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Year 1: The course you study in first year depends on how much Italian you have studied before.

If you have an SQA Higher or A-level in Italian (grade A or B), you can opt for the Level-1 Language and culture course. The course will build on your knowledge of Italian and reinforce your awareness of linguistic structures, both spoken and written. On the cultural side, you will follow lectures on a number of key genres (such as narrative, film, poetry, drama) and study texts and films in Italian.

If you are a beginner or near-beginner in the language, provided that you have some previous successful language learning experience, you can take the Level-1 Beginners course, which will provide an intensive foundation in reading, writing and speaking Italian. If you perform well enough on this course, you can progress to second year and beyond.

You will also study two other subjects in year 1 according to your interests: see Degrees in Arts, Science and Social Sciences.

Year 2: The first-year Language and culture course leads to Italian 2. This course extends and develops your linguistic skills across a range of activities and builds your knowledge of Italian culture through the study of further texts and other cultural forms. Students progressing from the first-year Beginners course normally study additional Level-1 cultural materials alongside the second-year course.

You will also study one or two other subjects in year 2 according to your interests: see Degrees in Arts, Science and Social Sciences.

Year 3: It is essential that you spend your third year abroad to gain admittance to Honours.

If you are taking Italian as a Joint Honours subject with another language, you may opt to spend your third year either in an Italian-speaking country or in a country where the other language is spoken. If you choose to do the latter, you will then spend the spring term of your Junior Honours year (year four) in an Italian-speaking country.

Years 4 and 5: If you successfully complete the Italian courses in first and second years, you may progress to Honours Italian, which may be taken as Single Honours or as Joint Honours, meaning that you will also study another subject from a wide range.

In the Honours class we maintain a balance between language work and other areas of study. We place strong emphasis on the achievement of a high degree of competence in written and spoken Italian. Literature and other areas of culture are studied in depth, and you can choose options within the courses available to reflect your own particular interests.

Entry Requirements

2026 entry requirements

Standard entry: 5 Highers at AAAAB (by end S6 with min BBBB after S5) including English and a humanities subject at AA (AB or BA may be considered).

Entry to year 2 may be possible with 3 Advanced Highers at AAA in relevant subjects.

Widening access entry: 4 Highers at AABB or BBBB (by end S6) including English and a humanities subject. Completion of pre-entry programme is necessary.