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About
Fall Open House
Join us for our last Fall Open Houses and experience our beautiful, riverfront campus firsthand. Learn more about Marist’s academic experience, the admissions process, and get an inside look at life as a Red Fox! You'll have the opportunity to hear directly from students, faculty, and staff about what makes the Marist Community so special. Register Below:
About
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Academics
Fall Open House
Join us for our last Fall Open Houses and experience our beautiful, riverfront campus firsthand. Learn more about Marist’s academic experience, the admissions process, and get an inside look at life as a Red Fox! You'll have the opportunity to hear directly from students, faculty, and staff about what makes the Marist Community so special. Register Below:
Academics
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Admission & Financial Aid
Fall Open House
Join us for our last Fall Open Houses and experience our beautiful, riverfront campus firsthand. Learn more about Marist’s academic experience, the admissions process, and get an inside look at life as a Red Fox! You'll have the opportunity to hear directly from students, faculty, and staff about what makes the Marist Community so special. Register Below:
Admission & Financial Aid
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Student Life
Fall Open House
Join us for our last Fall Open Houses and experience our beautiful, riverfront campus firsthand. Learn more about Marist’s academic experience, the admissions process, and get an inside look at life as a Red Fox! You'll have the opportunity to hear directly from students, faculty, and staff about what makes the Marist Community so special. Register Below:
Student Life
- Athletics
Tailor Your Italian Language Journey
As one of the most influential languages in the world, students who study the Italian language will prepare to navigate a globalized world with confidence and perspective. Through abroad opportunities at our branch campus in Florence, Italy, and experiential learning opportunities, students tailor their experiences to coincide with their personal and professional interests.
Tailor Your Academic Experience
As one of the most influential languages in the world, students studying Italian will immerse themselves in Italy's rich cultural legacy, from art and history to its vibrant modern society. The Italian curriculum cultivates linguistic fluency and creative insight, preparing students to navigate a globalized world with confidence and perspective. Through abroad opportunities at our branch campus in Florence, Italy, and experiential learning opportunities, students tailor their experiences to coincide with their personal and professional interests.
Italian + French or Spanish
Students can pursue Italian with a French or Spanish degree, expanding their cultural insights, linguistic proficiency, and career opportunities. In today's competitive job market, bilingualism is a powerful asset employers seek and value. Students increase their marketability and global opportunities by combining Italian with another language.
Italian + Science
Studying Italian alongside one of Marist's science offerings gives students unique global research and teamwork opportunities. Italy's leadership in fields such as biotechnology, environmental science, and healthcare makes proficiency in Italian a valuable tool for international careers. By combining Italian with scientific disciplines, students gain technical expertise and cultural fluency, essential for working in diverse, global teams.
Italian + Fashion Merchandising
As the epicenter of luxury fashion, studying Italian is crucial for success in this competitive industry. Pursuing Italian in conjunction with Fashion Merchandising increases marketability and cultural competency. Students will be exposed to Italy's vibrant fashion scene and gain valuable insights into design, marketing, and retail strategies. They will develop vital intercultural communication skills needed to thrive in a global marketplace and be well-equipped to impact the fashion industry.
Italian + Communications
Fluency in Italian opens doors to international career opportunities in Public Relations, Advertising, and Communications. Students who combine Italian with Communications Studies develop critical skills in intercultural communication, which are essential for creating effective global campaigns. Through internships, abroad experiences, and hands-on learning opportunities, students can engage with international media companies, applying classroom knowledge to real-world settings and preparing them to be globally minded professionals.
Meet Dr. M. Marina Melita, Senior Lecturer of Italian
Dr. M. Marina Melita is an award-winning scholar and Senior Lecturer of Italian. With vast experience and a diverse knowledge of foreign languages, she also has numerous prestigious affiliations including the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI), the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), and the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT) to name a few. Her areas of interest include Italian Theatre, Italian Cinema, Women’s Studies and Language Learning in Students with Disabilities.
Develop Your Linguistic Fluency Abroad
The Italian program works closely with Marist Abroad to provide global experiences that help students develop linguistic fluency and gain experience negotiating cultural differences. Ranked #1 nationally for Study Abroad, Marist students are encouraged to take advantage of more than 75 program offerings. While abroad, students will immerse themselves in Italian, develop cross-cultural communication skills, and expand in both professional and personal development.
The Weiss Language Center
The Weiss Language Center is an integral part of our World Languages and Cultures department, directly supporting students in the research and development of language. It serves as a place for students to collaborate, innovate, and problem-solve. The Center is directed by Dr. Kevin Gaugler and is staffed by talented students who are trained in instructional technologies for the language arts. Students of the World Languages and Cultures Department can utilize the Weiss Language Center as a resource to support their academic studies throughout their collegiate journey.
Marist's Campus in Florence, Italy
As the only U.S. bachelor's degree-granting institution in Florence, Marist's "sister campus" offers students the unique experience of studying in one of the world's most beautiful cities. Students studying at our Florence campus can experience the vibrant Italian culture firsthand; they can engage in immersive learning experiences, and fully embrace the rich art, delicious cuisine, and warm traditions that characterize Italian life.
Choose "And" in Your Academic Pursuits
You can expect an enriching environment at Marist that will inspire your academic pursuits. Here, you'll be empowered to choose "and," not "or " when it comes to your education by combining majors, minors, and concentrations to fit your interests through a distinct blend of liberal arts and pre-professional studies. Here are some examples of how Marist students embraced the power of "and":
- Italian major and Education major = Italian Teacher
- Italian major and Art History concentration = Curator/Conservationist
- Italian minor and History major = Historian
The Value of a Marist Education
Marist cultivates the intellectual growth and well-being of its students through unique and personalized combinations of coursework and experience in and out of the classroom. These experiences provide valuable personal growth and occupational expertise to reflect students' individual passions.
Employed or attending grad school 6 months after graduation
Of Marist Graduates Participated in one or more internships
Graduation rate, higher than the average for public and private colleges
Marist study abroad is the national leader for academic year programs, per Open Doors Report.
Top 10 Regional Universities-North
Top 20 for Most Innovative Universities-North Region, per The Princeton Review.
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Italian
The B.A. in Italian provides the foundational skills for spoken and written proficiency as well as essential knowledge of Italian culture through the study of a broad range of topics such as Italian literature, history, and contemporary ideas. The minor provides students with a solid base for the many professions linked with international endeavors and helps to prepare students to work in Italian and Italian American communities and institutions here and abroad.
With the growing interest in Italian and Italian American studies at a national level, students of the Italian program will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and language skills by integrating the major or minor into other fields, such as business, communications, economics, education, fashion, history, and political science, through interdisciplinary coursework that explores various theoretical and methodological approaches. The program strongly encourages students to fulfill their immersion experience through study abroad.
Marist Abroad provides the opportunity for students to study at our campus in Florence, Italy. First-years may also participate in the First-year Florence Experience. Students of any year may take Italian classes in either Poughkeepsie or at the Florence campus at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. Students may earn credit for a major or minor in Italian in Florence, or at our other sites in Rome, Tuscania, or Venice. Classes in Italian at campuses abroad may be interchangeable with classes in Poughkeepsie for the Italian minor. Elective requirements for the minor may be satisfied at either campus, and the campus in Italy offers students a wider variety of elective course choices.
B.A. Italian Requirements
Note: A minimum of 90 credits in Liberal Arts is required.
STUDY ABROAD REQUIREMENT: Students must complete a minimum of 15 credits of course work in the major at the Italy branch campus. Additional semester(s) of study are strongly encouraged. Other study abroad programs in Italian-speaking environments will be considered with advisor approval.
ITAL 201 Advanced Italian I 3 cr
ITAL 250 Italian Civilization 3 cr
ITAL 281 Italian for Conversation 3 cr
ITAL 282 Advanced Reading and Composition 3 cr
ITAL 3**/4** Additional upper level courses as approved by advisor. At least one elective must be literature. 21 cr
TOTAL cr requirement 36 cr
NOTE: Internships carry elective credits and will not fulfill the above requirements.
Minor Requirements
ITAL 201 Advanced Italian I 3 cr
ITAL 250 Italian Civilization 3 cr
ITAL 281 Italian for Conversation 3 cr
ITAL 282 Advanced Reading and Composition 3 cr
ITAL 3**/4** Additional upper level courses as approved by advisor. At least one elective must be literature. 6 cr
TOTAL cr requirement 18 cr