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Italian Minor




Total Credit Hours: 18 

Italian Minor Requirements (8 Hours)

What You'll Study

Italian civilizations have made global contributions in cuisine, design, fashion, art, philosophy, religion, politics, and history. Some of the world's most famous writers and artists, including Michaelangelo and Dante, were Italian. Understanding the Italian language and culture can deepen your understanding of such important works of art. Italy also has one of the top economies in the world, and it is estimated that more than 1000 United States businesses have offices in Italy, including IBM, Motorola, and General Electric. Of the romance langugages, Italian is the closest to Latin. Having an understanding of Italian can help you as you learn other languages.

Having a working knowledge of Italian makes you more marketable in fields including interior design, fashion, graphic design, the culinary arts, robotics, engineering, religious studies, political science, and philosophy.

At Virginia Tech, you will study the Italian language, composition, literature, and culture. Courses include Italian Languages and Cultures and Italian Literature in Context.


Beyond the Classroom

Study Abroad

About 65 million people, or 13% of the population in the European Union, count Italian as their mother tongue.  Another 3% speak Italian as a second language.  Most of these speakers reside in Italy, but Italian is also spoken in Switzerland and Albania. Italian is currently spoken as a second language in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Australia, Argentina, and some places in the US.

The Steger Center for International Scholarship is located in Italian speaking Switzerland, in Riva San Vitale. 


National Italian American Foundation



Contact Us

Melissa Anne Coburn
328 Major Willaims Hall
220 Stanger Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061
(540) 231-5362