Literature - Vercelli (Binational Degree) - academic year 24/25

Course Type Bachelor’s degree

Academic year 2024/2025

Membership structure: Disum

Watch the video presentation of the course!

Course Overview

The three-year Bachelor’s degree in Literature (code L-10) is open to all (no capped number admission).

The course lasts 3 years (full-time) or 4 or 6 years (part-time).

To obtain the degree you must achieve 180 academic credits.

Depending on the course chosen, the curriculum may include 6 CFU single exams and 12 CFU integrated exams. Integrated exams are composed of two parts that are called partial exams, worthing 6 CFU. When you pass a single exam, the corresponding 6 CFU are immediately verbalized and appear in your career. In contrast, when you pass a partial test, CFU are not verbalized until the two partial tests of the integrated are passed, resulting in the 12 CFU. All this means that the CFU from partial exams do not count toward the credit needed to obtain scholarships or to calculate the student contribution. It is therefore advisable to make arrangements to avoid having incomplete integrated exams in your career.

You have the opportunity to obtain a bi-national dual degree in partnership with the Université de Savoie Mont Blanc, Chambéry.

Organiser (Chair) of Literature: Maurizio Lana - presidente.lettere@uniupo.it

This degree is designed to guarantee a solid basic preparation in the field of Literature, with reference to the founding disciplines of humanistic knowledge which have expanded over the course of European history from solely study of the classics to become one of the cornerstones of nineteenth-twentieth century university culture, and which constitute the 'hard core' of a classical education, according to the canons of Western tradition. The training areas identified in this degree, which is characterised by a simple and linear structure, clear, easy and immediate to interpret, linked to clear evidence of an ability to understand real data (typical of a student with a high level of education) are: Italian studies (Italian language and literary culture), European languages and literatures (those with which Italian culture and society have come into contact, plus their extra-European branches, American in particular), the history of Italian language and philology, history from antiquity to the present day, geography, archaeology, artistic culture and literature, the classical roots on which the modern world was built.

Due to the wide range of disciplinary sectors and professional skills envisaged, the course can be divided into different curricula or training courses.

Basic training is acquired first of all through courses in the field of Italian Literature, Italian Language, Philology and Linguistics, History, Geography, Classical culture. In the second and third year of the course, the student will be able to follow, in all or some of these sectors, courses in which more specific themes and methodological issues will be addressed. It will be an opportunity to make use of the general knowledge already acquired and to encourage harmonious growth of the learner's individual interests, developing them in a constructive way.

The course offers an essential grounding in the literary, linguistic, historical, geographical and artistic culture of the ancient, medieval and modern ages. This occurs through direct contact with original texts and documents; again in this case a gradual approach is applied. The first objective is that of a solid institutional knowledge base, which is achieved in the basic courses. Then, taking into account their own interests and career intentions, students can follow other courses with methodological ambitions and a more specifically oriented approach, which do not exclude seminar integration or the inclusion of seminar hours. Training is provided in the field of classical Latin and (if necessary) Greek, and tools will be supplied to approach the ancient and literary Italian language forms.

Written and oral skills in at least one European Union language, in addition to Italian, are verified by a specific test; this can be avoided by providing appropriate documentation beforehand (certificates suitable for this purpose will be stated in the Regulations). Knowledge of the foreign language must be sufficient for cultural use (not merely tourism or conversation purposes). This language must be used, where necessary, as a tool to complete disciplinary research, through use of internet resources and the necessary non-fiction and reference works. Assessment of language skills will be carried out by the teachers with whom the student will take the final test.

Use of the Internet and e-mail are key within the course. But the most important objective is essentially another: within the disciplines, updating will be carried out to fully exploit the main electronic tools for archiving and consulting knowledge, especially those available in 'free' form, without cost or access limitations, so that the student can use them whenever necessary.

The learning areas in relation to the professional destinations indicated above are the following:

a) Literary and linguistics (with a specific path linked to the ancient and medieval world)

b) Historical

c) Cultural Assets / Cultural Heritage (for this last option, a specific path is envisaged).

The course involves the pursuit of 60 basic credits in the sector of classical languages, Italian literature and language and history: this solid initial training covers areas a) and b). The characteristic training activities in turn complete these areas, and start the development of area c), which is further completed with the Key disciplines and then with the Similar and Integrative disciplines. The study path is therefore based on areas a) and b), but allows, through the independent choices of the student according his/her own interests, the appropriate development of area c).

The course in Humanities offers basic preparation in the disciplines on which humanistic knowledge is based: classical Greek and Latin roots, Italian studies (Italian language and literary culture), history of the Italian language, philology, socio-political history, geography, archaeology and art history.

Specific itineraries are planned for the areas of cultural heritage and the ancient and medieval world.

Basic courses are offered in the fields of Italian literature, Italian language, philology and linguistics, history, geography, classical culture.

In the second and third year, you will be able to follow courses in which more specific themes and methodological issues are addressed.

The course requires that, in the third full-time year, students pass a language test for 3 credits.

Credits reserved by the University for art. 10 subsection 5 letter. d: the activities are listed in the option sheet of the last year of the course. For seminars, conferences and other activities, consult the attachment at the bottom of the page.

Key features

Qualitatively high level teaching and research

Innovative teaching with seminars, conferences, workshops, educational trips
Opportunity to undertake international mobility programs, Erasmus and Free-Mover, thanks to partnerships with leading foreign universities
Possibility of obtaining a dual degree thanks to the binational agreement with the Université de Savoie (Chambéry)

Career opportunities

Museum technicians; library technicians; archive and library assistants; organisers of fairs, exhibitions and cultural events; conference and reception organisers; marketing technicians, public relations technicians; radio, television, cinema and theatre production organisation technicians.

Course organisation

Curricular

Study plans

General information

Didactic Regulations

Didactic regulations

Archive

Archive of Programmes, Study Plans and Didactic Regulations

To register/enrol

The information on registration/enrolment for this course will help you follow the correct procedure.

There are tests to evaluate the level of your initial skills - TOLC, so it is important to also consult the Admission Requirements.

Initial skills assessment test - TOLC

After enrolment, your level of preparation will be assessed through the Initial Skills Assessment Test. The test consists of multiple-choice questions that focus on linguistic-grammatical and text comprehension topics. It is a test required by law, but even if you do not pass it you will still be able to take the 1st year exams of the course you have chosen.
Please note: if you do not pass the mandatory test, you incur a remedial study obligation which you will have to satisfy by the end of the first year (31 October) in order to take the second year exams. For instructions, Visit the section Skills Assessment Tests .
For further information on the entrance test, contact the Teaching Committee of the course: commissionedidattica.lettere@uniupo.it
Visit the section dedicated to Skills Assessment -> Skills Test

English Placement Test

After enrolment, your level of knowledge of the English language will be verified through the English Placement Test, an online test carried out in collaboration with Oxford University Press.

The test is mandatory but not selective, and is not binding for access to the courses.
Contact: Prof. Elisabetta Lonati.

Visit the section Skills Assessment -> English Placement Test

Useful Links

Student Representatives

Student representatives are part of the governing bodies of the Department and the University, and are an important component, contributing to the management of all its activities.

The headquarters of the student representatives in Vercelli is located in room B3 at the Ex-Ospedaletto, viale Garibaldi 98.

Student Representatives

Need more info? Here’s who to contact, and how

To find info on teachers and office hours: UPObook
To contact the Student Secretariat: UPOrisponde
If you wish to talk directly to the Secretariat (regarding particularly complex issues): UPOriceve
If you need support from Student Services for disability/learning problems: UPOrisponde
If you are looking for information on careers guidance, internships and job placements: jobplacement@uniupo.it

A complete list of contact details can be found here.

During the enrolment period, the PIMs (Punto informativo matricole – Enrolment Info Desks) are available.

The helpdesk “S.O.S.T.A.” (University Orientation and Tutoring Service) is a peer support system, provided with the collaboration of students.

Internationalisation

You can enrich your academic career with an international experience.

You can obtain a dual degree by spending the last year of the three-year period at the Université Savoie Mont Blanc, Chambéry. You can also spend a period of study abroad with Erasmus+ mobility by choosing from the many locations where we have international mobility agreements, or opt for other forms of mobility at one of the European and non-European locations with which we have institutional cooperation agreements.

Finally, you can spend a period abroad as a "FreeMover" taking advantage of the University's financial and organisational support, whether you intend to study or are interested in gaining professional experience.

DUAL DEGREE with the Université Savoie Mont Blanc of Chambéry

You will be able to obtain a dual degree with the Université de Savoie Mont Blanc, Chambéry. A binational agreement between Disum and the Université Savoie Mont Blanc allows you to obtain a dual degree by spending the last year of study of the three-year period (or the first of the two-year master's degree) at the Université Savoie Mont Blanc.