2025
New procedures to access the faculty of medicine and surgery, dentistry and prosthodontics, and veterinary
On 11 March 2025 the Parliament has approved the final text of the legge 26/2025 that delegates the Government to approve a series of legislative decrees to regulate the access to the studies in medicine and surgery, dentistry and prosthodontics, and veterinary, in public universities, according to the general indications provided in the bill itself.
According to the text approved, starting from academic year 2025/2026, students willing to enrol in the faculties of medicine and surgery, dentistry and prosthodontics, and veterinary, will not need to pass a preliminary entrance test. Instead, the access will be open to everyone, and the selection to cover the available posts is postponed to the end of the first semester. In fact, this new measure does not cancel the limited-post access to these faculties. The aim of this reform is to ensure a more efficient selection of students to cover the available posts and to reach a higher number of graduates in these disciplines at the end of the relevant course of study.
Within 12 months the Government should approve and publish one or more decrees that will regulate the new access to these faculties, according to the directions provided by the Parliament in the law, among which:
- the enrolment in the faculties of medicine and surgery, dentistry and prosthodontics, and veterinary, should be open to everyone,
- the identification of common subjects to be taught in the first semester and to be assessed at the exams to guarantee harmonised courses and study plans,
- the indication of the criteria to create of the national list,
- the recognition of the credits obtained in the first semester for those who are not admitted to the second one, to allow them continuing their studies in courses of the scientific area.
The law entered into force on 2 April 2025 and will apply from academic year 2025/2026.
2024
There have been no reforms.
2023
ITS – Adoption of three Decrees implementing the reform (law 99/2022)
On 17 May 2023, the Minister of Education and Merit adopted three implementation decrees of the ITS Academy reform law (Law 99/2023).
The DM 87/2023, defines the constitution of the National ITS Academy Committee and its functions. The committee consists of 12 members, each appointed by a Ministry and three members representing the regions, appointed by the Conference of the Regions. The Committee has advisory and proposal functions.
The DM 88/2023, contains provisions on the following points:
- criteria and procedures for the constitution of the commissions for the final assessment tests in the Higher Technological Institutes (ITS Academy) and relative remuneration of the members
- general indications for the tests and scores of the final assessment and for the related certification, conformed to the other certifications in order to facilitate the recognition and the circulation, at national and European Union level, of the qualifications obtained at the end of the training courses
- models for the certification for applied technologies and the higher specialisation diploma for applied technologies, to ensure the supply of higher technicians at post-secondary level in the technological areas considered strategic.
Finally, the DM 89/2023 provides the outline of the statutes to be adopted by the ITS Academy foundations.
Source: Ministry of Education and Merit, page 'Decrees implementing law no. 99/2023' (last access: August 2023)