The Italian section of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers an undergraduate major and minor, a PhD program, and opportunities for students to be involved in research and study abroad. The program also runs a rich series of talks, film screenings, and panel discussions with authors, directors, artists, performers, and other professionals.

Undergraduate courses give students the opportunity to study Italian language from the elementary level through advanced composition and grammar, as well as literature, film, and cultural studies. The Italian Ph.D. program emphasizes work in three complementary areas: literary history, textual analysis, and theory of interpretation, and includes teaching training and practice. Graduate students are also part of the editorial team for Modern Language Notes, one of the most prestigious journals in the field..