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Italy is a cornerstone in culture, art and history across Europe, you cannot help but be inspired to learn the language. Italian is spoken not only in its home country, but also by over 15 million people in Switzerland, North America and Australia. A working knowledge of Italian will give you a head start in the business world. Combining Business Administration with Italian enables you to gain a deeper understanding of European business, which is an ideal option for those considering an international career.
Overview
Kent is an ideal location to study Italian. The majority of the Italian teaching staff are native speakers and we regularly host Italian exchange students, giving you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the language. This is supplemented by excellent technical facilities, including audio, video and computer-assisted language learning.
During your Year Abroad, you have the opportunity to study or work in Italy. This is a fantastic way to improve your language skills and gain an in-depth understanding of Italian culture.
Business Administration gives you the academic foundation you need for a career in business or management by equipping you with the fundamental skills and knowledge essential for managing the key areas of organisations: accounting, human resource management, quantitative methods, marketing, strategy and operations management.
Kent Business School students and staff come from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities, which leads to a multicultural learning environment with a supportive and flexible approach to teaching.
So Italian and Business Administration gives you the benefits of cultural understanding of a humanities degree, language skills, and business knowledge for the world of work.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, 93% of Italian students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course. In The Complete University Guide 2016, Italian was ranked 1st for research quality.
Business Studies at Kent was ranked 5th in the UK for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2015. In The Complete University Guide 2016, business and management at Kent was ranked 2nd in the south-east for overall performance.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Year abroad
The University of Kent has Erasmus agreements with several universities in Italy. See here for the up to date list.
Teaching and assessment
Italian
Teaching is by lectures and seminars. We have extensive technical facilities, including three satellite TV channels, video and DVDs and computer-assisted language learning.
Depending on the modules you select, assessment throughout all stages of the course varies from 100% coursework, to a combination of examination and coursework, in the ratio 50:50, 60:40, 70:30 or 80:20.
Business Administration
Most modules are taught by a combination of lectures and seminars and you also have regular access to a personal tutor for advice on matters concerning your studies. Modules also involve individual study and sessions in the computer laboratories. In your final year, you take at least one project module, including the possibility of a 30-credit business/management project on a topic of your choice. Modules are assessed by a combination of coursework and exams.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- provide a solid grounding in the Italian language in its use as a spoken and written medium
- develop students' critical awareness of Italian society since unification (ie since 1861)
- immerse students in Italian culture by enabling them to spend up to one year in Italy; in most cases as an Erasmus/Socrates exchange student, or as a language assistant in an Italian school, or working in one of the companies with whom we have links
- facilitate awareness of Italian literature, particularly 20th century literature
- provide teaching which is informed by current research and scholarship, that requires students to engage with aspects of work at the frontiers of knowledge
- train students in the field of translation from and into Italian. Particular stress is placed on familiarity with different linguistic registers and, with translation into English, students can expect to reach high levels of competence
- relate the study of Italian to disciplines such as politics, history, sociology, cinema and art theory through the study of appropriate texts and audio-visual material
- provide a means of access to intercultural awareness and understanding
- contribute to widening participation in higher education by offering a variety of entry routes
- provide opportunities for the development of personal, communication, research and other key skills appropriate for graduate employment both in industry and in the public sector
- develop general critical, analytical and problem-solving skills which can be used in a wide range of situations.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- Italian language (reading, writing, listening and speaking) including advanced skills in writing and speaking in Italian, involving the grammatical, discoursal and pragmatic conventions that govern language use and the societal factors which make language use effective; productive and receptive language skills in translation and interpreting, and familiarity with a wide range of source materials in Italian
- Italian society from early modern to the present day, including the ability to develop awareness of the similarities and dissimilarities between Italian society and culture and your own
- Italian history, including an ability to appreciate the unique aspects of Italian culture in their historical perspective at both a regional and global level
- Italian cinema and visual culture, with particular reference to the multidisciplinary nature of this area
- Italian literature, particularly 20th century, including the literary contribution it has made at a regional and global level
- gender studies with particular reference to the scope for cross-disciplinary endeavour.
Intellectual skills
You develop intellectual skills in the following areas:
- general academic study skills
- the ability to critically evaluate information
- how to synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding
- problem-solving skills
- the ability to develop and maximise communication skills for the expression and transfer of knowledge
- how to analyse and interpret a range of evidence in a critical manner
- the ability to study and reach conclusions independently
- how to formulate original opinions in a self-critical manner on the basis of sound factual knowledge and from a balanced perspective.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in how to:
- communicate effectively in Italian, both orally and in writing
- demonstrate detailed knowledge and effective understanding of the various structures and registers of Italian
- translate accurately and efficiently into and from the target language
- critically analyse a variety of texts and images (journalistic, artistic, historical and literary)
- appreciate cultural diversity.
- develop and enhance reading skills in Italian
- develop skills in three related areas – reception (listening, observing and reading); production (speaking and writing) and mediation (translation and interpreting).
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in how to:
- communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals using a variety of information sources and methods
- identify problems and explore alternative solutions
- conduct library and bibliographical research
- use Italian language source materials
- take responsibility for personal and professional learning and development
- manage time and prioritise workloads; think and perform under pressure
- demonstrate capacity for teamwork and the ability to work creatively and flexibly in a group environment
- demonstrate leadership abilities
- use a range of information technology skills effectively, such as word processing text with footnotes, basic formatting, use of CD-ROMs, using email, searching databases and text files, navigating the internet.
Careers
Italian
Modern Languages at Kent are doing a number of things to improve student employability, such as work-related modules and work placements. Both of these are a key part of the Languages in the Classroom module, designed for budding language teachers, which combines traditional learning methods with practical teaching experience.
The Year Abroad programme offers all students the opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner universities. It is also possible to work abroad, in a country where your chosen language is spoken, with many students opting to teach English.
In addition, we are able to offer two paid work placements at Fondazione CRT for students of Italian studies. The placements involve either teaching at the University of Turin or Fondazione CRT on projects including translation, research and correspondence with international organisations.
There are numerous employment prospects open to languages graduates, and popular choices include teaching; translation and interpreting, working in international organisations and going into the Armed Forces. Further study options include a PGCE, TEFL, a PhD or Master's in various aspects of Italian language and culture, or another subject altogether.
Business Administration
You acquire the skills you need to build a successful career. Through your studies, you acquire communication skills, the ability to work in a team and independently, and the ability to express your opinions persuasively and with passion. Through modules on entrepreneurship such as our New Enterprise Start-up module, we give you the confidence and the expertise you need to start your own business and, through our varied contacts in the business world, we give you the opportunity to gain valuable work experience as part of your degree.
Our BBA graduates work in a variety of careers in management, business analytics, marketing, website management, recruitment and business development for companies such as Hays Consulting, Juniper Networks, Hewlett-Packard, IBM or Microsoft.
Professional recognition
Full or partial exemption from the preliminary stage of professional accountancy examinations, provided you choose the appropriate modules.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | BBB |
| GCSE | C in Mathematics C in a modern European language other than English |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 15 points at HL, including IB Mathematics 4 at HL or SL and a modern European language other than English 4 at HL or 5 at SL |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
UK/EU/International students on an approved Year Abroad for the full 2016/17 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Those on an approved Year in Industry pay an annual fee of £865 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.