Italian Language and Culture

First year

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Objectives
Programme
Master’s thesis and requirements for graduation

Objectives

In collaboration with the Universities of Amsterdam and Utrecht, the Leiden Italian
Language and Culture Department provides a master’s programme with a wide variety of
courses. Students can choose between three tracks: Italian Linguistics, Italian Literature
and Italian Linguistics and Literature.

Within these fields, a wide selection of annually changing courses is offered. In the
Linguistics track, the focus is on both theoretical and applied linguistics, the study of
language use and such subjects as language variation and the structure of argumentation.
The Literature track focuses on comparative literary studies, but also on the study of
Italian literature from the Middle Ages to the present, in which the literary products are
studied within their cultural context to the greatest possible extent. Students who are
interested in both fields of study can choose a combination track in Italian Linguistics
and Literature.

After completing this programme, students will have the knowledge and competence
required for positions outside the university that require an academic level of thinking,
for an upper secondary teaching qualification or for a PhD position.

Programme

Sector Plan

The master’s programme is part of the Sector Plan and is offered in close collaboration
with the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Utrecht University (UU). Each student
takes a compulsory course of at least 10 ects at one of the sister institutions.

Structure

The master’s programme consists of 60 ects: 40 ects of coursework in the form of
seminars and a thesis carrying 20 ects. Students are required to submit their set of course
options for approval with the coordinator.

Master’s thesis and requirements for graduation

In order to graduate, students must have completed 60 ects of courses including their
master’s thesis. The master’s thesis for the programme in Italian Language and Culture
carries 20 ects, generally consists of a maximum of 17,000 words (including notes,
bibliography and appendices), and is based on original research. The thesis is based on
the student’s individual original research and is related to one of the specialisations of the
Italian Language and Culture Department, namely: Literature of the Middle Ages and the
Renaissance, Present-day literature, Historical Linguistics or Modern Linguistics.
Students are required to discuss their choice of track and the structure of their
coursework beforehand with the student adviser, Drs. E.M.T. Poolman.
Also see: hum.leiden.edu/students/regulations