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Italian and History enables you to learn the language and about the culture of Italy while undertaking a detailed study of the past.
Overview
Italy is a cornerstone in culture, art and history across Europe, you cannot help but be inspired to learn the language. By learning Italian, you give yourself a tool to explore this cultural richness and to open your eyes to its historical significance, including its Roman heritage, the Renaissance to turbulent times in the 20th century. It is spoken not only in its home country, but also by over 15 million people in Switzerland, North America and Australia.
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.
The School of History has established itself as one of the leading History departments in the country, recognised for its research excellence, flexible programmes and quality teaching. You are taught by passionate academics, active researchers and recognised experts. You can tailor your modules to your own interests, and use your expanding knowledge of Italian culture and language to focus on European history.
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.
This degree programme therefore is ideal for those wanting to gain a broad and detailed understanding of our world, one that is international in scope and that spans across the years.
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.
History at Kent scored 93% for overall satisfaction of the course in the National Student Survey 2015.
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 Study Abroad A - Z courses and countries.
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.
History
Teaching is by a combination of lectures, providing a broad overview, and seminars, which focus on discussing particular issues and are led by student presentations. Lectures and seminars use a variety of materials, including original documents, films and documentaries, illuminated manuscripts, slide and PowerPoint demonstrations.
The School of History uses a mixture of assessment patterns. The standard formats are 100% coursework or 60% examination and 40% coursework.
The School also has excellent student support arrangements. Alongside our Student Support Officer, each student is assigned an academic tutor. All module convenors keep regular office hours, and the School has a policy of returning at least one essay on each module in a one-to-one personal meeting allowing for additional verbal feedback and discussion.
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 effectively.
Careers
Italian
The School of European Culture and Languages provide an active Employability programme, including 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.
However, if you aren’t interested in teaching, you may be interested to know that SECL has secured two paid work placements at Fondazione for students of Italian studies at Kent. The placements involve either teaching at the University of Turin or Fondazione CRT on projects including translation, research and correspondence with international organisations.
History
The School of History is also committed to providing programmes that allow our students to gain and hone the valuable skills required to meet the demands of the modern workplace. Career prospects for History graduates are wide ranging, due to the valuable transferable skills acquired and developed during the course of study.
Graduates find themselves prepared for a variety of career options, including: research careers within government and NGOs; museums, galleries and libraries; records management and information officers in a variety of workplaces; journalism; numerous roles in the public sector; teaching; and politics.
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 including B in History, Classics-Ancient History or Classical Civilisation |
| GCSE | 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 at HL, including History 5 at HL or 6 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.