Italian

The course you study in first year depends on how much Italian you have studied before. If you have an SQA Higher or A-level in Italian (grade A or B), you will take non-beginners' language and culture courses which will build on your knowledge of Italian and reinforce your awareness of linguistic structures, both spoken and written. You will study texts and films that give you an insight into contemporary Italian culture.

If you are a beginner or near-beginner, provided that you have some previous successful language learning experience, you will take the Level-1 beginners' course, which will provide an intensive foundation in reading, writing and speaking Italian.

The first-year language and culture course leads to Italian 2, which extends and develops your linguistic skills and builds your knowledge of Italian culture, including the study of texts and films. Students progressing from the first-year beginners' course normally study Italian culture 1 alongside the second-year course.

You will also study other subjects in years 1 and 2: see Degrees in Arts, Life Sciences, Science and Social Sciences.

If you progress to Honours it is essential that you spend your third year abroad. Our students usually choose either to work as a language assistant in a school or to enrol at a university. The University has a number of exchange programmes and will provide support and advice to help you plan your year abroad.

When you return from your year abroad, we maintain a balance between language work and other areas of study such as literature, cinema and other areas of culture. You can choose what courses you study from a range of options.