History and Italian

History and Italian is a combination that connects two powerful ways of understanding human experience. History gives you the tools to investigate the past with rigour and scepticism, examining how societies changed over time and how events, ideas, and structures shaped the world we have inherited. Italian opens a window onto one of the richest cultural traditions in Europe, from the Renaissance to Dante, from the Risorgimento to contemporary cinema, and learning the language means you can engage with that tradition directly rather than at one remove.

At the University of York, this four-year full-time programme integrates both disciplines across your studies, with a year abroad that allows you to immerse yourself in the Italian-speaking world and develop your language skills in a genuine cultural context. York has strong partnerships with institutions abroad, and the year away is a central part of the degree rather than an optional add-on. You will develop your Italian language skills from written and spoken proficiency to a high level while also engaging with historical scholarship across a range of periods and themes.

The history component encourages you to work with primary sources, evaluate competing interpretations, and construct well-evidenced arguments, while the language study develops precision, cultural awareness, and the ability to communicate in a different register altogether. A sandwich year and work placement are also available, giving you further professional development opportunities during your studies.

Graduates are well-equipped for careers that value historical understanding, cultural knowledge, and language ability. Teaching, journalism, publishing, the civil service, diplomacy, heritage, and the arts are all common destinations. The combination of analytical rigour and language competence is particularly valued in international organisations, cultural institutions, and businesses with European operations.

Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in history, Italian, area studies, or related humanities fields.