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Italian Studies

Certificate

The program serves full and part-time students seeking educational enrichment in Italian language and culture. It may be completed concurrently with, and complements a variety of major/minor programs in FASS and other faculties. It requires basic Italian language proficiency (writing, reading and oral skills) and may be completed with a degree program.

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences BA students may complete the certificate so that some of the FASS breadth requirements are fulfilled by the same courses.

Certificate courses may also be used toward a major or minor program.

Admission Requirements

There are no specific admission requirements. To declare your Italian studies certificate, please contact the World Languages and Literatures Advisor at wlladv@sfu.ca.

Program Requirements

A minimum of 18 units comprising both ITAL courses and approved electives is required. A maximum of six units may be obtained by the combined mechanism of course challenge and transfer credit.

Students complete at least four ITAL courses from

ITAL 100 - Introductory Italian I (3)

Introduction to Italian for students with no previous background in the language. Introduces basic oral and written skills, and cultural competence. (A1 level of CEFR). Students with previous Italian training should contact the department for assessment and placement. Breadth-Humanities.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
B100 Vlad Vintila
TBD
B101 Vlad Vintila
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 11:30 a.m.–2:20 p.m.
Burnaby
D200 Sessional Instructor
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, Thu, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Burnaby
ITAL 110 - Introductory Italian II (3)

Follows ITAL 100. Continues introduction to Italian for students who have developed the necessary foundations from ITAL 100. Students will acquire elementary conversational skills and basic reading ability, along with cultural competence. (A2 level of CEFR). Prerequisite: ITAL 100 or equivalent. Students with credit for ITAL 101 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Sessional Instructor
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, Thu, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
Burnaby
ITAL 200 - Intermediate Italian I (3)

Follows ITAL 110. In addition to the consolidation of the four skills developed in ITAL 110 (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), and an expanded cultural component, the course includes selected readings from Italian authors (B1.1 level of CEFR). Prerequisite: ITAL 110 (or ITAL 101) or equivalent.

ITAL 210 - Intermediate Italian II (3)

Follows ITAL 200. The oral and written competences learned in ITAL 200 are expanded through grammar review, oral practice, cultural studies, and selected readings from Italian authors and multimedia activities. (B1 level of CEFR completed). Prerequisite: ITAL 200 or equivalent. Students with credit for ITAL 201 may not take this course for further credit.

ITAL 300 - Advanced Italian: Language and Culture (3)

Will continue the work of the 200-level courses with emphasis on the cultural aspects of Italian life. How does one live in Italy today? What are the cultural differences between the various regions? Fluency in language use, both oral and written, will be enhanced. Prerequisite: ITAL 201 or permission of Instructor.

ITAL 360 - Italian Literature as World Literature (4)

Maps out Italian literature’s contributions to world cultural heritage, in the form of one of the nation’s great authorial voices, a particular period or movement, or a defining theme. Aims to tease out the ways in which these contributions are inscribed in a dynamic global matrix wherein cultures are negotiated and transformed through on-going dialogue and exchange. This course may be repeated once for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units or permission of the department.

ITAL 400 - Topics in Italian Literature: Contemporary Prose, Poetry and Theatre (4)

The complexity of modern Italy and its language are explored through the lens of contemporary literature. Prerequisite: ITAL 300 or permission from the instructor.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Vlad Vintila
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Wed, Fri, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Burnaby

and a minimum of two courses from

CA 316 - Intermediate Selected Topics in Cinema Studies (4) *

An intermediate course in critical studies in cinema addressing a variety of topics. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 337 may take this course for further credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: Nine units in CA (or FPA) courses including CA (or FPA) 136 or 137.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Joseph Clark
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Thu, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
GOLDCORP
CA 416 - Advanced Seminar in Cinema Studies (4) *

Features intensive study and analysis of selected topics in film theory, history, criticism and aesthetics. Examples include: work of specific directors or periods; theories of narrativity; particular aspects of national cinemas, etc. This course can be repeated once for credit if the topic is different. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 436 may take this course for further credit if the topic is different. Prerequisite: CA (or FPA) 316 (or 337) or CA (or FPA) 318 (or 335).

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Joseph Clark
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
GOLDCORP
HIST 106 - The Making of Modern Europe (3)

An introduction to the major political, social, economic, cultural, and intellectual developments that have formed modern European society. Breadth-Humanities.

HIST 220 - Late Medieval and Renaissance Europe (3)

An introduction to the world of late Medieval and Renaissance Europe (c.1200-c.1500). Breadth-Humanities.

HIST 276 - History of the Modern Mediterranean World 1500 to the Present (3)

Examines the history of the Mediterranean world in the early modern and modern periods with a focus on human exchanges and conflicts, geopolitical rivalries and collaborations, and the movement of people, ideas, and goods. Students with credit for HS 276 or HUM 276 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

HIST 402 - Renaissance Italy (4)

An exploration of the history and historiography of the Renaissance Italy. Emphasis will be given to politics, religion, culture and the economy, and to a balanced study of the Italian peninsula, including Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, the countryside and smaller urban centres. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history and one of HIST 220, 223, HUM 219, 305, 311, 312W or permission of the department.

HUM 161 - Latin I (3)

Introduction to the Latin language.

HUM 211 - Art and Literature of the Italian Renaissance (3)

Interdisciplinary introduction to the art and literature of the Italian Renaissance (c. 1300-c. 1500). Studies literary texts and the major developments in Renaissance Italian painting, sculpture and architecture alongside some of the most influential texts of the period. Breadth-Humanities.

HUM 305 - Medieval Studies (4)

Detailed interdisciplinary analysis of a selected topic, issue, or figure in the Middle Ages. May be repeated for credit when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

HUM 311 - Italian Renaissance Humanism (4)

Study of the major writings, cultural milieu, and influence of the humanist movement of the Italian Renaissance. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

HUM 312W - Renaissance Studies (4)

Detailed interdisciplinary analysis of a selected topic, issue, or figure from the Italian and/or Northern Renaissance. Prerequisite: 45 units. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

HUM 320 - Cross-Cultural Philosophy in the Humanities (4)

Exploration of the characteristic ways in which humanities, with their emphasis on textuality and the history of ideas, presents important philosophical concepts and intellectual problems. Based upon an interdisciplinary selection of texts drawn from history, philosophy, literature and the arts. May be repeated for credit when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Alessandra Capperdoni
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 12:30–4:20 p.m.
Burnaby
ITAL 300 - Advanced Italian: Language and Culture (3)

Will continue the work of the 200-level courses with emphasis on the cultural aspects of Italian life. How does one live in Italy today? What are the cultural differences between the various regions? Fluency in language use, both oral and written, will be enhanced. Prerequisite: ITAL 201 or permission of Instructor.

ITAL 360 - Italian Literature as World Literature (4)

Maps out Italian literature’s contributions to world cultural heritage, in the form of one of the nation’s great authorial voices, a particular period or movement, or a defining theme. Aims to tease out the ways in which these contributions are inscribed in a dynamic global matrix wherein cultures are negotiated and transformed through on-going dialogue and exchange. This course may be repeated once for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units or permission of the department.

ITAL 400 - Topics in Italian Literature: Contemporary Prose, Poetry and Theatre (4)

The complexity of modern Italy and its language are explored through the lens of contemporary literature. Prerequisite: ITAL 300 or permission from the instructor.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Vlad Vintila
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Wed, Fri, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Burnaby
LING 100 - Communication and Language (3)

Explores the foundations of human language from a variety of perspectives. Young children acquire language effortlessly. How is this possible, and why is it so much more challenging to learn a new language later in life? How does the human brain use complex grammatical systems to communicate? Students will learn new ways to think critically about language and communication. Open to all students. Breadth-Social Sciences.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
B100 Margaret Grant
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Tue, 8:30–10:20 a.m.
Burnaby
B101 Margaret Grant
TBD
LING 160 - Language, Culture and Society (3)

Examines the relationship between language use and social structure. Considers how social factors such as gender, class, age, and ethnicity may be reflected in language use, as well as "big picture" topics that include multilingualism, dialect variation, language policy and linguistic stereotypes. Encourages students to think critically about the social dimensions of language. Open to all students. Breadth-Social Sciences.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
A320 TBD
A970 TBD
D900 Ivelina Koleva Tchizmarova
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Mon, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Surrey
WL 100 - What is World Literature? (3)

Explores how texts travel beyond their cultures of origin, influence other cultural contexts and ideas, and become works of world literature. Introduces the concepts of cross-cultural literary criticism and translation. Breadth-Humanities.

Section Instructor Day/Time Location
D100 Joel Akinwumi
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby
D101 Joel Akinwumi
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 12:30–1:20 p.m.
Burnaby
D102 Joel Akinwumi
Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 1:30–2:20 p.m.
Burnaby

With prior permission from the departmental advisor (wlladv@sfu.ca), students may count other Italian-related courses which do not appear on this list. Some of the above courses have specific prerequisites and it is the student's responsibility to ensure that all prerequisites are met in such cases.

* When the topic is related to Italy.

Transfer, Exchange, and Challenge Units

A maximum of six units of 100 division language courses from either transfer, exchange or course challenges may be used toward this certificate. In lieu of the transferred credits, students will be required to complete coursework of an equivalent number of units as assessed by the departmental advisor.