory options in your first year will give you a flavour of the directions of study you might follow.
The Italian department at Exeter has one of the highest percentages of native Italian speaking staff in the UK and we offer a friendly, supportive and challenging atmosphere that provides high quality teaching. We value our extensive contacts with universities and other institutions in Italy as part of the Erasmus scheme. Thanks to these exchanges there is a constant presence of Italian students in the department, giving it a distinctive atmosphere and making Italian the language of much of its day-to-day life.
By the end of your degree you will have developed strong skills in spoken and written language and analytical thought, a deeper understanding of another culture and people, and have proven to yourself and others that you can meet a challenge head on. As our graduates testify, studying Italian will equip you with the skills employers seek across a wide range of professions.
Italian is a relatively easy language for someone with a good knowledge of French, Spanish or Latin to make a start in and to progress rapidly. About three-quarters of our yearly intake are beginners in Italian; the rest either have A level Italian or an equivalent qualification.
