When planning a study in Italy, it’s easy to picture some of the things it’s renowned for, such as coffee, pizza, football and art. However, instead of just visiting its famous landmarks, you could be benefiting from a more immersive experience while furthering your education.
As most courses are taught in Italian, you’ll get chance to learn a second language, which is sure to impress future employers.
In your free time, you can take in all the country has to offer. World-class options include the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain in Rome, St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, the ancient ruins of Pompeii and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
You’ll also be able to enjoy the outstanding Italian cuisine, go hiking in the Italian Alps, soak up the sun on beautiful beaches, check out the fashion hotspots in metropolitan cities such as Milan, Naples and Venice or sample the unique atmosphere of a Serie A football match at Juventus’ Allianz Stadium in Turin.
Italian universities
The higher education system in Italy is divided into universities and non-university institutions. They can be classified as follows:
- Universities – includes both private and publicly funded, with the majority being the latter. This includes graduate schools (Scuola Superiore Universitaria), telematics universities and those funded by province. There are around 90 universities in total.
- Non-universities – these are sector-specific academies specialising in the field of arts, known as AFAM (Institutes of High Training in Art, Music and Dance). There are also technical institutions, schools of higher education in language mediation and schools of higher integrated education.
Qualifications are structured as follows:
- First cycle/Laurea Triennale – comparable to a Bachelors/undergraduate degree (180 credits) and lasts three years.
- Second cycle/Laurea Magistrale – consists of two years of study, and is equivalent to a Masters degree (120 credits).
- Specialist Masters programmes / Master Universitario di 1° Livello – usually involve one year of study and provide students with professional knowledge (60 credits).
- Postgraduate diploma / Specializzazione di 2° Livello – a two-year course training specialists for certain professional sectors.
- Single cycle Masters programmes/Laurea Magistrale Ciclo Unico – a five or six year Masters programme allowing entry for school leavers (300-360 credits).
- Third cycle/Dottorato di Ricerca – three-year, PhD-level programmes.
A total of 41 Italian universities currently feature in the QS World University Rankings 2023, with four making the top 300:
- Politecnico di Milano (139th)
- Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna (167th)
- Sapienza University of Rome (171st)
- Università di Padova (243rd).
The academic year in Italy is split into two semesters. The first runs from September/October to January/February, with the second commencing in February and ending in July.
For more information on Italy’s university system, visit the Centre for the Academic Promotion and Orientation of Study in Italy at Uni-Italia – Study in Italy.
Degree courses in Italy
A Bachelors degree, otherwise known in Italy as the Laurea Triennale, is usually a three-year programme of full-time study. A broad range of subjects are available, but the country is highly regarded for its academic excellence in art, design, architecture and applied sciences.
While most courses are taught in Italian, the number of English language programmes is increasing. However, international students will more than likely need to prove their proficiency in Italian before being accepted. You’ll also need to pre-enrol at your chosen institution, presenting the required valid school leaving certificate (or equivalent) for admission.
To explore Bachelors courses, see the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research’s Study in Italy course search page.
Masters degrees
Italian Masters courses (Laurea Magistrale) take two years to complete and are divided into four semesters. You’ll be taught through a series of lectures, tutorials and group work, which will culminate in the submission of a dissertation at the end of semester four.
Second-cycle postgraduate programmes can be studied in a variety of subjects and some Italian universities provide Masters courses taught entirely in English. To find out if your chosen subject is one of them, check with your institution’s international office.
In some subjects, such as dentistry, law, pharmacology, architecture and medicine, at specific universities school leavers can undertake a five or six-year Masters programme (known as the Laurea Magistrale Ciclo Unico).
Specialist one-year Masters courses (Master Universitario di 1° Livello) are focused on practical education and are typically found in professional subjects such as law, engineering or education. You cannot get a PhD by this route.
You’ll need to hold a good undergraduate degree, which for some programmes needs to be in a relevant subject.
Browse relevant Masters courses by using the search facility at Study in Italy.
PhDs
Third-cycle research Doctorate degrees (Dottorato di Ricerca), also known as PhDs, can be studied at all Italian universities and typically take at least three years to complete. During this time, you’ll work on an individual project and produce a thesis based on original research.
To get onto a third-cycle programme, you’ll need a relevant Masters qualification and will possibly have to sit an admission exam. If your course is taught in Italian, you’ll also need to prove your proficiency in the language.
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