Are you looking to learn more about this nation’s fifth largest ethnic group and the many dynamic connections between Italy and the United States that continue to shape our contemporary society? If so, the Italian American Studies Minor is for you. The curriculum draws upon course offerings in different fields, including experiential learning and study abroad opportunities. Students will learn about the political, cultural, and historical conditions that led to the mass migration from Italy, with an emphasis on the Chicagoland area. While focusing on the Italian experience, the program also aims to provide students with a framework for understanding other American groups with similar histories, and for addressing questions related to assimilation, identity, gender, race, class and religion that continue to inform contemporary discourse on immigration.

Many of the courses that count towards the minor also fulfill the university’s CORE curriculum requirements, and others count for History, Criminal Justice, Music, Anthropology, Sociology, and more.

The Italian American Studies Minor is one of only a handful of such programs in the United States. It resulted from a 5-year long fund-raising campaign the proceeds of which were matched by Loyola University Chicago, eventually resulting in the Paul and Ann Rubino Endowed Professorship and the establishment of the minor.

Come learn about the history, culture and literature of Italian Americans, and the unique impact they have had on the city of Chicago and the world.

If you have additional questions about the program, please contact Dr. Carla A. Simonini, csimonini@luc.edu.

Curriculum

Required Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Italian American Studies
ITAS 101	Introduction to Italian American Studies	3
Italian American Experience
Select three of the following:		9
HIST 300D	Topics in U.S. History 1
HIST 379A	Italian Americans in World War II
HIST 379B	History of Italians in Chicago
ITAS 264	Italian Americans on Screen
ITAS 299	Explorations of the Italian Immigrant Experience
LITR 280	World Masterpieces in Translation
LITR 291	Italian & Italian-American Women Writers
Issues and Methodologies
Select one of the following:		3
ANTH 216	Cultures of Migration
HIST 389N	Anti-Immigrant Politics in U.S. History
MUSC 256	Jazz Music History
PLSC 391	Chicago Politics
SOCL 122	Race and Ethnic Relations
Cultural Heritage
Select one of the following:		3
HIST 324	Italy 19th & 20th Centuries
HIST 335	The Second World War
ITAL 290	The Italians
ITAL 390	Culture & Civilization
LITR 161	Introduction to Italian Culture
LITR 264	Italian Film Genre
LITR 267	Italian Film History
LITR 268	Italy: Cultural History
LITR 268R	Italian Culture: Food & Wine
PHIL 288R	Culture & Civilization in Rome
ROST 382	Human Rights: View from Rome
SOCL 267	Italy Today
Total Hours		18

¹

HIST 300D only for topic "Italian Americans in Popular Culture".

²

Only for topic "Explorations of Calabria and the Calabrian Diaspora".

Suggested Sequence of Courses

The courses can be taken in any order. More than one course can be taken during the same term and course offerings may vary by term.  

The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework.  An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study.  Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection.

Plan of Study Grid

Year 1
Fall		Hours
ITAS 101	Introduction to Italian American Studies	3
	Hours	3
Year 2
Fall
Italian American Experience Course #1		3
	Hours	3
Spring
Issues and Methodologies Course		3
	Hours	3
Year 3
Fall
Italian American Experience Course #2		3
	Hours	3
Spring
Italian American Experience Course #3		3
	Hours	3
Year 4
Fall
Cultural Heritage Course		3
	Hours	3
	Total Hours	18

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to broadly articulate the political, cultural, and historical conditions tha led to mass migration from Italy at various points in time, and the ways that Italian culture has developed and continues to take shape in the context of the Americas, with an emphasis on the Chicagoland area.
• Students will recognize the unique contributions that Italian Americans have made to U.S. history and the ways Italian immigrants and their descendants have reciprocally adapted to and influenced American society as a whole.
• Students will develop a framework for understanding other American groups with similar histories, and for addressing questions related to assimilation, identity, gender, race, class and religion that continue to inform contemporary discourse on immigration.
• Students will develop a basic understanding of the historical and contemporary connections between the U.S. and Italy, and between the Italian diaspora in the U.S. and the Italians residing in the homeland.
• Students will be able to describe and differentiate the religious and cultural traditions of the various regions of Italy and how they have been reinterpreted within the American context.
• Students will be able to demonstrate analytical, communication, and critical-thinking skills through a variety of forms: e.g. essays, oral presentations, language acquisition, and cultural activities.