italian and Philosophy

Italian and philosophy is an unusual and rewarding combination that brings together the study of one of the great cultural languages of Europe and the rigorous analytical discipline of philosophical inquiry. Italian carries an extraordinary intellectual tradition: from Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio through the Renaissance humanists, Machiavelli, Vico, Croce, and Gramsci to contemporary Italian literature and philosophy, the Italian-speaking world has made contributions to European intellectual life that are quite out of proportion to the size of the country. Philosophy, meanwhile, is concerned with the most fundamental questions about knowledge, reality, value, and reasoning, and it provides analytical tools that illuminate literature, culture, and political thought in ways that no other discipline does.

At University College London, this four-year, full-time programme develops advanced proficiency in Italian alongside a rigorous grounding in philosophy. You will study Italian language from an advanced or intermediate level, developing reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to a high standard, while engaging analytically with Italian literature, culture, and intellectual history. The philosophy strand introduces you to the major areas of the discipline, including logic, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy, and you will develop the ability to construct and evaluate philosophical arguments with care and precision.

UCL is one of the world's leading universities for both modern languages and philosophy, and the programme benefits from the depth of expertise in both departments. London's cultural connections to Italy through its cultural institutions, Italian communities, and cultural programming make the city an excellent environment for Italian studies.

Graduates work in cultural organisations, publishing, journalism, diplomacy, education, law, business, and academic research. Postgraduate study in Italian studies, philosophy, or related humanities fields is a natural next step for those wishing to develop specialist expertise.