Within the specialization in Italian Literature you will pay particular attention to the study of Italian literature from the Middle Ages to the present day, focusing on the cultural context and the influence it had on the literature of the period. As a student in the Master’s Programme in Literature you will have access to a large selection of courses in Italian Literature and in the wider Humanities. You will develop advanced analytical and interpretive skills for the study of literature and you will gain a deeper understanding of specific issues within Italian Literature and learn to use advanced methods for the exploration of literary texts, both in terms of form and in terms of their relation to history, politics and ethics. You will pay particular attention to the genres that have dominated Italian Literature through history such as the epic and other forms of poetry; you will study medieval texts by Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarch as well as contemporary writers, including six Nobel laureates. The theoretical level of the courses is high; at the same time, you will develop practical skills related to reviewing and editing literary works. A combination of compulsory and individually chosen courses will develop your knowledge and skills in this area, forming the basis for the writing of a strong scholarly Master’s Thesis. The programme qualifies the students for doctoral studies in literature, but is also useful for work outside of the university. This is especially the case in fields where there is a demand for knowledge about the significance of language for communication and social development, and which require international broad-mindedness, historical competence and the ability to deal with complex information in a systematic and critical fashion.