Italian Studies Minor

The Italian Studies minor consists of 18 credits (six 3-credit courses). Students will be required to take MLG 306 and Italian 122, and four additional courses chosen with the approval of the program’s coordinator. Students interested in learning the Italian language and perhaps teaching Italian should concentrate on courses taught in the Italian language, while those interested in different careers should choose courses in other disciplines (film, sociology, art, etc.).

Student Learning Outcomes:

  • Students will acquire an understanding and appreciation of Italian language, culture, culinary tradition, and civilization.
  • Students will develop intercultural competency to prepare them for doing business or study abroad in Italy.
  • Students will be empowered to employ interdisciplinary perspectives and knowledge (e.g., business, history, film, literature, politics, economics) as it pertains to Italy.

If interested please fill out the Application for an Academic Minor and return it to Registrar.

About Academic Minors

Farmingdale State College students are invited to enhance their studies with an "Academic Minor." A minor is a cluster of thematically related courses drawn from one or more departments. In addition to department based minors (e.g. computer programming & info systems), interdisciplinary minors are also available (e.g. legal studies).

Academic minors are approved by the College-Wide Curriculum Committee and the Provost. Students must make application for an academic minor through the department offering the minor in conjunction with the Registrar's Office Specific course work must be determined in consultation with a faculty member in the department offering the minor. A statement of successful completion of the academic minor will appear on the student's transcript at the time of graduation.

  • A minor is considered to be an optional supplement to a student's major program of study.
  • Completion of a minor is not a graduation requirement and is subject to the availability of the courses selected. However, if the requirements for a minor are not completed prior to certification of graduation in the major, it will be assumed that the minor has been dropped. Consequently, the student will only be certified for graduation in their primary major.
  • Only students in 4 year baccalaureate programs can apply for a minor.
  • A minor should consist of 15 to 21 credits.
  • At least 12 credits must be in courses at the 200 level or higher.
  • At least 9 credits must be residency credits.
  • Specific requirements for each minor are determined by the department granting the minor. 
  • Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in their minor.  Some minors may require a higher GPA.
  • Students are prohibited from declaring a minor in the same discipline as their major (e.g. one cannot combine an applied math minor with an applied math major). Academic minors may not apply to all curricula.
  • Students are permitted to double-count courses.
  • Students are only permitted to take more than one minor with appropriate written approval of their department chair or curriculum Dean.

Admission to Farmingdale State College - State University of New York is based on the qualifications of the applicant without regard to age, sex, marital or military status, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

Modern Languages  | Eugenio Villarreal | villarep@farmingdale.edu | 934-420-2192

Fall 2023

Subject to revision

Required:
MLG 306 Italian Culture and Civilization
ITA 122 Italian II (Elementary)

Four additional courses for the minor may be chosen from the following:

ART 202 Survey of Art History: Early Renaissance to the Present
ART 242 Italian Renaissance Art
BUS 320 International Marketing
HOR 228 Current Horticultural Topics
ITA 125 Italian for Business
ITA 223 Italian III (Intermediate)
ITA 224 Italian IV (Intermediate)
ITA 301 Italian V (Advanced)
ITA 302 Italian VI (Advanced)
SOC 263 Immigration Past and Present
MLG 201 Italian Food, Culture, and History
MLG 301 Italian Cinema (In English)
MLG 311 Italian American Experiences
POL 265 Comparative Politics
POL 273 Italian Politics and Society
RAM 303 Research Experience (Italian Focus)

Students are encouraged to study abroad in Italy. Courses taken in Italy will be reviewed by the coordinator and considered toward the minor requirements.

MLG 306 Italian Culture and Civilization

An examination of contemporary Italy and its political, economic and social development. Italian cultural life and institutions in Italy will also be considered. This course may not be used to satisfy the foreign language proficiency requirements. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102

ITA 122 Italian II (Elementary)

A continuation of Italian 121 emphasizing the gradual development of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing with stress on communicative competence and cultural awareness. Prerequisite(s): ITA 121

ART 202 Survey of Art History: Early Renaissance to the Present

A survey of the history of the visual arts from the Early Renaissance to the Present. Works of art are studied both as monuments of intrinsic aesthetic value and as expressions of the needs, ideals, and aspirations of the societies in which they were created. Prerequisite(s): EGL 101

ART 242 Italian Renaissance Art

This course is designed to introduce students to Ancient through Baroque art found in Italy. Students will be required to meet on campus prior to departing for Europe to study the great masterpieces of the Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods of art found in their original contexts throughout Italy. Works of Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Illuminated Manuscripts and other applied arts will be studied as they relate to the periods in which they were created. Prerequisite(s): EGL 101

BUS 320 International Marketing

As the interconnectedness of the global economy grows, marketing managers are faced with an imperative to understand and face the challenges posed by the international marketplace, including the challenge of selling goods and services in markets abroad. This course focuses on marketing management within international settings and will cover topics and issues such as international market selection, adaptation of products, international promotion and pricing strategies, and differences in distribution channels, all within the context of national differences in culture, consumer behavior, levels of development, and political, legal, and economic systems. Prerequisite(s): BUS 131 and BUS 280

HOR 228 Current Horticultural Topics

Topics of current horticultural interest will be selected by the Horticulture Department and covered in depth. The topics to be covered will be announced in the course bulletin each semester the course is offered.

ITA 125 Italian for Business

This course will provide the development of oral proficiency used in daily communication within the business world, preparing the students both in technical vocabulary and situational usage. An introduction to specialized vocabulary in business and economics, as well as practice in writing business correspondence, will be included. Readings in management, marketing, advertising, etc. will be covered. Prerequisite(s): 2 or 3 years of High School Italian or ITA 121

ITA 223 Italian III (Intermediate)

A continuation of ITA 122 for students who have had 3 or 4 years of high school Italian. This intermediate course further emphasizes the development of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing with stress on communicative competence and cultural awareness. A literary and cultural reader will be introduced. Prerequisite(s): ITA 122

ITA 224 Italian IV (Intermediate)

For those students who have taken ITA 223 or four or more years of high school Italian. This course emphasizes structural review, intensified practice in oral expression with increased emphasis on reading and writing skills. Continued attention will be given to contemporary Italian culture. Selections from Italian authors will be read. Prerequisite(s): ITA 223

ITA 301 Italian V (Advanced)

An advanced conversation/composition course with intensive practice in oral and written Italian. Prepared discussions and writing assignments on selected cultural, historical and literary topics. Prerequisite(s): ITA 224

ITA 302 Italian VI (Advanced)

A continuation of Italian V Advance with intensive practice in oral and written Italian. Prepared discussions and writing assignments on selected cultural, historical and literary topics. Prerequisite(s): ITA 301

SOC 263 Immigration Past and Present

Immigration has been one of the most important forces in American society. This course will examine how successive waves of immigrants and newcomers most arriving voluntarily others as slaves and indentured workers have created and recreated American society in their relations with people already here and with each other. The course will present immigration as a process, and examine international migration patterns, changing law, demand for immigrant labor, social networks of family and friends, nativist resistance, the relevant theoretical perspectives, and the experiences of specific groups. We focus on the different periods of immigration, particularly the great migrations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the post-1965 wave of immigrants from the Caribbean, Asia, Mexico and Latin America. Prerequisite(s): SOC 122

MLG 201 Italian Food, Culture, and History

This course analyzes the history of Italian food and its connections to historic events and cultural changes that took place in the most representative Italian cities and regions from the Middle Ages through the present. The Italian cities and historical periods analyzed are selected to provide a broad historical and social perspective that aim to be both a history of Italian food and a history of Italy through its food. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102

MLG 301 Italian Cinema (In English)

Representative Italian films, from the post-war and Neorealism to the present, will be viewed, analyzed and discussed. Films are selected to provide a broad historical and social perspective as seen through the artistic vision of individual directors. The course will be conducted in English and all films have English subtitles. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102

MLG 311 Italian American Experiences

"Italian American Experiences" is an introduction to the experiences of people that created a unique and distinctive ethnic culture. The course begins with fundamental Italian heritage and examines the role of immigration and assimilation in a new world as Italian culture combined with the American experience to form the Italian-American culture. Italian-American studies offer students an opportunity to survey development in history, literature, media, art, and sociology. It also provides students with an in-depth exploration of the role ethnicity plays in what it means to be an Italian-American. Prerequisite(s): EGL 102

POL 265 Comparative Politics

This course examines a broad range of governmental systems utilizing the comparative methods of analysis. In addition to analysis of selected political systems in the developed world (e.g., Great Britain, the United States, and the Russian Federation), students will also explore the governmental structures of at least one country in the developing world (India, Brazil, the People's Republic of China, etc.). Students will also compare plural democracies, monarchies, dictatorships, and neo-authoritarian forms of government, emphasizing policy-making and contemporary problems facing the state in era of globalization, such as the purported victory of neo-liberalism, the threat of terrorism, and the importance of satellite television and the Internet in shaping politics.

POL 273 Italian Politics and Society

This survey course is designed for students who have a lively curiosity about Italy. Employing a historical perspective, students will examine Italy's efforts at "nation-building" from Machiavelli to the present. Students will learn about Italy's unique and extensive contributions to Western Civilization (politics, economics, science, art, culture, societal organization). They will also be introduced to definitions, concepts, distinctions, and theories that are fundamental to the study of political science and, in particular, the subfields of comparative politics and political philosophy.

RAM 303 Research Experience

This hands-on research experience with a faculty mentor is the culminating experience for students enrolled in the Research Aligned Mentorship (RAM) program. Students will be placed in research experiences on the Farmingdale Campus or off-campus in major universities, research laboratories, businesses, industry, government, horticultural gardens, and other settings that fit their academic interests and career goals.

Last Modified 2/13/24