University of Pittsburgh
  UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN 1999 - 2002 [ Previous Page | Table of Contents | Next Page ]


SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS


FRENCH AND ITALIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

The study of French and/or Italian provides an in-depth understanding of the respective cultures of France and other Francophone countries and Italy. Students also gain an appreciation of their own cultures by learning what values are relative and culture specific, and which are enduring and universal. Given the international scope of the Pittsburgh area's corporate interests, language majors who combine their study of French or Italian with a major in fields such as business, economics, engineering, the sciences, or fine arts should find themselves in a strong position to move into employment in Pittsburgh or in one of the international business capitals with which Pittsburgh is linked. Students can choose to prepare themselves for teaching, translation/interpreting, or government service. Students will want to take courses from other departments that will allow them to increase their knowledge of the culture and society of the countries where their major language or languages are spoken. For more information on the majors or on the Department of French and Italian Languages and Literatures, see http://www.pitt.edu/~frit/.

  • Major Requirements for both French and Italian Majors

    The following requirements apply to both French and Italian majors:

    • Students are required to maintain at least a 2.00 QPA in major courses.
    • Students may choose courses from three areas: language, literature, and civilization.
    • Reading competency in at least one other language is recommended for students interested in graduate school.
    • To earn departmental honors, students must major in French or Italian, demonstrate superior performance in departmental courses, and be enrolled in 1000-level French/Italian courses preferably no later than the first term of the junior year. Selection of honors candidates takes place only in the second term of the junior year. During the senior year, two appropriate sequential courses are chosen in consultation with the major advisor, and a research paper must be completed. The paper must be defended before a faculty committee. Honors will be determined by the quality of the paper and the defense, as well as the cumulative grades in all departmental courses counting toward the major.

  • French Major Requirements

    Majors in French must have completed two years of college work or the equivalent before beginning core courses. The French major consists of at least 31 credits above the intermediate level (FR 0001-0004 - elementary and intermediate French courses - do not count toward the major) and must include the following courses:

    • FR 0020 (Introduction to Civilization)
    • FR 0021 (Approaches to French Literature)
    • FR 0055 (French Conversation)
    • FR 0056 (Written French 1)
    • FR 0057 (Written French 2)
    • FR 0058 (Advanced French Conversation).

    Majors are expected to take one credit of FR 0058, but they may take two additional credits of the course as a nonmajor elective.

    In addition to those basic requirements, the following criteria must be met by French majors:

    • Once the basic requirements are met, students will, in consultation with their advisor, design a program that corresponds to their needs, but they must take an additional 15 credits at the 1000 level.
    • Three credits earned in professional translation French courses may be counted toward the major.
    • French majors may take one course above 0004, in addition to 0058, on an S/N option.
    • CAS requires 12 credits in a related area which may be chosen from the humanities and social sciences including foreign languages, linguistics, English, history, philosophy, and history of art and architecture, or in consultation with the program advisor.

  • Italian Major Requirements

    Majors in Italian, after one year of college instruction in the language, may enroll in ITAL 0003 (Intermediate Italian 1) for credit toward the major. The major consists of at least 34 credits above elementary Italian (ITAL 0001-0002, which do not count toward the major) and must include the following courses:

    • ITAL 0003 (Intermediate Italian 1)
    • ITAL 0004 (Intermediate Italian 2)
    • ITAL 0050 (Italian Conversation)
    • ITAL 0060 (Introduction to Literary Italian 1)
    • ITAL 0061 (Introduction to Literary Italian 2)
    • ITAL 0080 (Italian Cultural Heritage 1)
    • ITAL 0081 (Italian Cultural Heritage 2)
    • Five 1000-level courses. At least three of the upper-level courses must be taken from the following list:
      • ITAL 1030 (Advanced Composition)
      • ITAL 1031 (Italian Phonetics)
      • ITAL 1060-1069 (Special Topics, Dante 1 & 2, Petrarch & Boccaccio, Novel, Lyric Poetry, Epic Poetry, Italian Theatre and Italian Novella).

    In addition to those basic course requirements, the following criteria apply to Italian majors:

    • Two courses in the 1080 or 1050 series (courses taught in English) may be counted toward the major if the student completes a specified part of the work in Italian.
    • Three credits earned in professional translation Italian courses may be counted toward the major in Italian.
    • Majors may not take any 1000-level courses on the S/N basis.
    • A 12-credit related area may be chosen from humanities and social sciences including a second foreign language, linguistics, history, English, history of art and architecture, communication, music, and political science, or another subject as arranged with the major advisor.






  UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN 1999 - 2002 [ Previous Page | Table of Contents | Next Page ]