History and Italian

History and Italian is a combination that brings together two disciplines with deep and overlapping roots. Italy occupies a unique place in European and world history: it was the centre of the Roman Empire, the heartland of the Renaissance, a major player in the Risorgimento and the complex politics of modern Europe, and a key participant in the cultural and intellectual movements of the twentieth century. Studying the Italian language and its literary, cultural, and political traditions alongside a broad historical education creates an exceptionally rich set of intellectual tools for understanding both Italian history specifically and the wider patterns of the European and global past.

At the University of Warwick, this four-year, full-time BA allows you to choose from modules covering Italian literature, culture, and politics alongside history of the European and non-European worlds. Italian may be studied from beginner level, so prior knowledge of the language is not required. You will develop genuine linguistic competence in Italian alongside the reading, writing, and research skills that historical study demands, exploring primary and secondary sources and constructing well-reasoned arguments from evidence.

The programme includes a sandwich year and a work placement, giving you professional experience in addition to your academic study. The typical entry tariff is 152 UCAS points.

Graduates from history and Italian programmes are well prepared for careers in which cultural understanding, language skills, and analytical rigour are valued. Education, journalism, the foreign office, international business, heritage, publishing, the arts, and academic research are all natural destinations. The Italian language opens particular doors in connections with Italian and Italian-speaking organisations, cultural institutions, and the wider European professional world.

Postgraduate study in Italian studies, history, European history, or cultural studies provides a natural continuation for those who wish to specialise further.