Italian/Philosophy

Italian is one of the major languages of Europe, spoken by more than sixty million people and carrying with it access to a rich literary, artistic, and intellectual tradition stretching from Dante and Petrarch through to contemporary fiction and cinema. Studying Italian develops not just linguistic competence but a genuine engagement with the culture, history, and society of a country that has played a key role in Europe's political and artistic development over many centuries. Philosophy, as a companion discipline, trains you to reason carefully about the most fundamental questions concerning knowledge, existence, ethics, and the nature of mind.

Together, the two subjects form a combination that develops both cultural sensitivity and analytical rigour.

At the University of Glasgow, this five-year full-time programme allows you to develop high-level proficiency in Italian alongside a thorough grounding in philosophical inquiry. You will study Italian language at all levels, engaging with literary and cultural texts that illuminate the development of Italy's identity and its place in Europe's history. In philosophy, you will explore major traditions in epistemology, metaphysics, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of mind, developing your ability to construct and evaluate arguments with precision and intellectual honesty.

The programme includes a sandwich year with work placement, giving you the opportunity to apply your skills in a professional context and to develop your Italian in a real-world setting.

Graduates from Italian and philosophy programmes bring a distinctive combination of linguistic, cultural, and analytical skills that are valued across a wide range of careers. Roles in translation, interpreting, publishing, international journalism, diplomacy, and cultural organisations are natural destinations, as are careers in law, public policy, education, and management consultancy. The philosophical training you receive is particularly valued in fields requiring rigorous argumentation and ethical reasoning.

Further study at postgraduate level, whether in Italian studies, philosophy, European politics, or law, is a well-trodden route for graduates who wish to deepen their expertise.