The graduate degree programme offers the following four curricula:
The curriculum aims to train a professional figure with a solid humanities culture, which can be used, on the basis of a path that can be partly personalised, in the world of teaching or communication professions. This professional figure will be equipped with advanced skills and competences of expression, both written and oral, in two European and non-European languages – chosen from English, French, Russian, Spanish and German – and with an in-depth knowledge of the related literary traditions as well as of the cultural heritage of which the languages studied are an expression, in a historical and comparative perspective. Specific training objectives are the acquisition of language teaching skills, advanced communication strategies, also in the digital field, in the languages studied, as well as the theoretical and applicative tools necessary to understand and interpret multilingual, literary and sectoral texts, and to manage the techniques of writing both written and multimedia texts.
The skills acquired can therefore be used both in the context of teaching foreign languages (in schools, but also in any sector that requires language training) and in that of international communication in companies, institutions, cultural companies or publishing houses.
The educational activities offered aim to:
- develop advanced skills of critical-philological analysis of the literary text, in order to recognise the specificities, both structural and stylistic, of the individual genres: lyrical, narrative, theatrical;
- develop solid historical and literary skills of the chosen European and non-European linguistic areas, also in a comparative perspective;
- acquire effective communication strategies in international work contexts in which it is necessary to understand and master the socio-stylistic variations related to the changing communicative contexts;
- present the strategies and methods of teaching and learning foreign languages in order to prepare qualified teachers for the school world or for any need or training activity; knowledge of translation resources and tools is also part of these skills;
- present the strategies and methods of teaching Italian L2; in order to acquire the necessary skills to teach the Italian language to foreigners, it is necessary to include in the study plan the teaching of Didactics of Italian L2;
- introduce to the world of publishing, multimedia publishing and editorial communication;
- acquire the necessary skills to operate in different areas of the business, media and digital communication sector. In this case, it will be necessary to include in the study plan one or more courses chosen from: Media and Digital Communication for International Companies, Branding and International Communication, International Tourism Communication on New Media.
The curriculum aims to train a figure with advanced and qualified linguistic and cultural skills in two European and non-European languages – chosen from English, French, Russian, Spanish and German – to be used in the field of professional translation. Equipped with a solid humanistic culture, this professional figure will be able to work in the national and international market of specialised translation (economic, legal, scientific, etc.) or editorial translation. The programme aims to introduce both possible outlets, so that it is subsequently possible to make an informed choice for entering the world of work, equipped with the methodological strategies necessary to autonomously adapt the skills acquired to the specialisation of the professional sector in which one operates.
Since the figure of the professional translator today cannot be separated from the knowledge and use of technological tools for computer-assisted translation (CAT Tools) and automatic translation (Machine Translation), activities are planned aimed at acquiring the skills necessary for the use of these tools. The programme is characterised by the applicative nature of the training, based on solid theoretical premises, but above all rich in practical teaching activities, aimed at practising translation skills by dealing with different types of texts both in the technical and specialist fields and in the non-fiction and literary fields. The demand for professional translators is present in all areas of society and the local and global economy.
The educational activities offered aim to:
- develop the ability to analyse and understand the rhetorical and argumentative strategies of the most diverse types of texts in a foreign language and in the mother tongue;
- carry out translation strategies for specialised texts in different areas (economic, technical, and scientific areas, marketing, corporate communication, manuals, political discourse, web communication, etc.);
- acquire the skills necessary for the use of translation technology tools in both CAT Tools and Machine Translation;
- acquire, through dedicated exercises, the skills necessary for the revision and refinement (post-editing) of machine translation;
- practice translation strategies for literary and non-fiction texts;
- acquire methods and strategies to autonomously train the skills necessary for the specialisation of the professional sector in which they work as translators;
- practise writing skills, in the mother tongue and in the two languages of study, which are essential for translation and for the composition of texts intended for both paper and web support (press releases, social media, etc.);
- introduce to the world of publishing and editorial communication;
- introduce, with appropriate integrations, the strategies and methods of teaching the learning of modern languages and/or Italian L2. In this case, it will be necessary to include in the study plan the course of Didactics and learning of modern languages and/or Didactics of Italian L2;
- introduce, with appropriate integrations, the world of business, media and digital communication. In this case, it will be necessary to include in the study plan one or more courses chosen from: Media and Digital Communication for International Companies, Branding and International Communication, International Tourism Communication on New Media.
The curriculum outlines a multilingual professional figure with advanced linguistic and managerial skills, who combines a high-level preparation in European (English, French, Spanish and German) and non-European (Russian and Chinese) languages and cultures with knowledge of the functioning and dynamics of local and global markets, companies, activities and international business in every economic sector (fashion, food, design, mechanics, automotive, chemicals, metallurgy and steel, etc.). In fact, there are no longer exclusively local and national companies and markets, but global and closely interconnected.
The curriculum trains graduates with qualified language skills and a solid humanities and managerial culture, which are increasingly in demand by Italian companies operating in foreign markets and by foreign companies (increasingly numerous and relevant) operating in Italy. For these reasons, graduates have considerable employment opportunities (even in a short time) given the innovativeness and competitiveness of the profile trained, which responds to a strong demand from the Italian and international business world. To do international business at a high level, "basic" language skills or even knowledge of a single foreign language are not enough, but advanced and integrated skills are needed too. The graduate will be able to work in every sector of the company (in particular in general management, sales and export, communication and marketing, people management, etc.). The curriculum trains valid entrepreneurs, managers and international and global communicators of world business and "made in Italy".
The teaching activities offered aim to deepen:
- knowledge of foreign languages at an advanced level, developing a confident ability to express themselves in writing and speaking as well as the language for global business;
- the culture and identity of the peoples of the linguistic areas chosen with a view to the development of solid and relevant international economic and business relations, which are increasingly important in the world of international management and global business development;
- knowledge of the management of local, international and global companies: corporate management, strategy and business plan, entrepreneurship, marketing and communication, financial management, export management, brand management;
- the main characteristics of local and global markets, the internationalisation of companies and export activities in both European and non-European countries;
- the main regulatory provisions governing entrepreneurial and commercial activities, both in Europe and on global markets;
- the entrepreneurial and international management culture applicable to any sector, entity or company, e.g. Italian and foreign companies of any size, own entrepreneurial activities, but also institutions, non-profit organisations increasingly involved in international and global dynamics and projects.
Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the modern local and global economy, with great prospects for development. It will become increasingly necessary and coveted in the pyramid of people's needs, and it will be an increasingly high-quality and global sector. Tourism is also one of the cornerstones of our "made in Italy" in the world, it has large volumes, both in terms of "incoming" and "outgoing" tourism and a practically boundless global market.
For these reasons, the local, national and above all global tourism sector is requiring, and will increasingly require, multilingual and high-level professionals, with an advanced and qualified preparation in European (English, French, Spanish and German) and non-European (Russian and Chinese) languages and cultures, combined with solid communication skills and in-depth knowledge of the local and global market, management of Italian and international tourism companies (both profit and non-profit, both physical and web-based).
In particular, the curriculum prepares high-level international entrepreneurs, managers, marketing & communication managers and consultants, with solid entrepreneurial, international communication and management skills capable of operating in tourism and entertainment companies of all sizes and local and global activities on all levels. The training integrates qualified language skills with a solid humanities and managerial culture, requirements that are highly demanded by the market and by Italian and foreign tour operators, who are called upon to manage increasingly competitive and global scenarios. This is the very innovative profile of international and global entrepreneurs, managers and communicators in the sector, able to easily fit into any area of tourism businesses and business, both in Italy and abroad, in positions of development, management and therefore responsibility, both in the physical and virtual markets.
The teaching activities aim to deepen:
- advanced written and oral knowledge of the chosen languages with particular reference to the communication skills required by the local and global tourism sector;
- the linguistic and communicative strategies necessary to meet the information and experiential needs of tourists from different linguistic-cultural contexts;
- the ability to effectively manage communication (traditional or digital) aimed at international tourists in the languages studied;
- tourism translation and digital writing techniques for tourism;
- the culture and identity of the peoples of the chosen linguistic areas for the purpose of developing the tourism business in various foreign markets, but also for the purposes of international tourist reception and the development of tourism projects, events and entertainment;
- advanced knowledge of the management of local and international tourism companies operating in all markets of the world and in all sectors (hotels, resorts, luxury tourism companies, airlines, cruise business, international transport companies, international sports, music, culture, business events, entertainment, web enterprises, global marketplaces in the tourism sector, etc.) focusing in particular on the following topics: corporate management, business plan & strategy, international management & entrepreneurship, marketing, communication, brand management, cross-cultural management, project management, financial management;
- knowledge of the local and global tourism market, both physical and on the web (leisure, cultural, congress, business tourism, etc.) also for the purpose of developing own entrepreneurial activities;
- strategies for the promotion and enhancement of territories and their brands at an international and global level and of "made in Italy" tourism.
Language A and Language B
The languages offered in the Graduate Degree Programme in Linguistic Sciences are:
- Chinese (it is offered to students of the curricula in Management and International Economic Relations and in Management, Entrepreneurship and Communication for Global Tourism, as long as they have selected this language in the undergraduate degree programme)
- French
- English
- Russian (it is offered to students of all curricula, as long as they have slected this language in the undergraduate degree programme)
- Spanish
- German
Language C (substitute language)
Instead of continuing with the study of the two languages already studied during the tundergraduate degree period, the student may, at his/her discretion, abandon one of them and introduce a third language (Language C) into the study plan to be studied during the graduate period.
In terms of teaching, it coincides with the courses of Language 1 (Language and Phonology) and Language 2 (Language, Morphosyntax and Lexicon) of the curricula in Business Language Expert and Linguistic Expert for International Relations of the undergradaute degree programme.
18 ECTS are attributed to this third language, as required by the structure and organization of the graduate programme. They are broken down as follows:
- Language C1 (Language and phonology) 9 ECTS
- Language C2 (Language, morphosyntax and lexicon) 9 ECTS.
The student is therefore not required to take the courses of Communicative Strategies of Language B and Culture and History of the Countries of Language B.
Similarly, for the curricula in Literature and Communication and Languages for Specialist and Editorial Translation, the course of Literature LC (8 ECTS) coincides with the preparatory course (first year) of Literature of the undergraduate degree programme.
Chinese and Russian are excluded from this possibility: they can be selected (as Language A or Language B) in the graduate programme only if they have already been studied for three years in the undergraduate degree programme.
Programme Structure
The teaching scheme includes a total of at least 120 ECTS, divided into two years of about 60 ECTS each:
- 36 ECTS will be awarded to activities aimed at consolidating and deepening communicative competence in the two languages of study, Language A and Language B or Language C;
- 48 ECTS will be awarded to activities related to the particular curriculum chosen and will be delivered, where possible, in a foreign language;
- 12 ECTS may be referred to educational activities chosen by the student;
- Finally, 24 ECTS will be awarded to the degree dissertation.
The core of all the graduate programmes is made up of language and culture courses, which are organised as follows (36 ECTS):
I year
- Communicative strategies of Language A or Language B
Each course will include:
- 6 hours per week of exercises, in Language A and Language B, divided as follows: 2 hours of writing activities; 1 hour of oral exercises; 3 hours of specialist translation.
- the specific course of Communicative Strategies of Language A or Language B with validity and duration of six months. It consists of a theoretical semester carried out by the professor (30 hours in the second semester) supplemented by 10/20 hours of practical exercises specifically activated.
The written and oral tests of the first year of the graduate programme (written test, oral test, final oral exam of Language Communication Strategies) can be taken starting from the summer session according to the rules, already approved for the undergraduate programme, which provide for first taking the written test and the oral test, in the order you prefer, and, once you have passed both, to access the final oral exam.
II year
- Culture and History of Language A or Language B Countries and Chinese Language and Civilization Course
Each course will include:
- 3 hours per week of exercises, in Language A and Language B, dedicated to the consolidation of language competence through the implementation of concrete projects to encourage the learning of communication skills that can be used in different professional contexts. The evaluation of the active and fruitful participation in the language exercises is an integral part of the final evaluation. Non-attending students must follow the instructions specified in the individual programmes of the Culture and History courses.
- the specific course of Culture and History of Language A or Language B countries with a semester duration.
If a language C is entered, see the instructions already illustrated in the dedicated paragraph .
In addition to the common core of the linguistic and cultural courses, there are also courses directly related to the particular curriculum chosen (48 ECTS) held, where possible, in a foreign language. The courses of the graduate programme combine traditional lectures with seminars in the form of presentations, case discussions, simulations, testimonies, assignments, aimed at developing concrete knowledge, skills and specific soft skills.
The activities take place in a student-friendly teaching and study environment.
In addition to these training blocks, there are also Student's free choice activities and Other training activities for a total of 12 ECTS. To cover them, the Faculty recommends internships, study stays in the countries of the languages of specialisation, additional exams or other training activities offered, such as seminars and study conferences, considered valid and suitable by the competent teaching structure .
The dissertation, which is awarded 24 ECTS, must refer either to the linguistic sciences or to the specific disciplines of the path chosen by the student and can be written in Italian or in a foreign language agreed by the student with the professor/lecturer.