Italian and Sustainable Development
Italian and sustainable development is a combination that reflects two of the most important intellectual and practical currents of our time. Italian is the language of one of Europe's richest cultural traditions, spanning the literature of Dante, Petrarch, and Calvino, the art history of the Renaissance, and the contemporary culture of a nation that has been central to European economic and political life. Sustainable development examines the challenge of meeting human needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own, drawing on economics, environmental science, political science, and ethics to understand and address the intersecting crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, inequality, and resource depletion.
At St Andrews, the Italian strand develops your language and communication skills to a high level of proficiency, alongside engagement with specialist topics in Italian literature, culture, history, politics, and film. You will develop both the linguistic competency for professional use of Italian and the cultural and analytical depth that distinguishes an Italian studies graduate from a language learner. The programme includes a year abroad, essential for developing real linguistic and cultural immersion.
The full degree runs over four years full-time and leads to an MA (Hons), with a typical entry tariff of 216 points.
Graduates of Italian and sustainable development programmes are well placed for careers in international organisations, environmental policy, NGOs, the European Union, development agencies, sustainability consultancy, education, journalism, and cultural institutions. The combination of Italian language and cultural expertise with knowledge of sustainable development is particularly valued in European institutions and in organisations working at the intersection of culture, environment, and policy. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in Italian, sustainability, international relations, or environmental policy.