Mainstream Education
1st Cycle
Laurea: (180 credits)three year course; Italian Laurea is comparable with international Bachelor Degree.
(accessible with Italian school-leaving qualification, after completion of 13 years of global schooling, or foreign comparable qualifications; in this case, 12 years of global schooling are accepted):
All students, both for free access courses and courses with a fixed maximum students number should pass an admission test aiming at verifying their competences.
One long cycle degree programmes
(300-360 credits)These courses are regulated by the European Union, and provide for 2nd cycle degrees in: Law, Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Architecture and Construction engineering, Architecture
(accessible with Italian school-leaving qualification, after completion of 13 years of global schooling, or foreign comparable qualifications).
2nd Cycle
Laurea Magistrale: (120 credits) two-year course, Italian Laurea Magistrale is comparable to foreign Master Degree
Access requirement is an appropriate Italian 1st Cycle degree (curricular requisite) or a comparable foreign qualification (Bachelor Degree); in this case also, students have to pass a test of their personal competences.
3rd Cycle
Research Doctorates: Postgraduates courses for very advanced scientific research or for professional appointments of the highest consequence. Admission is subject to the passing of very competitive exams; legal length must be min. 3 years; the drawing up of an original dissertation is necessary for the awarding of the 3rd degree called Dottorato di Ricerca.
Out-of mainstream Education
Professional training
Specialisation Courses: (accessible with Italian Laurea Magistrale or foreign comparable Degree); they provide postgraduates with knowledge and abilities as requested in the practice of highly qualifying professions; they may be established exclusively in application of specific Italian laws or EU directives; admission is subject to the passing of a competitive examination; course length is min. 2 years
Lifelong Learning
Master Universitario di 1° livello (60-120 credits): short specialization courses, accessible after Laurea (Bachelor’s Degree)
Master Universitario di 2° livello (60-120 credits): advanced scientific courses or higher continuing education studies, open to the holders; studies take min. 1 year.
Italian grading system
Degree courses are usually structured in credits (crediti formativi universitari - CFU). A university credit generally corresponds to 25 hours of global work per student, time for personal study included. The average workload of a full time student is conventionally fixed at 60 credits/year.
Marks in various activities are awarded out of 30, therefore 18/30 correspond to “pass” and maximum mark is 30 with praise. Final mark is awarded out of 110, therefore pass mark is 66 and maximum is 110 with praise.
| Mark | ECTS grade |
| 110 - 110 with praise | A |
| 101 - 109 | B |
| 94 - 100 | C |
| 88 - 93 | D |
| 66 - 87 | E |