Selected Topic in Italian language, literature, or culture

Postgraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

ITAL306 prepares the student to write a master¿s thesis on Italian language, literature, or culture. The course aims to advance the student¿s knowledge of a specialized disciplinary area within the field.

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

Upon completion of the course, the student will have

  • in-depth knowledge of a specialized area in Italian language, literature, or culture

Skills

Upon completion of the course, the student will have

  • developed critical and analytical skills applicable to scholarly sources- developed their ability to communicate and discuss academic subjects

General competence

Upon completion of the course, the student

  • is able to evaluate and work independently with scholarly sources and research questions- can conduct a project that spans a relatively substantial period of time
  • has the resources to further develop their knowledge and apply it in larger contexts

ECTS Credits

15

Level of Study

Master

Semester of Instruction

Spring

Place of Instruction

Bergen and online
Required Previous Knowledge
None
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Proficiency in Italian minimum on the level of a bachelor degree with specialization in Italian. Recommended prerequisites: ITAL301 and ITAL302, or equivalent.
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
None
Access to the Course
The course is open to all students who have been admitted to the master's program in Italian at the University of Bergen.
Teaching and learning methods

The course is usually structured as a reading course with three supervisor meetings throughout the semester. During supervision, the student will prepare a customized reading list for the course. If relevant, the reading list can also include film(s).

There are also regular seminars where the students present a project draft for their master¿s thesis or parts of the reading list.

The course is also open for those who cannot attend on-campus seminars. Supervision, presentations, etc. will be conducted online upon request.

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

The students must present their work in a 20 minutes oral presentation in one of the seminars during the semester, either on campus or online. The topic for the presentation is selected in consultation with the supervisor. The assessment for the presentation is pass/fail.

Approved compulsory assignments are valid for the course semester and for the following semester.

Forms of Assessment
At the end of the semester, the students must complete a seven-day take-home exam written in Italian without supervision. The approximate length of the paper should be 3000-4000 words.
Grading Scale
The department uses a grading scale ranging from A to F. F is a failing grade.
Assessment Semester
Spring. Early in the fall semester, there are also assessments of the students with approved compulsory assignments from the previous semester.
Reading List
The reading list comprises approx. 1500-2000 pages and is selected in consultation with the supervisor.
Course Evaluation
The course will be evaluated in accordance with University of Bergen¿s quality assurance system.
Examination Support Material
All support materials are allowed, but the work must be conducted by the student independently.
Programme Committee
The Program Board is responsible for the academic content and structure of the study program, and for the quality of all the subjects therein.
Course Coordinator
Program Board for Italian
Course Administrator
The Department of Foreign Languages at the Faculty of Humanities has the administrative responsibility for the course and the study program.