Modern Humanities
The curriculum, organized not by academic year but by broad learning areas, is designed to ensure knowledge and understanding of textual structures, with particular reference to Italian literary and linguistic experience, also through a comparative approach; knowledge of the linguistic and historical processes underlying the production and evolution of texts; the ability to understand the mechanisms of textual analysis and interpretation; mastery of critical methods in historiography, cultural history, and the contexts in which texts and linguistic and literary traditions have taken shape; and familiarity with research tools and methodologies, including digital approaches.
The programme enables students progressively to acquire skills in the analysis and interpretation of texts and documents of any genre and type (particularly those related to the chosen areas of specialization) in their communicative functions; the ability to situate texts and other cultural events and artefacts within their contexts; and the capacity to identify and relate diverse sources through critical comparative analysis and to establish the necessary connections between different disciplinary fields.
The programme also fosters the development of independent judgment, understood as the ability to formulate critical evaluations grounded in an adequate understanding of literary phenomena in their multiple forms and in relation to broader ethical and social issues. Specific digital competencies in the humanities may further strengthen awareness of the contemporary cultural role of technology.
The programme ensures the consolidation of appropriate communication skills, both in written production and in the reasoned presentation of complex content, and promotes the ability to connect theoretical and methodological assumptions with the appropriate disciplinary and research-specific terminology. At the same time, the programme fosters autonomous learning skills, grounded in solid epistemological and methodological foundations that provide the basis for the further development and deepening of knowledge.
Teaching methods aimed at achieving these skills and competencies include lectures, participatory teaching formats, workshops and supplementary educational activities, as well as the preparation of the final thesis under the supervision of one or more faculty members. Assessment methods include oral and written examinations, reports and final workshop assessments, and the discussion of the Master?s thesis in the final examination. Students are also required to attain English language proficiency at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Upon completion of the programme, graduates will possess in-depth knowledge of Italian and European literary and linguistic culture, as well as of the methodologies and tools applicable to medieval, modern, and contemporary texts and documents, including through a comparative approach. They will be able to apply broad-ranging competencies suited to professions requiring advanced expertise in the humanities, strong skills in text production and interpretation, and the ability to critically manage information.
Employment statistics (Almalaurea)
- Erasmus+ 'call for study': thanks to agreements signed by the Department with some UE Universities (Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Czech republic, Spain, Hungary, to which Swiss confederation and United Kingdom must be added), students can apply for about 40 fellowships. Funding allows students for study-abroad experiences (courses and exams) that will be recognized by Unimi, if they comply with the 'learning agreement' that must be signed before departure and approved by the Course's Erasmus committee.
- Erasmus+ 'Traineeship': funding allows students to do traineeships based at UE academic or research institutions (Swiss confederation included). Applicants to the Summer call should identify a host institution autonomously, whereas the Fall call offers traineeships based on the agreements signed by Unimi, among which some are offered by the course.
- 'Thesis abroad' programme: funding allows students of Master degree to can carry out their thesis work at academic and research institutions abroad, with no geographical restriction.
- Double degree: the agreement between Sorbonne University in Paris and the University of Milan allows students enrolled in the program to follow a dedicated study track leading to the award of a double degree.
27 credits in the following academic fields:
COMP-01/A - Literary Criticism and Comparative Literature(ex L-FIL-LET/14)
FLMR-01/A - Medieval and Humanistic Latin Literature (ex L-FIL-LET/08)
FLMR-01/B - Romance Philology and Linguistics(ex L-FIL-LET/09)
ITAL-01/A - Italian Literature (ex L-FIL-LET/10)
LICO-01/A - Contemporary Italian Literature(ex L-FIL-LET/11)
LIFI-01/A - Italian Linguistics (ex L-FIL-LET/12)
LIFI-01/B - Italian Philology (ex L-FIL-LET/13)
6 credits in the following academic field:
LATI-01/A -Latin Language and Literature (ex L-FIL-LET/04)
12 credits in the following academic fields:
HIST-01/A - Medieval History (ex M-STO/01)
HIST-02/A - Modern History (ex M-STO/02)
HIST-03/A - Contemporary History (ex M-STO/04)
STAN01/A - Greek History (ex L-ANT/02)
STAN01/B - Roman History (ex L-ANT/03)
Proficiency in English at a B1 level or higher according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required for admission.
The B1-level requirement will be ascertained by the University Language Centre (SLAM) upon admission as follows:
- Valid language certificate at B1 level or higher, issued no more than three years before the application date. The list of language certificates recognized by the University is available at https://www.unimi.it/en/node/39322 .The certificate must be uploaded when submitting the online application;
- English level achieved during a University of Milan degree programme and certified by the University Language Centre (SLAM) no more than four years before the application date, including levels based on language certificates submitted by the applicant during their Bachelor's degree at the University of Milan. Verification will be carried out automatically, no documents need to be uploaded.;
- Entry test administrated by the University Language Centre (SLAM) according to the calendar published on the website: (https://www.unimi.it/en/node/39267/ )
Applicants who fail to submit a valid certificate or do not meet the required proficiency level will be instructed during the admission procedure to take the Entry test.
Applicants who do not take or pass the Entry test will be required to obtain a language proficiency certificate recognized by the University (see https://www.unimi.it/en/node/39322) and submit it to SLAM via the InformaStudenti service by the deadline set by the master's degree programme (https://www.unimi.it/en/node/39267/).
Applicants who fail to meet the requirement by said deadline will not be admitted to the master's degree programme and may not sit any further tests.
In order to be admitted to academic year 2026-2027, candidates must meet all admission requirements (degree, any single exams) by December 31, 2026.
The application for admission to the Master's degree programme must be submitted no later than October 30, 2026.
Those who graduate by December 31, 2026 must enrol by January 15, 2027.
At the time of submitting the application for admission, students who have not yet graduated and intend to enrol on this programme must have earned at least 130 credits in their Bachelor's degree programme.
Admission assessment
The candidate's educational background will be assessed by an admission board. The board may admit candidates who meet the above-mentioned curricular requirements and who have achieved a degree mark higher than 95, without interviewing them. These candidates will be notified of admission individually. Candidates who have achieved a degree mark lower than 96, as well as all other candidates who, even if they meet admission requirements, have not been notified of admission, are required to show up for the interview with the board on one of the scheduled dates.
For information on the composition of the board, the documents to be submitted for admission, and interview dates: https://letteremoderne.cdl.unimi.it/it/iscriversi
Admission
Application for admission: from 22/01/2026 to 30/10/2026
Application for matriculation: from 05/05/2026 to 15/01/2027
Attachments and documents
Admissions A.Y. 2026/2027
Admission applications for Academic Year 2026/2027 are now open. Non-EU students visa applicants are required to apply for admission no later than 30 April 2026.
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | Lesson period | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Proficiency B2 (3 ECTS) | 3 | 0 | English | Open sessions | NN |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | Lesson period | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19th and 20th Century Italian Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | LICO-01/A |
| History of Italian Language Ma | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | LIFI-01/A |
| Medieval, Humanistic and Renaissance Italian Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | ITAL-01/A |
| Modern Italian Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | ITAL-01/A |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | Lesson period | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topics and Problems in Early Modern Philosophy | 9 | 60 | Italian | PHIL-05/A | |
| Aesthetics of Objects | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | PHIL-04/A |
| History of Contemporary World | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | HIST-03/A |
| History of Early Modern Europe | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | HIST-02/A |
| Medieval History Ma | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | HIST-01/A |
| Medieval Philosophy | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | PHIL-05/C |
| Digital Publishing | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | GSPS-06/A |
| Environmental Anthropology | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | SDEA-01/A |
| History of the Early Modern Italian States | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | HIST-02/A |
| Moral Philosophy (MA) | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | PHIL-03/A |
| Roman History Ma | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | STAN-01/B |
| Social Anthropology | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | SDEA-01/A |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | Lesson period | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative Literature | 6 | 40 | Italian | First semester | COMP-01/A |
| History of Classical Tradition | 6 | 40 | Italian | First semester | FICP-01/A |
| History of Printing and Publishing Systems | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | HIST-04/C |
| Italian Philology and Formal Analysis | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | LIFI-01/B |
| Latin Language Ma | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | LATI-01/A |
| Latin Literature Ma | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | LATI-01/A |
| Romance Linguistics | 6 | 40 | Italian | First semester | FLMR-01/B |
| Textual Stylistics | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | COMP-01/A |
| Comparative Romance Languages and Literatures | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | FLMR-01/B |
| Medieval Latin Literature Ma | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | FLMR-01/A |
| Medieval Latin Philology | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | FLMR-01/A |
| Provencal Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | FLMR-01/B |
| Textual Bibliography | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | LIFI-01/B |
| Theoretical Linguistics Ma | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | GLOT-01/A |
| Theory of Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | COMP-01/A |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | Lesson period | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative Literature | 6 | 40 | Italian | First semester | COMP-01/A |
| Contemporary Italian Literature and Publishing System | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | LICO-01/A |
| Critical Approaches in Law and Literature | 6 | 40 | Italian | First semester | GIUR-17/A |
| Culture e testi del medioevo europeo | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | FLMR-01/A FLMR-01/B |
| Italian Language and Music Lyrics | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | LIFI-01/A |
| Italian Literature and Performing Arts | 6 | 40 | Italian | First semester | ITAL-01/A PEMM-01/A |
| Italian Philology and Formal Analysis | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | LIFI-01/B |
| Literature and Human Rights | 6 | 40 | Italian | First semester | COMP-01/A GIUR-17/A |
| Romance Linguistics | 6 | 40 | Italian | First semester | FLMR-01/B |
| Textual Stylistics | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | COMP-01/A |
| Women's Literature in Italy | 6 | 40 | Italian | First semester | ITAL-01/A LICO-01/A |
| 19th and 20th Century Italian Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | LICO-01/A |
| 21th Century Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | COMP-01/A LICO-01/A |
| Comparative Romance Languages and Literatures | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | FLMR-01/B |
| Contemporary Italian, Corpora, and Artificial Intelligence | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | INFO-01/A LIFI-01/A |
| Dante Studies | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | ITAL-01/A |
| Data Natural Language and Technologies | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | INFO-01/A |
| Digital Methods and Ai for the Study of Italian Literature | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | ITAL-01/A |
| Gender and Queer Studies | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | COMP-01/A |
| History of Italian Language Ma | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | LIFI-01/A |
| Literary Culture and Genres of Modernity | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | LICO-01/A |
| Media Linguistics | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | LIFI-01/A |
| Medieval Latin Literature Ma | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | FLMR-01/A |
| Medieval Latin Philology | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | FLMR-01/A |
| Medieval, Humanistic and Renaissance Italian Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | ITAL-01/A |
| Modern Italian Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | ITAL-01/A |
| Provencal Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | FLMR-01/B |
| Teaching Italian Language | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | LIFI-01/A |
| Teaching Italian Literature | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | ITAL-01/A |
| Textual Bibliography | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | LIFI-01/B |
| Theory of Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | COMP-01/A |
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | Lesson period | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Didactic Methodologies and Technologies | 9 | 60 | Italian | PAED-02/A | |
| American Literature | 9 | 60 | English | First semester | ANGL-01/B |
| Artistic Production and Industrial Society | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | ARTE-01/C |
| Contemporary English Literature | 9 | 60 | English | First semester | ANGL-01/A |
| French Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | FRAN-01/A |
| Indian Religions and Civilization | 6 | 40 | Italian | First semester | ASIA-01/C |
| Latin Language Ma | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | LATI-01/A |
| Latin Literature Ma | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | LATI-01/A |
| Social and Environmental Psychology | 9 | 60 | Italian | First semester | PSIC-03/A |
| Archival Studies | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | HIST-04/C |
| Cinema and Cultural Studies | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | PEMM-01/B |
| Contact Linguistics | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | GLOT-01/A |
| English Literature | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | ANGL-01/A |
| Geography of Languages and Literatures | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | GEOG-01/A |
| Greek History Ma | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | STAN-01/A |
| Greek Literature Ma | 9 | 60 | Italian | Second semester | HELL-01/B |
| Roman History Ma | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | STAN-01/B |
| Teaching Latin Language and Literature | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | LATI-01/A |
| Theoretical Linguistics Ma | 6 | 40 | Italian | Second semester | GLOT-01/A |
It's not allowed to take the same exam more than once.
- the workshops proposed or approved by the degree programme
- internships
- further language assessment (level B2) in addition to English Language
(https://www.unimi.it/it/studiare/competenzelinguistiche/altre-lingue-test-e-corsi/studi-umanistici-accertamento-della-conoscenza-di-lingua-francese-spagnola-e-tedesca3-cfu)
- soft skills courses (https://www.unimi.it/en/study/bachelor-and-master-study/following-your-programme-study/soft-skills)
| Courses or activities | Max ECTS | Total hours | Language | Lesson period | SSD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Exam | 27 | 0 | Italian | Open sessions | NN |
Guidance:
Admission, ranking and enrolment
- Academic services
Dipartimento di Studi letterari, filologici e linguistici, via Festa del Perdono 7 - 20122 Milano (MI) Italia
https://letteremoderne.cdl.unimi.it/it
[email protected]
Ricevimento: Martedì, ore 10-12 - Department of Literary Studies, Philology and Linguistics
Via Festa del Perdono 7 - 20122 Milano (MI) Italia
https://www.studilefili.unimi.it/ - Tutor for students with disabilities
Prof. Gabriele Baldassari - Student registrar
Via Santa Sofia 9/1 - 20122 Milano (MI) Italia
https://www.unimi.it/it/studiare/servizi-gli-studenti/segreterie-informastudenti - Degree Programme Tutor
Prof.ssa Stefania Baragetti
For students enrolled in Bachelor's, Master's and single-cycle degree programmes, tuition fees are to be paid in two instalments:
- the amount of the first instalment is the same for all students and is due upon enrolment
- the amount of the second instalment varies according to each student's ISEE University value and the degree programme in which they are enrolled
- for international students with income and assets abroad, the second instalment varies according to their country of origin.
Education incentive programmes and other benefits
The University offers scholarships, cafeterias, subsidised accommodation and other forms of financial support to students meeting specific economic and merit requirements.
More information