Topics and teachers

The Department of Italian Studies at Birmingham comprises a full-time teaching staff of eight, approximately 120 undergraduate students and, in any one year, between six and ten research students in addition to those postgraduates who are following the MA. Expert supervision is offered by senior academics:

Italian literature from the Renaissance to the present

Dr Clodagh Brook, Professor Michael Caesar, Dr Paolo De Ventura, Dr Franco D'Intino, Dr Ita Mac Carthy, Dr Charlotte Ross, Mr Gerry Slowey.

Italian linguistics, history of the language, translation studies, pragmatics, and the relation between language and law

Dr Jacqueline Visconti and Dr Paolo De Ventura.

Italian Film, media, cultural theory and contemporary political studies

Professor Michael Caesar, Dr Clodagh Brook, Dr Charlotte Ross, Dr Daniele Albertazzi

We welcome applications in all of the areas indicated above and are always willing to consider proposals which may not fit obviously into the research specialisations of the supervisors. For more information on the research interests and publications of members of staff, please see the Academic Staff page.

Resources at Birmingham

• University's Main Library and at Birmingham Central Library
  
• Valuable collections of sixteenth and seventeenth century holdings in the Rare Books Room of the Main Library, one of the largest collections in the country of eighteenth and nineteenth century Bodoni imprints held in the same location.
  
• The well-stocked library of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts alongside the Institute's fine collection of Italian paintings and artefacts.
  
• A number of networked and stand-alone electronic databases of importance to researchers in Italian.
  
• The growing collection of printed and electronic resources in the Leopardi Centre, which is housed in the Department.
  
• A number of research seminars and symposia are arranged each year, often with distinguished speakers from elsewhere in the UK and overseas, in which all our research students are invited to take part. Additional seminars are arranged by the Leopardi Centre, which also each year invites a prestigious Visiting Fellow.

The Structure of Research

MPhils and PhDs can be studied full-time (one year; three years) or part time (two years; up to six years). Once you have been admitted to the course you will be assigned one of the specialist supervisors mentioned above who will oversee and discuss your research with you right through to the final submission of your thesis. You will also have a postgraduate mentor who will give general advice and with whom you can discuss issues you do not wish to raise with your supervisor. At the same time your training needs will be assessed and, through the School of Humanities, you can expect to receive tuition as required in information and research skills and in career-related skills such as undergraduate teaching, conference presentations, team-working, approaches to publishing your work, thesis presentation and dealing with the viva. You can attend seminars on practical and ethical issues to do with research, and will find a wide range of interdisciplinary seminars on which to draw as well. A timetable is established at the beginning of your registration and, though this can always be varied, the Department does expect research students to keep to agreed deadlines and to submit their thesis within the time allotted for the degree. Progression each year depends on at least one substantial piece of work being independently assessed by another member of the Department as well as by your supervisor.

Financial support and how to apply

• College of Arts and Law Graduate School
• Apply for funding via the Leopardi Centre through the Zibaldone Project.