Area studies typically examine the development of a particular population or region. While other, similar interdisciplinary studies, such as gender, disability, and ethnic, may have some part in course discussions, these are not considered area studies.

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic within the European Union, located in Southern Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia along the Alps.

A course is the study of a particular topic within a wider subject area and is the foundation of a qualification. A typical course includes lectures, assessments and tutorials.