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1. Study
2. Postgraduate
3. Taught Courses
4. Higher Diploma
5. Italian

Course Fact File

Code	HDAIT
Duration	1 year Full-time; 2 years Part-time
Teaching Mode	Full-time, Part-Time. See Additional Teaching Mode Information for more info.
Qualifications	HDip in Arts
NFQ Level	Level 8
Closing Date	Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.
Non-EU Closing Date	Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.
Start Date	8 September 2025

Course Outline

The Higher Diploma in Arts (Italian) is a conversion course for those with a prior knowledge of Italian who want to study Italian language and culture to honours degree level. Competence in Italian language on entry should be equivalent to the standard in Italian achieved at the end of First Arts.

It is aimed at graduates who may want to be considered for a master’s course in the subject area subsequently (but do not have an honours degree in Italian) or who may want to add Italian to their qualifications.

The course involves the study of Italian language to BA level and of Italian culture (literature, theatre, cinema, art, media) from Dante to Berlusconi.  The course consists of modules to the value of 60 credits taken from Levels II and III of the undergraduate BA degree in Italian.

The subject modules will be chosen by you in consultation with the Head of the Department of Italian or the course coordinator, taking into account timetable constraints and suitability of course combinations. In any case, you must include the 10-credit language module at BA level: the Department will determine, in consultation with you, if additional language study is necessary. The programme of study to be followed may differ for each individual student, depending on the your background, preferred area of specialisation, etc.

If you are applying for this course to gain a teaching subject please consult with the and Teaching Council subject Declaration form to view specific requirements for this subject.

If you are applying for this course for future eligibility into the Profession Master of Education, further information is available here.

Additional Teaching Mode Information

The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours over 2 years.

Course Practicalities

Full-time students may expect approximately 16 contact hours per week, divided between language tutorials and lectures/seminars for culture modules. You must also undertake independent study and complete language exercises out of class, for which you will receive regular feedback. Required reading must be completed in advance of classes.

Students who may not have the time to embark on full-time study can take up to 30 credits in the Flexi-Options scheme: Undergraduate Flexi-Options

Alternatively, those interested in studying Italian language only might want to consider the undergraduate Certificate in Languages, which involves the study of two languages (10 credits each), at a level appropriate to the individual student 

Assessment

Language skills are assessed by assignments and/or written and listening tests, which provide you with regular feedback on your progress. At the end of the year, you take written and oral examinations.

Courses on Italian culture are assessed by a combination of class tests, written assignments and end-of-year examinations. The Department of Italian places great emphasis on guiding students in the development of writing skills, and you are encouraged to engage in dialogue with lecturers during the drafting of essays and projects.

Who teaches this course

Staff in the Italian Department are all native speakers of Italian or have a near-native knowledge of Italian language. Courses are taught by the academic staff, by the three College language teachers, and by some of the department’s international group of PhD students.

Why Choose This Course

The Department of Italian is one of the smallest units in UCC, which means that as a student, you get the individual attention needed to help you progress from beginners’ level to degree standard. There are a high percentage of mature students in the BA undergraduate programme in Italian, which facilitates the integration of students of this course.

Skills and Careers Information

Italian is not widely taught in Irish schools and consequently our student numbers are small compared, for example, to those in French. Demand by employers in Ireland for graduates of Italian, with the strong language and analytical skills you can acquire with us, is currently greater than supply, but many of our graduates also choose to work in Italy or other countries.

The Department also has a LinkedIn Group exclusively for its graduates, where information on vacancies is exchanged.

Employers place a high value on graduates with strong language skills of the kind you can acquire by studying Italian at UCC. At a careers session in December 2012, Anne Gough, Grafton Recruitment and Cork Chamber Ambassador, told prospective students that a non-language graduate might start on €25,000, while, in the same company in the Cork area, a graduate with a language would start on €32,500.

Requirements

It is intended for those who already have a 3 or 4 year primary degree, preferably in the area of Arts or the Sciences, and who wish to study Italian intensively over one academic year.   

The Higher Diploma in Arts is a conversion programme and applicants would not normally have studied the relevant subject to Honours Degree level previously, but you must satisfy the Head of Department that, at the start of the course, your linguistic competence in Italian will allow you to draw benefit from courses at second-year and final-year undergraduate level.

Fees and Costs

How To Apply

Additional Requirements (All Applicants)

The closing date for non-EU applications is Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.

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