BA English and Italian
About this course
English and Italian at Oxford combines two of the great literary traditions of Western Europe, bringing together the history of writing in English from the medieval period to the present with the tradition that stretches from Dante and Petrarch through Machiavelli, Galileo, Leopardi, and beyond. These are not simply two parallel tracks: the history of English literature has been shaped at every point by Italian influence, from the importation of the sonnet form in the sixteenth century to the Romantics' engagement with Italy and the modernists' absorption of Italian aesthetics. Studying them together at degree level opens up a genuinely comparative perspective on both. This four-year programme at Oxford requires you to learn Italian to a high level from the outset, and the language element runs throughout the degree. You will read extensively in Italian in the original, studying literature, cultural history, and other forms of writing alongside the English literary canon. Oxford's tutorial system means that your engagement with both traditions will be intensive and personal, with close reading and analytical writing at the centre of your intellectual life throughout the degree. The university's libraries and collections in Italian studies are among the best in the world, and you will have access to scholarly expertise across the full range of both disciplines. The combination of English and Italian language skills, literary knowledge, and the analytical capabilities developed through Oxford's rigorous programme prepares graduates for a wide range of careers. Publishing, journalism, translation, academia, law, the civil service, arts management, and education are all natural destinations for graduates of this programme. Many also continue to postgraduate study in English or Italian literature, comparative literature, cultural history, or related fields, and the Oxford degree provides an exceptionally strong foundation for graduate-level work.
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