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At the Department of Humanities we offer courses in philology, literature, linguistics and historical studies and aim to unite and reaffirm humanistic knowledge which ranges from Greek-Latin antiquity to globalised contemporaneity. We aim to create a space for research and learning that looks beyond traditional disciplinary, chronological and linguistic barriers allowing students to develop and expand their studies in:

• Theoretical and applied language studies and how these are manifested in a Euro-American context as a fundamental form of expression as well as an instrument of communication, interaction and mutual understanding among cultures forming the key elements of every literary phenomenon.
• Literary studies which look to go beyond traditional linguistic and national borders by investigating and exploring the continuity of Western traditions starting from ancient Greek and Latin foundations leading up until the present day while expanding into studies of other traditions and artistic forms.
• Historical studies aiming to explore both the specific discipline as well as the school of thought that underpins all fields of humanistic knowledge thanks to the coexistence and interrelation of ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary studies learning to interpret historical events in their multiform complexities.
• Philological studies explore the reconstruction, interpretation and comprehension of literary documents with the aim of broadening historical, linguistic and cultural understanding and knowledge.

One of the main aims of the department is to enhance research by reinforcing research centres and groups within the relevant disciplinary fields including: libraries and specialised laboratories, bibliographic, iconographic and documentary databases available for multidisciplinary uses as well as national and international projects within the various sectors.

Therefore, the overarching aims of the department are the following:

• Promoting advanced scientific research projects in the relevant sectors and disseminating the resulting publications.
• Reinforcing disciplinary group collaboration.
• Increasing participation in research projects on a national, European and international level.
• Providing high-quality postgraduate teaching for PhD courses, post-doctoral courses, seminars, workshops, teacher training courses etc.
• Organising conferences, seminars and high-quality courses for fellows within the humanistic fields.
• Increasing the number of exchange programmes and projects with international institutions and potential affiliates.
• Developing international study pathways (undergraduate degrees, master’s degrees, PhDs).
• Promoting relations with the local areas and competent institutions in order to build both national and international networks within the field.

Other key aims related to research and learning objectives within the department include preparing students for careers as:

• Teachers in the fields of literature, linguistics and history, a career which is considered to be fundamental for future generations as students consolidate their knowledge grounded in national and European cultural heritage as well as the surrounding communities.
• Professionals within the field of linguistics, literature and foreign languages ranging from the classics to modern languages; teaching Italian as a second and/or foreign language within immigration centres as well as the promotion of the Italian language abroad; translating/editing both scientific or literary texts within the fields of culture, journalism, advertising and art; linguistic experts within private and public administrations, cultural institutions, international institutions, multicultural communication national bodies as well as diplomatic and consular representatives; linguistic mediators in both public and private business sectors.
• Ambassadors of continued Lifelong Learning skills.

The department offers the following courses:

Undergraduate degrees

• Letters (L 10) curricula in classic and modern literature.
• Foreign languages and cultures (L 11).

Master’s degrees

• Modern languages and literature (LM 37) with curricula in Literature and Literary Translation; Linguistics and Language Teaching; Languages for Territorial Resources and Economies – International Course DM 987/2016 and DM 935/2017.
• Ancient Philology, Literature and History (LM 15) .
• Modern Philology (LM 14) with curricula in Teaching, Training and Research – International course with a joint degree in Italian-French; Digital Humanities for Cultural Businesses and Research.
• Linguistics and Italian Language Teaching in an International Context (LM 14) – International course with a joint degree in Italian-German.

The department also offers teaching support on other university degree programmes, in particular those within the humanities field. Furthermore, the department is very active in its contribution to planning and carrying out new teaching courses as well as teacher training for middle school and secondary school teachers.