Undergraduate Italian Studies

Study Italian language and culture to become a global professional.

image of the Grand Canal in Venice with a sunset sky

Why Study Italian?

More than 62 million people across 16 different countries speak Italian. It is one of the most studied language in the world and the fourth most studied language in US colleges and high schools.

Italian culture has produced some of the greatest creative geniuses in the history of Western civilization. From Dante and Machiavelli, to Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo, Italians have made significant contributions to art, architecture, cuisine, government, literature, music, theology, and literature. 

Our Italian Program

The Department of Modern Languages offers an undergraduate Italian minor with elementary, intermediate and advanced Italian courses that emphasize the language and culture of Italy. Students may also study Italian in order to fulfill a possible general education language requirement. Credit may be earned for studying Italian in Italy, and the Director of Italian will help students in selecting an outstanding program.

The minor in Italian requires the completion of 15 hours of Italian courses at the 200 level or above. A maximum of 9 credits for the minor may be taken through an approved study abroad program.

Faculty Expertise

book cover of a medieval scene of a woman receiving a book held by a saintOur Italian faculty have expertise including Italian pedagogical approaches to the teaching of Italian as a second language, Medieval Italian literature and manuscript studies, Italian Renaissance, modern and contemporary Italian poetry, 20th and 21st century Italian literature and film, and comparative studies.

For example, Dr. Valerio Cappozzo recently co-authored A Female Apostle in Medieval Italy: The Life of Clare of Rimini with the University of Pennsylvania Press. The English translation of an anonymous account of her life written at the time brings to a wider audience the life of Clare of Rimini (c. 1260 to c. 1324–29), an Italian holy woman who was beatified. Through this work, we also gain a better understanding of life in a medieval Italian city.  

Meet the Faculty

The Director of the Italian Program is Dr. Valerio Cappozzo. For questions about the basic language instruction at the 100- and 200-level courses, contact Dr. Elisa Modolo, Director of Basic Language Instruction.
Valerio Cappozzo

Valerio Cappozzo

  • Associate Professor of Modern Languages
Elisa Modolo

Elisa Modolo

  • Instructional Assistant Professor of Modern Languages
student and faculty member sitting together at a table and talking about a book in front of them.

Ital 401: Advanced Italian I

This course refines students' skills in conversation and composition, while broadening their knowledge of historical and contemporary Italian society and culture. It is based on a linguistic and content analysis of the award-winning and critically acclaimed Italian movie La meglio gioventù (The Best of Youth) by Marco Tullio Giordana. Students review challenging grammar structures while comparing American (or their own native culture) culture and traditions to Italian events and specificities shown in the movie such as differences in the university system, the social and governmental response to catastrophic weather events, and the Mafia. 

photo of Perla Arellano outside

Learning to Communicate

"The department of Modern Languages is special because they teach how to communicate with a vast variety of people. By learning another language you gain the ability to express yourself with others and immerse yourself in other cultures in a way you would not be able to without speaking that person’s native language. My favorite things about the Department of Modern Languages are the sense of community, the constant support from those around me, and the family atmosphere."

Perla Arellano

B.A. in International Studies with minors in Italian and Intelligence & Security Studies '24

Beyond the Classroom

Be a part of the Italian speaking community and enjoy various activities and events with the Italian faculty and students.
screen capture of a Zoom meeting with someone cooking food in their kitchen

Italian Club

The Italian Club organizes several cultural activities throughout the semester that are open to all students. There are presentations and workshops on Italian culture, games, music, movies, and annual talent show. They even Zoom with former Italian instructors who offer cooking lessons from Italy (photo).

For more information, contact Dr. Elisa Modolo.

three students seated at a table eating Italian ice cream

Italian Table (la Tavola Italiana)

Join our bimonthly informal conversation group. Practice your Italian, meet new friends, caffeinate your body, and exercise your mind!

First and third Tuesday 12:00p-1:00p @ the Residential College

  • image of a few students holding certificates and smiling at the camera

    Gamma Kappa Alpha Italian Honor Society

    Gamma Kappa Alpha, the National Collegiate Italian Honor Society, is devoted exclusively to students of Italian in four-year colleges and universities. In the Department of Modern Languages, our chapter of Gamma Kappa Alpha recognizes outstanding achievement in Italian among students at the University of Mississippi.

    Gamma Kappa Alpha

Study Abroad

Embark on a journey to discover yourself and the world through study abroad. The Office of Study Abroad lists over 60 programs in Italy. Here are two featured programs.
Portrait of Hailey Walley

Why study Italian?

"It cannot be overstated enough as to how invaluable it is to study other languages and to experience other cultures. I wouldn’t be who or where I am today had I not discovered anthropology, philosophy, and Italian. My interdisciplinary background has bolstered my understanding of many concepts due to the more holistic perspective from which I now contemplate them. Humanity is the source and common denominator of all disciplines of thought; once one recognizes this it becomes impossible to overlook the interconnectivity of our world’s problems—as well as the solutions thereto."

Hailey Walley, Attorney

BA in Anthropology and Philosophy, minors in Environmental Studies & Italian (2019)

Outstanding Student Awards

We are proud of the outstanding Italian language students in the Department of Modern Languages. 

YearItalian Awards
2024100 Level: Walker Coon
200 Level: Elizabeth Claire Dancila
300 Level: Miley Ray
400 Level: Carys Emma Gardner
2023100 Level: Brianna Haley Rodrigues
200 Level: Anna Skidmore
300 Level: Kasey Gusella
400 Level: Kaci Wilcox
2022100 Level: Carys Gardner
200 Level: Burgess Emillie
300 Level: Tim Kelly
400 Level: Hayden Young
2021102: Kasey Gusella
202: Oliver Graves
211: Kennady Hertz
361: Katie Dames
2020100 Level: Richard Springer
200 Level: Hayden Thomas Young
300 Level: Ragan Murrie Ketrow
400 Level: Lauren Elyse Cookston
2019100 Level: Aubrey Hart
200 Level: James Nicholas Sumrall
300 Level: Raquel Noboa Vera
400 Level: Nicholas Dante Bovenzi
2018
2017
2016Mariegene Almand, Caleigh Ryan, Gabrielle Wells
2015Kristin Nicole Leaptrott, Elizabeth C. Wann, Lauryn Audrie Skipper, Micaela Endara, Kristen Hare, Elizabeth McFadden
2014Catherine Marie Albers, Megan Young, Melanie Culhane, Palmer Hodges, Savannah Bryant
2013Hillary Laine Puckett, Sethelle Flowers, Catherine Albers, Kaitlin Moore, Rachel Fields, Elizabeth McClure, Madison Coburn, Juan Ordonez, Charlie Tran, Liria Frerer, Lorraine York
2012Robert Liming Corban, Alexander Kitson, Azamat Bektemirov, Caroline Turner, Haley Park, Hillary Puckett, Holly Henning, Jordan Byrne, Kristin Leaptrott, Lorraine York, Marco Italia, Suzona Gvozdenovic
2011Hardy Isaac DeLaughter, Hardy Isaac DeLaughte
2010Amy Jane Vitell, Mary Margaret Rich, Mitchell Hobbs, Joshua McConnel, Amanda Mixon
2009Guillaume Bernard Baron, Claire Brown, Lindsay Hieser, Amy Vitell, Mary Sanford, Kurt Smith, Elizabeth Bagley
2008Lauren Rowe, Margaret Robertson, Meghan Milloy
2007Andrew Ross DelMastro, Kari Giurintano, Timothy Herrington
2006
2005Christopher Franklin Tatum
2004Katherine Sue Walker (First Year), Julie Rebecca Novarese (Second Year), Courtney Janos Garaci (Third Year)