Italian (MA)

Program Overview

The Romance Languages and Literatures Department at Binghamton University offers a Master of Arts (MA) degree program in Italian, with both thesis and non-thesis tracks available, customized to allow students to focus on cultural and literary studies, linguistics, pedagogy, and/or translation. Moreover, students can use their elective courses and MA exams to complete additional graduate certificates in translation studies and in community college teaching. Students are expected to have a strong background in Italian, as most courses have a rigorous language component.

Our program is diverse and highly flexible, and students are encouraged to explore interdisciplinary studies. A variety of 4+1 degree programs are available. In collaboration with Lorenzo de’ Medici International Institute (LdM), Binghamton University now offers an innovative transatlantic Master of Arts in Italian.

Degrees Offered

• MA in Italian

Internships, Research Opportunities and More

Throughout the MA in Italian program, students examine Italy as the geographic, cultural and economic heart of Europe and a center of Western civilization from Roman times to the present day. The mastery of spoken and written Italian is enhanced through the study of an evolving artistic tradition: Medieval literature and culture, Renaissance philosophy, modern Italian poetry and prose, contemporary cinema and new media. The program boasts expert faculty who are distinguished in their fields, including scholars of Dante, medieval Renaissance literature and contemporary Italian literature and cinema.

Small class sizes (ranging from 5 to 25 students) foster close student-faculty interactions and academic supervision. Students are encouraged to seek academic advising early to develop a suitable course of study for their interests. Many classes are offered in the evenings and at night to accommodate part-time, professional students.

The department offers merit-based scholarships (such as the Dr. Aldo Bernardo Italian-American Memorial Award) as well as awards of excellence to be used toward tuition. For further information, please email Graduate Director Dr. Sandra Casanova-Vizcaíno (casanova@binghamton.edu). Graduate students may also apply for paid assistantships through the “Languages Across the Curriculum” program. These assistantships are part-time, involving work with a professor (possibly in another department) to lead out-of-class discussions or activities. Graduate students can also apply to work for University Tutorial Services. For additional information on financial aid, loans, scholarships and other part-time employment opportunities on campus for graduate students, explore the Graduate School website.

After You Graduate

This degree opens a broad range of professional opportunities in foreign language, culture and public service. Most graduates of the Romance Languages and Literatures Department become language instructors, translators, interpreters, editors and communicators, and many continue on to pursue doctoral studies in leading universities in their field of interest.

Admissions Requirements

To be eligible for graduate study, you must:

• Provide a complete set of your undergraduate (and, if applicable, graduate) transcripts showing one of the following:
  • You have earned a bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university
  • You are within one academic year of earning a bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university
  • You are eligible to apply as part of a memorandum of understanding between your current institution and Binghamton University
• Have earned, at minimum, one of the following:
  • A 3.0 GPA over your entire undergraduate career
  • A 3.0 GPA during your last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits of your undergraduate degree, with most courses graded regularly (not as "pass/fail")
  • A 3.0 GPA in a graduate degree, with most courses graded regularly (not as "pass/fail")
  • In consideration of the different grading scales used around the world, each academic department evaluates international transcripts to determine on a case-by-case basis whether they demonstrate one of the above requirements.

To apply, you must submit the following materials. For general guidelines for these materials, see the Admission Requirements website.

• Online graduate degree application with graduate degree application fee
• Transcripts from each college or university that you have attended
• Personal statement of 2 to 3 pages describing your reasons for pursuing graduate study, your career aspirations, your special interests within your field, and any unusual features of your background that might need explanation or be of interest to the graduate admissions committee (in English or Italian)
• Résumé or curriculum vitae
• Two letters of recommendation (in English or Italian)
• Writing sample from one of your undergraduate classes (midterm, final, etc.) on any topic and in any style (essay, report, response, note, etc.) that is long enough to demonstrate your ability to organize and develop ideas about a subject in Italian
• GRE scores not required

International students must also submit the following materials. For more information about these materials, see the International Students section of the Admission Requirements website.

• International Student Financial Statement (ISFS) form
• Supporting financial documentation (such as bank statements, scholarship or sponsor letters, etc.)
• Proof of English proficiency (such as official TOEFL/IELTS/PTE Academic/Duolingo* scores)
  • *In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Graduate School at Binghamton University has temporarily approved the use of the Duolingo English Test as proof of English proficiency through the 2023 application cycle.

This information is subject to change. While we make every effort to update these program pages, we recommend that you contact the department with questions about program-specific requirements.

Deadlines

Accelerated/4+1 Degrees

You may also be interested in our accelerated/4+1 degree programs which allow students to complete their bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in just 5 years!

For more information, visit the Italian website.