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Undergraduate Study

Italian Undergraduate Study

Studying an Italian degree at the University of Exeter brings you into contact with one of the most fascinating cultures in the world. Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world (60!) and an undisputed prestige at international level for the quality of its architecture and art. It is also famous for literature and cinema, entrepreneurship and industry, music, gastronomy, fashion, sport, diplomacy and peacekeeping efforts. What Anna Cento Bull calls the Italian ‘soft power’ is supported by a process of constant renewal which coexists fascinatingly with century-old traditions and lifestyles.

You will join a friendly and supportive environment within the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Visual Studies: home to world-leading research and an extensive network of contacts and connections in Italy.

Our research interests will give you access to a wide range of aspects of Italian culture. Study a broad range of topics, or follow particular pathways that interest you most, such as Italian film, literature, linguistics or history.

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Top 10 for Italian in the UK

8th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

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Top 150 worldwide for Modern Languages

QS World University Subject Rankings 2025

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Spend a year abroad on an International Placement

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1st in the UK for research impact

Joint 1st for world-leading or internationally excellent research, REF 2021

Discover Italian at the University of Exeter

You will join a friendly and supportive environment within the Department of Languages, Cultures, and Visual Studies: home to world-leading research by internationally recognised researchers and educators and an extensive network of contacts and connections in Italy.

0ur students can approach the various forms of Italian culture working alongside scholars of cinema, migration, sociolinguistics, literature, intercultural competence, history and art history.

We value our extensive contacts with universities and other institutions in Italy; thanks to these exchanges there is a constant presence of Italian students in our team, which creates a stimulating teaching and learning environment.

Students have the option of spending their third year in an Italian-speaking country. You could be:

  • Studying at one of our renowned partner universities such as Bologna-ForlìPadova and Ca' Foscari Venice.
  • Gaining valuable employment experience and practical applied learning by working abroad.
  • Teaching English as part of a British Council placement (subject to availability).

At the heart of our Department is our pioneering Language Centre. Providing excellent teaching by qualified and experienced professionals, the Italian section of the Centre boasts an Accredited Examination Centre for the internationally recognised PLIDA diplomas, and community-driven learning opportunities such as the Languages Café.

Customise your Italian degree

You can study Italian through four pathways:

Study or work abroad

The International Placement can be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable aspects of a Modern Languages degree. It is also one of the major factors that makes languages graduates attractive to employers.

By immersing yourself in the culture you study, you will not only enhance your language skills, but cultivate:

  • strong intercultural understanding
  • improved communication skills
  • the ability to think and study in different ways
  • resilience and confidence
  • analytical skills 
  • adaptability, independence and valuable life experience

More about International Placements

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