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The Italian major provides instruction in achieving fluency in Italian while exploring Italy's cultural heritage, history, and literary works. This program connects students with both the foundational traditions of Western civilization and the dynamic contemporary aspects of Italian and Italian-American societies.
As part of the College of the Liberal Arts' humanities offerings, the Italian major equips students for distinctive career paths in fields like commerce, journalism, tourism, religious services, finance, and teaching. Government agencies such as the NSA, CIA, USIA, and Department of Labor actively seek liberal arts graduates with language proficiency. The program also serves as excellent preparation for doctoral studies necessary for academic careers, while humanities graduates frequently excel in professional programs like law and medical schools.
The majority of Penn State’s applications come from traditional, first-year students. The following types of students are considered first-year applicants (or freshman applicants, as some refer to them): Current high school student in his or her senior year; Student who has earned a high school diploma or a GED and has no post-secondary coursework; Student who has attempted 17 or fewer credits (semester hours) of college coursework at a regionally accredited college/university before attending Penn State; Current high school student who may have enrolled in another institution(s) before graduating from high school (dual enrollment); Student who may have attended Penn State on a nondegree basis.
English Language Proficiency
The following are ways in which you can satisfy the language proficiency requirement: TOEFL: A minimum TOEFL score of 80 on the Internet-based TOEFL or 550 on the old paper exam and a minimum of 20 in each section of the new paper exam (code #2660); IELTS: A minimum IELTS score of 6.5 on the academic test.