Italian Text Study and Literary Theory Analysis
Postgraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 15
- Teaching semesters
- Autumn
- Course code
- ITAL302
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- Italian
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
ITAL302 aims to give students extended knowledge of Italian literature and to practice a critical and independent understanding of central questions in the study of literature. The course also aims to give insight into selected and central literary theories.
The course is comprised of two components: a theoretical and methodological part, and a literary part. The main purpose if the course is to provide central theories and methods that are relevant to Italian literary studies.
Moreover, the course provides broader insight into Italian literature through a submersion into a selection of literary works. In this way, the course aims to provide students with a better basis for the choice and theoretical frame for the master's thesis.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:
Knowledge The student should
- have a good understanding of individual works of fiction, topics, or genres
- have a good understanding of the cultural historical framework for syllabus texts
- have a good understanding of fundamental theories within modern literary studies
- have a good understanding of and can apply methods that are relevant for literary theses and questions
Skills The student should
- be able to compare and discuss how the different literary and theoretical syllabus texts are related
- be able to work independently with problem solving on the basis of insight into the field
- be able to use the theoretical tools they have acquired to perform text analysis in an independent manner and to discuss the relevance the theories they have gained insight into have in relation to a concrete question or thesis.
General competence The student should
- be able to complete a theoretically and scholarly demanding project with several dimensions
- be able to work independently with analytical issues related to the subject matter
- be proficient in high level Italian
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Place of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Access to the Course
Teaching and learning methods
Student active lectures and seminars. Approximately 4 hours per week for 10 weeks. The teaching will be both on campus and online (hybrid).
In the case that less than five students register for a course, the organized teaching may be adapted to fit the number of students. If this occurs, students will be informed at the start of the semester, and before the registration deadline 1 February/1 September.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
In the course of the semester the student must hold an oral presentation of about 10-15 minutes. The term paper is supervised, and the students must complete a mandatory tutorial with the course instructor in order to be allowed to submit the paper. The topic for the oral presentation and the term paper cannot be the same.
The presentation must be passed and the tutorial must be completed in the same semester in order to qualify to sit for the exam of the course.
Compulsory assignments are only valid in the instruction semester.
Forms of Assessment
The exam has two components:
- A supervised term paper, which must be submitted by 1 December (or first week day after this date), of about 4000 words, written in Italian. The candidate can choose their thesis question, however it must be related to themes taught in the course. The submission deadline for the term paper is 1 December (or the first workday after this date).
- An oral exam where the question for the conversation can be taken from any part of the reading list from the course. The candidate may choose to do the oral exam either at campus or digitally.
The term paper and the oral exam both counts for 50 percent of the grade.
Students who receive an F on the term paper, will not be eligible for the oral exam. Students who receive an F at the oral exam, receive an F for the course as a whole. Both components of the exam must be completed in the same semester.