Hebrew and Italian

Hebrew and Italian is a combination that brings together two languages with deep connections to the history of Western civilisation and to living cultures of great vitality and distinctiveness. Hebrew, one of the world's oldest continuously used languages, is the language of the Hebrew Bible and of a rich tradition of rabbinic and medieval literature, as well as the official language of the modern state of Israel. Italian carries a literary and artistic heritage from Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio through the Renaissance and beyond, and is spoken by some sixty million people across Italy and Italian-speaking communities worldwide.

Studying both develops a genuinely unusual combination of linguistic, literary, and cultural knowledge.

At University College London this four-year joint honours programme is split equally between Hebrew and Italian throughout. You will study language skills in both, including speaking, listening, reading, writing, and translation, alongside cultural topics drawn from the literature, history, film, linguistics, and politics of the communities where these languages are central. The wide range of modules available allows you to tailor the degree to reflect your particular interests, whether historical, literary, or linguistic.

The third year is spent abroad, divided between two countries where your languages are spoken, providing immersive experience in both linguistic and cultural environments.

The intellectual demands of studying two very different languages at this level develop exceptional analytical precision, close reading skills, and cultural sensitivity.

Graduates move into careers in translation and interpreting, academia, journalism, diplomacy, the cultural sector, international organisations, education, and roles connected to Israeli and Italian communities and institutions. Many continue to postgraduate study in Hebrew, Italian, Jewish studies, comparative literature, or related fields.