Italian

The department offers courses in Italian language and literature that provide the linguistic, cultural, and historical understanding necessary to properly complement majors such as international and global affairs, government, history, art history, religion, and literary and film studies.

2007-2008 New Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement for the GMU College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Starting in 2007-2008, students can demonstrate foreign language proficiency: by completing one foreign language course at the 202 or 210 level, or by achieving a satisfactory score on an approved proficiency test. (Foreign Language Placement Test is offered M-F, 10-3 pm, walk-in basis, 233 Thompson Hall, it takes approximately 1 hour.)

What does this mean? New ITAL students should:

  • Take the Foreign Language Placement Test to be appropriately placed.
  • Those with little or no experience will take ITAL 110 (6 credits).

If you are currently in ITAL 102, take ITAL 201 in the fall 07 and ITAL 202 in spring 08, or 210 in spring 08.

Please see the CHSS website on the foreign language requirement (which has changed): http://chss.gmu.edu/0607language.

Since 2007-08 is a transition year, students who place into the 200 level can take 201 in Fall 2007 or 210 thereafter. In Fall 2008, all students will be expected to take the placement exam or start with ITAL 110 and progress to ITAL 210.

Course descriptions:

Old program:

ITAL 101 – 3 credits – Elem. Italian I – entry level

ITAL 102 – 3 credits – Elem. Italian II - continuation of ITAL 101.

ITAL 201 – 3 credits – Inter. Italian I – continuation of ITAL 102.

ITAL 202 – 3 credits – Inter. Italian II – continuation of ITAL 201.

New program:

ITAL 110 – 6 credits – Elementary Italian – for entry-level students, students who have take 1-2 years of high school Italian, and students who placed into 101 or 102.

ITAL 210 – 3 credits – Intermediate Italian – cont. of ITAL 110.

Phase out timeline:   

  • ITAL 101 will be offered for the last time in SU 07-A.
  • ITAL 102 will be offered for the last time in SU 07-B.
  • ITAL 201 will be offered for the last time in FA 07.
  • ITAL 202 will be offered for the last time in SP 08.                                

Phase in timeline:

  • ITAL 110 will be offered for the first time in FA 07.
  • ITAL 210 will be offered for the first time in SP 08.

The Italian Program has not yet determined whether these courses (101, 102, 201, 202) will be offered during summer and study-abroad sessions in the future.

Please contact Kristina M. Olson, Ph.D., Italian Language Coordinator, with any questions (kolson4@gmu.edu).

Check out Italian resources.