Bachelor of Arts (BA)

BA Italian Studies

An in-depth study of Italian language and culture from the medieval period to the present day.

  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2026
  • UCAS course code: R300 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Study abroad
  • Study with a language

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

Overview

Course overview

  • Learn all aboutItalian language and culture, including medieval, Renaissance and contemporary aspects of Italy.
  • Spend Year 3 studying or working abroad in Italy.
  • Ranked a UK top-10 for Modern Languages by QS World University Subject Rankings 2024.In addition, the University of Manchester is a world-leading institution, ranked in the top-50 globally across all of Arts and Humanities by Times Higher Education 2025 .
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Study BA Italian Studies at the University of Manchester

Contact details

School/Faculty
School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
Telephone
0161 509 2871
Email
Website
http://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk
School/Faculty overview

See: About us

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

A-level

ABB including one essay based/humanities subject.

We offer Italian language from Beginners or Advanced level. If you are taking A Level Italian we require grade B or above and you will be placed in the Advanced stream.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

A-level contextual offer

BBC including one essay based/humanities subject.

We offer Italian language from Beginners or Advanced level. If you are taking A Level Italian we require grade B or above and you will be placed in the Advanced stream.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

Contextual offers are available for applicants who:

  • live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
  • live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
  • have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

UK refugee/care-experienced offer

BBC including one essay based/humanities subject.

We offer Italian language from Beginners or Advanced level. If you are taking A Level Italian we require grade B or above and you will be placed in the Advanced stream.

Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.

Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:

  • have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
  • have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).

See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.

International Baccalaureate

34 points overall. 6,5,5 in Higher Level subjects

Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

GCSE/IGCSE

Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 6 or B in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and 4 or C in Mathematics. GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the admissions team in your academic School/Department for clarification.

Other entry requirements

Other entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.

Country-specific entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see Accepted entry qualifications from your country

English language requirements

All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:

GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade B/6, or;

IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each component, or;

An acceptable equivalent qualification.

Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of  our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications  or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.

If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found  here .

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Fees and funding

Fees

Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Residence abroad support

We offer dedicated financial support packages of up to £2,000 for residence abroad students, based on household income.

You will be automatically assessed for this, based on your Student Finance financial assessment - you just need to make sure you apply for a financial assessment in the academic year in which your residence abroad will take place.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

Advice to applicants

Mitigating Circumstances

Mitigating circumstances may be personal or family illness, other family circumstances, change of teachers during a course, problems with school facilities or an unusual curriculum followed by your school or college.  We recommend that information on mitigating circumstances that have affected or are likely to affect your academic performance should be included in the referee's report. 

We cannot usually take into account information that is supplied after an adverse decision has been made on an application by the admitting School.  If you encounter mitigating circumstances after you have submitted your application, please inform the admissions staff in the School to which you applied as soon as possible.

Where mitigating circumstances have already been taken into account, for example by the relevant Exam Board, we will not be able to make further allowances.

Home-schooled applicants

If you are a student who has followed a non-standard educational route, e.g. you have been educated at home; your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course for which you are applying. You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the specified academic entry requirements of the course. We will also require a reference from somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. If you are a home schooled student and would like further information or advice please contact the academic School for your chosen course who will be able to help you. 

Non-standard educational routes

Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.  Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest.  There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates.  If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.  Further information for mature students can be found here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )

How your application is considered

Applications are considered on the basis of an assessment of past and predicted academic achievements, the academic reference and personal statement.

Interview requirements

 

Returning to education

We welcome applicants who are looking to return to study and value their contribution to the departmental culture and social life.

Access courses are acceptable as an entry route to this course - please contact the UG Admissions Team.

Deferrals

Applications for deferred entry are considered equally to other applications up to the point of confirmation.  Deferred entry is granted on the discretion of admissions staff, and is normally granted for one year only and two years at the maximum. Some English Language test results, such as IELTS or TOEFL, are only valid for two years from the test date.

Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications

If you have re-sat individual modules to improve your grades, we will consider your application according to the standard selection process. If you are planning to re-sit the final Year 13 examinations, or have already done so, the University will consider your application, but we may require further information in order to make an informed judgment on your application.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.  In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved.  We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.If you are applying for a place for the same year of entry through UCAS Extra, you should provide additional evidence of your suitability for the course. If you are applying through clearing you are required to meet the clearing requirements. In both UCAS Extra and clearing the places will be subject to availability.

Course details

Course description

Our BA Italian Studies gives you advanced Italian language skills together with an in-depth understanding of Italian culture and society. You will be taught by a range of specialists within these fields.

We also offer linguistics options for those interested in the history of the Italian language and its dialects.

Language courses are taught by native speakers and involve comprehension, translation, grammar and oral work.

You will spend your third year studying or working abroad in Italy. You can choose a work placement or teach English in schools as part of the British Council assistantship scheme. Alternatively, you can take advantage of our popular study exchanges, which currently include Bergamo, Bologna, Naples, Palermo, Pisa, and Turin.

Although language units may show as optional, they are a mandatory part of your modern languages degree, and you will take the units relevant to your level of language in each year of study. It is compulsory to study language at all levels of your modern languages degree.

Aims

Our BA Italian Studies aims to:

  • Deepen your understanding of Italian culture, history, politics, linguistics and literature, from the medieval period to the present day.
  • Provide you with a comprehensive grounding in the Italian language.
  • Equip you with the skills and expertise needed to thrive in an Italian-speaking environment.

Special features

Residence abroad

You can study and/or work for up to a year in Italy to improve your communicative language skills in a native-speaker environment.

Collaborations and partnerships

The University has links with language and cultural institutions across the city, including:

  • Instituto Cervantes - a centre for Spanish culture
  • HOME - international and contemporary art, theatre and film
  • Alliance Francaise - home of French language and culture.

Societies

The University is home to over 30 international and language-related student societies offering a breadth of cultural activities and experiences.

Learn from award-winning staff

Colleagues in Italian have won University Teaching Excellence awards and are regularly nominated for the annual Student Union teaching awards. They have also been recognized nationally for their innovative use of digital technologies in teaching and learning and for their research.

Teaching and learning

You'll learn through a mixture of formal lectures, seminars and tutorials, spending approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions.

The language component of the course includes three contact hours per week in addition to working on set assignments and undertaking private study.

For every hour of university study, you will be expected to complete a further 2-3 hours of independent study. You will also need to study during the holiday periods.

The individual study component could be spent reading, producing written work, revising for examinations or working in the University's Language Centre .

Language learning

In Year 1, Italian language instruction is divided between 'ab initio' and post-A-level groups (with the majority of students being beginners).

'Ab initio' students have four contact hours per week with their nominated mother-tongue teacher as part of a course specifically designed to build confidence in comprehension, writing, speaking and listening skills.

Post-A-level students have 3 hours of consolidating and building competency on specific language points.

In addition, all Level 1 students have a further hour of Italian linguistics teaching, introducing them to the history and structures of the Italian language.

Coursework and assessment

You will be assessed in various ways, including:  

  • written and oral examinations; 
  • presentations; 
  • coursework (which may include library research, linguistic fieldwork and data collection, or web-based research); 
  • in your final year, a dissertation based on a research topic of your choice.  

Assessment methods vary from course unit to course unit - see individual course unit listings for more information.

Course content for year 1

Year 1 Italian language teaching is divided between complete beginners (ab initio) and post-A-level.

Ab initio students have four contact hours per week with their nominated Italian teacher as part of a course specifically designed to build confidence in comprehension, writing, speaking and listening skills.

Post-A-level students have 3 hours consolidating and building competency on specific language points. All first year students also have an additional linguistics hour, introducing them to the history and structures of the Italian language.

The Italian culture units cover topics ranging from the filmic and literary to the historic and linguistic, all of which reflect academic staff research interests.

Year 1 is specifically designed to begin furnishing candidates with the tools to enable them to read cultural products with confidence, be they texts, pictures, buildings or linguistic constructions.

Single honours students follow a personalised programme of additional textual studies in Italian chosen from a list of options. This course unit is taught via a combination of small-group workshops, individual supervisions and independent research.

You will take only the language units relevant to your level of language in each year of study.

Course units for year 1

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
ITAL10300 20 Mandatory
ITAL10500 20 Mandatory
ITAL10600 20 Optional
ITAL51011 20 Optional
ITAL51022 20 Optional
ITAL51030 20 Optional

Course content for year 2

The language component of the course includes three contact hours per week in addition to working on set assignments and undertaking private study.

Course unit options range from medieval and Renaissance culture and literature, including Dante, Boccaccio, and women writers, to Italian Fascism, the Economic Boom (1960s), and the Years of Lead (1970s) studied through film. We also offer units on sociolinguistics and Italian dialects.

Most culture units involve three contact hours per week and are augmented by materials and content placed in the units' virtual learning environment.

The units are mostly assessed using a variety of forms from coursework to essays, commentaries and book reviews to class presentations and blog posts.

Course units for year 2

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
ITAL20502 20 Optional
ITAL20600 20 Optional
ITAL21011 20 Optional
ITAL21102 20 Optional
ITAL51040 20 Optional
ITAL51050 20 Optional

Course content for year 3

You will spend your third year studying abroad or working abroad in Italy. You can choose to complete work placements or teach English in schools as part of the British Council assistantship scheme. Alternatively, you can take advantage of our popular study exchanges, which currently include Bergamo, Bologna, Naples, Palermo, Pisa and Turin.

Course content for year 4

You will return to Manchester to complete your studies. There is the opportunity to attend classes on Italy's society and culture taught in the target language by native speaker tutors.

You will also be able to undertake a research-orientated dissertation in Italian (often using the primary sources held in the Rylands which has outstanding Italian holdings), and have the opportunity to participate in the Italian department's mentoring and outreach work.

The language component of the course includes three contact hours per week in addition to working on set assignments and undertaking private study.

Course units for year 4

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
ITAL51060 20 Mandatory
ITAL30582 20 Optional
ITAL31001 20 Optional
ITAL32001 20 Optional
LALC30000 40 Optional

Facilities

The University Language Centre is home to many language resources, including a new interpreting suite, purpose-built recording rooms, and resources for more than 70 languages.  

The Centre also offers multilingual word processing, language learning software, off-air recording and AV duplication, multilingual terrestrial and satellite TV, and extensive support and advice for learners.  

Learn more at facilities

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

"Languages provide a vast amount of transferable skills. I have learnt how to communicate in a different language, and in a different culture. I have acquired analytical and research-based skills that will be extremely useful in later life.

"I have already been able to secure a number of marketing work placements and internships following graduation."

Honor de Winton / Year 4 student

A degree in Modern Languages and Cultures paves the way for a broad range of careers. You'll acquire intercultural awareness and enhanced communication skills - both highly valued by employers.

You'll develop transferable skills central to language learning, such as improved perception and interpretation abilities, as well as advanced decision-making and multitasking skills.

During your residence abroad, you'll gain independence and self-confidence, and your intercultural communication skills will position you as a competitive candidate for roles in media, journalism, and PR.

Many of our graduates go straight into business services, marketing, advertising, management, banking, or communications.

Others opt for postgraduate study or additional vocational training to pursue careers as accountants, lawyers, teachers (both in the UK and internationally), or to enter the Civil Service.

The University of Manchester has an excellent reputation for employability, and we are the second most targeted in the UK for top graduate employers (High Fliers Research, 2024).

Our Italian graduates have gone on to work at companies such as Zalando, Greenpeace, NHS, Barclays, Roblenko, Alfred H Knight, Fresh Direct, P&A Receivables, Connexity Europe, Sane Communications, Benchmark International, Wellocks, Cognolink, and Penguin Random House.

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.