PhD in Italian in Urbana United States | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Department of French and Italian provides advanced degree programs culminating in Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy qualifications in both French and Italian. Master's degree applicants can focus on French Studies, French Linguistics, French Language Education, or Italian Studies. For doctoral candidates in French, three specialization tracks are available: French Studies, French Linguistics, or Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education (SLATE).
Doctoral candidates in Italian develop expertise as researchers across Italian Studies, Mediterranean Studies, and related disciplines. Following two years of coursework to develop their research focus, PhD students undertake original investigations and prepare for academic careers or specialized research roles in NGOs, think tanks, government agencies, and similar institutions. The Italian Studies graduate program emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to Italian literature and culture. Faculty expertise spans diverse areas including literary studies, film, medieval/early modern culture, history, and critical theory. Current graduate research projects examine varied topics such as immigrant literature in Italy, Dante's physicality in pilgrimage texts, verb morphology acquisition, and postmodern detective fiction. Applicants should note they'll receive interdisciplinary training suited for today's academic landscape, with access to extensive university resources including the European Union Center and one of the world's largest public university libraries featuring renowned collections of Dante, Tasso, and Italian Renaissance drama. Understanding the importance of financial support, we guarantee continuing students fellowships and teaching positions. All Italian graduate students receive Teaching Assistantships covering tuition and partial fees, with opportunities to teach both language and content courses before graduation.