Branches of Study

University Education

Bachelor's programmes last three years of studies corresponding to 180 ECTS credits. At the end of the study programme students obtain a bachelor's degree called laurea.

Bachelor's programmes at universities are organised in the sanitary, scientific, social and classical study areas. Studies in medicine and surgery, pharmacy, veterinary science and dentistry studies, law, primary teacher education and architecture are organised in single-cycle master's programmes.

Each study area is made up of so called 'degree classes' (classi di laurea). One 'class' groups together more courses with the same core qualifying objectives and the same core activities established at national level for each class (e.g. the course 'Labour consultant' and the course 'Italian and European law', belong to the same class (L-14) 'Juridical services sciences', included in the social area).

Classes, with the relevant core objectives and minimum number of credits required, are established at national level for all universities. A complete list of degree classes is available on a national database constantly updated.

Universities autonomously activate and regulate the organisation of courses (title, objectives, curriculum and relevant study activities, credits, final assessment procedures) in their own regulations.

Higher education for the fine arts, music and dance (Alta formazione artistica, musicale e coreutica - AFAM)

Bachelor's courses at AFAM institutions last three years of studies corresponding to 180 ECTS credits. At the end of the study programme students obtain a bachelor's degree called diploma accademico di primo livello.

AFAM institutions offer highly qualified specialisations in:

• visual arts (painting, sculpture, decoration, set designing photography, multimedia, new technologies for arts, film and TV set designing, preservation and restoration of modern and contemporary works of art)
• drama (acting and direction)
• dance (classic and contemporary dance, choreography)
• music (singing, performing with instruments, composition, conducting, choir, sound technicians))
• design (product design, communication, system and fashion design).

Bachelor's courses aim to provide students with an adequate mastery of artistic methods and techniques and the acquisition of specific disciplinary and professional skills.

Higher technological tertiary education system (Sistema terziario di istruzione tecnologica superiore – ITS Academy)

Each ITS Academy (or ITS) organises programmes in one of the following technological areas:

• Energy 
• Sustainable mobility and logistics 
• Chemistry and new life technologies 
• Agrifood system 
• Housing system and built environment 
• Mechatronics 
• Fashion system 
• Services to businesses and non-profit organisations 
• Technologies for artistic and cultural heritage and activities and for tourism 
• Information, communication and data technology

Each area is organised in sub-sectors that correspond to one or more national professional figures. 

The training pathways at ITSs are organised into semesters. Programmes corresponding to a bachelor's (ISCED/EQF 6) have a duration of three years, corresponding to six semesters, with at least 3 000 training hours. At the end of the training pathway, students obtain a qualification called diploma di specializzazione superiore per le tecnologie applicate.

ITSs can activate ISCED/EQF 6 programmes only for the national professional figures that require a high number of hours of internship incompatible with the two-year (ISCED/EQF 5) course. In fact, ITS Academies also offer two-year courses corresponding to the ISCED/EQF 5 level.

ITSs award training credits that are taken into consideration at the end of each programme or, in any case, when a student decides to continue her/his studies in another tertiary institution, either university or AFAM. Training credits refer to all competences and skills acquired that can be recognised in a different programme to reduce the overall number of credits necessary to complete the programme itself (DM 247/2023 and DPCM 29.12.2023). 

Admission Requirements

University Education

To access university bachelor's studies, it is necessary to hold an upper secondary education diploma, or another qualification obtained abroad and recognised as suitable. Upon specific condition, also students graduated at ITSs can access bachelor's programmes.

Beside the required qualification, central regulations establish that enrolment is limited in single-cycle master's programmes and in some bachelor's programmes. As for the latter, the access is limited in health professions programmes (nursing, midwifery, rehabilitation professions, speech therapy, etc.) or in programmes for which study plans foresee practical training and the use of laboratories. In case of limited-number faculties, access can only take place after passing an entrance test. The Ministry of university and research annually establishes the dates of the mandatory entrance tests.

Universities may also require an adequate initial preparation. To this end, each university, in its own regulations, should establish the knowledge required for admittance and should lay down tests procedures. Tests can take place on completion of preparatory training activities carried out in collaboration with institutes of upper secondary education. A negative test result does not preclude enrolment; teaching regulations should specify additional specific training requirements to be fulfilled within the first year of the course.

In addition, students in the final classes of secondary schools must submit a pre-enrolment form to the university so that universities can plan and improve their organisational and educational offerings and make students aware of them. For the purposes of course enrolment, the recognition of qualifications obtained abroad is decided by the institution itself, in compliance with European regulations and international agreements in force.

Higher education for the fine arts, music and dance (Alta formazione artistica, musicale e coreutica – AFAM)

To access a bachelor's course at an AFAM institution, it is necessary to hold an upper secondary education diploma, or another qualification obtained abroad and recognised as suitable. Upon specific condition, also students graduated at ITSs can access bachelor's programmes.

In addition, didactic regulations require an adequate initial preparation and define the knowledge required for access and the methods of verification. The tests may also take place at the end of preparatory training activities, possibly carried out in cooperation with secondary education institutions.

Some institutions also admit to bachelor's programmes students with strong skills and aptitudes, even if they do not have the upper secondary education diploma, which is in any case necessary to obtain the final academic diploma.

For the purposes of course enrolment, the recognition of qualifications obtained abroad is decided by the institution itself, in compliance with European regulations and international agreements in force.

Higher technological tertiary education system (Sistema terziario di istruzione tecnologica superiore – ITS Academy)

One of the following qualifications is required to access courses at ITS Academies:

• an upper secondary education leaving certificate,
• a certificate released at the end of a four-year regional vocation course (Istruzione e formazione professionale – IeFP), followed by a one-year course of higher technical training.

To allow the participation of those already holding an ISCED 5 qualification and of working adults, ITSs ensure the recognition of credits obtained through previous learning and working experiences.

ITSs autonomously organise tests to verify the possession of basic technical and technological competences as well as of competences in English. ITSs may also administer aptitude and motivational tests. They also define preparatory modules to access the programmes (DM 203/2023). 

Curriculum

Central regulations establish the general criteria for the organisation of studies at universities, Higher education for the fine arts, music and dance institutions (AFAM) and Higher technological institutes (ITS Academies).

The curriculum is the set of the educational activities (lessons, seminars, practical and laboratory exercises, small-group teaching activities, tutoring, guidance, internships, projects, theses, individual study and self-study activities) envisaged for the attainment of the qualification. The knowledge of a language of the European Union is required to obtain the final qualification.

University education and Higher education for the fine arts, music and dance (Alta formazione artistica, musicale e coreutica – AFAM)

As for university, at national level, the Ministry of university and research establishes the subject areas called degree classes' (classi di laurea) and, for each class, the qualifying educational objectives and the subsequent learning activities necessary to reach these objectives. The same applies to the study courses at AFAM.

According to central regulations, learning activities for each degree class at universities and for each study course at AFAM, should include:

• basic studies,
• learning activities in one or more areas typical of each class or course
• training activities in one or more related or supplementary subject areas to those characterising the field of study,
• training activities chosen independently by the student,
• training activities relating to the preparation of the final examination for the award of the qualification and verification of the student's knowledge of a foreign language, 
• other training activities aimed at acquiring further linguistic knowledge, as well as computer and relational skills, or in any case useful for integration into the world of work, including the training and orientation traineeships,
• laboratory activities or artistic productions, where relevant.

Central regulations establish the minimum number of credits that institutions, in their teaching regulations, should assign to learning activities and areas of study. However, the total amount of credits cannot exceed 66% and 60% in university and in AFAM education, respectively.

The knowledge of a language of the European Union is required to obtain the final qualification.

In this framework, universities and Afam institutions determine, in their own regulations approved by the Ministry of university and research, the following aspects of courses and teaching activities:

• the name and educational objectives of the study courses, the general framework of the educational activities to be included in the curricula, the credits assigned to each educational activity, the characteristics of the final examination for the award of the qualification, 
• the aspects of the organisation of teaching activities common to the study courses, with particular reference to the objectives, timing and methods with which the competent teaching structures must provide for the planning, coordination and verification of the results of the educational activities, the procedures for assigning the annual teaching duties to professors and researchers, the procedures for conducting examinations, including the final examination, the procedures for assessing students, in compliance with the criteria established at central level, the assessment of students' initial preparation and the organisation of preparatory educational activities for the assessment of initial preparation, the assessment of the quality of the activities carried out.

It is, therefore, not possible to provide an in-depth picture of programmes and contents of courses.   

The official teaching language is Italian. However, many institutions offer seminars and conferences, as well as courses in a foreign language, mainly English.

Higher technological tertiary education system (Sistema terziario di istruzione tecnologica superiore – ITS Academy)

Bachelor's programmes at ITSs have a duration of six semester, corresponding to a total of at least 3 000 hours of training that include hours of theoretical, practical and laboratory activities. At least 60 per cent of the total number of hours of training is carried out by lecturers from the world of work. Company internships and apprenticeships are mandatory for at least 35 per cent of the total number of hours and can also be carried out abroad.

The Ministry of education and merit has defined the technological areas that are the object of training in ITS Academies. Each technological area corresponds to one or more national professional figures. 

Central regulations have established the general cultural profile of the national professional figures that refers to the EQF, which has been implemented by decree in 2018 and referenced to the Italian qualifications in 2023. The general cultural profile is characterised by knowledge, skills and competences that students are expected to acquire at the end of a programme at ITSs.

At the end of the programme at ITSs, students are expected to:

• be capable of supporting research and development activities to identify continuous improvement interventions and innovative and sustainable solutions with technological applications,
• have scientific, technical, technological, organisational, communication and marketing skills,
• have the linguistic skills in English, level B2 or higher,
• use specialist languages and to adopt a responsible and reliable behaviour in the various aspects of production, safety in the workplace and environmental protection,
• have the skills to interact in heterogeneous work groups,
• be able to relate with the various figures operating in the production and service chains in complex work processes involving different subjects, also on an international scale,
• have the skills to offer innovative contributions aimed at enhancing the local aptitudes in an international dimension.

Moreover, students are expected to use technological knowledge to create market opportunities, to know how to interact between different technologies and to interpret customer and market needs identified with the use of technologies (DM 203/2023, Annex 2).

Curricula of programmes at ITSs refer to general competences common to all technological area, to technical competences, which are common to all the professional figures of a technological area and to technical competences that are peculiar of each professional figure.

The general competences common to all technological areas belong to the linguistic, communicative and relational, scientific and technological, legal and economic, organisational and management, as well as digital fields.

Teaching Methods

All tertiary institutions, in their own regulations, should establish procedures to carry out teaching activities, in the respect of teaching freedom as well as of teachers' and students' rights and duties.

Teachers freely choose their own teaching methods. They can receive just some not mandatory indications. 

Some courses are also held in English.

Progression of Students

Students at universities and AFAM institutions are expected to obtain the credits foreseen in the study plan for each academic year, upon passing the scheduled exams. Students who do not pass the scheduled exams cannot attend courses foreseen for the following academic year.

To graduate, students are required to pass all the exams foreseen by their study plan. If they do not, students are expected to fulfil their duty within the terms established by the regulations of each institution.

Students holding a university or AFAM bachelor's qualification, have access to the master's programmes.

Teaching regulations of each institution lay down procedures and criteria to switch from one course to another within the same or different university, or from a university to an AFAM institution and vice versa. Regulations can provide for monitoring the acquired credits to check if the students' knowledge is not obsolete. As for the switch from one course to another or from one university to another, teaching regulations must guarantee the recognition of the possible highest number of credits obtained by the student. In the case of switch within the same class of studies, the recognition of credits must not be lower than 50%. The non-recognition of credits must be adequately motivated.

Students who graduated at ITSs can switch to bachelor's programmes at universities and AFAM, and vice-versa, upon recognition of the training and ECTS credits obtained and according to the tables of correspondence between the professional figures and the bachelor's degrees (Annexes to the DPCM 29.12.2023). At central level it has been established the minimum and maximum number of credits that should be recognised to graduates at ITSs to enrol in a university or AFAM course and vice-versa (DM 247/2023).

Employability

University Education

Universities have an official role of intermediation between students and the world of work, provided that they are registered in the Register of Employment Agencies, the computerised register in which all entities authorised by the Ministry of Labour to carry out intermediation activities are entered (DM 20.09.2011).

The intermediation takes place via the Cliclavoro portal on which universities make the CVs of their students and graduates (within 12 months) accessible so that they can be consulted by interested companies. The companies in turn can place their own personnel requests on the portal.

Those who wish to pursue a freelance profession, in most cases (e.g. agronomists and foresters, agrotechnicians, architects, social workers, actuaries, biologists, chemists, geologists, engineers, etc.) must pass a state examination that allows them to be entered on the relevant professional register. The registers are managed by the Orders and Colleges and are divided into two sections, depending on the qualification acquired at the end of the university course: section A is accessed with a master's degree, while section B is accessed with a bachelor's degree.

To facilitate entry into the world of work, universities also carry out orientation activities that must be mandatorily provided for in the university regulations. Within the framework of guidance activities, universities activate various initiatives, both internal and external, aimed at facilitating entry into the world of work, such as, for example, the promotion of consortia and agreements with companies that provide scholarships, internships and apprenticeships, etc.

Traineeships must be carried out within the framework of guidance and training projects and based on agreements concluded between universities and private companies or associations of companies, in some cases with the involvement of other parties, such as professional associations, local authorities and public bodies.

In addition, trainees must be insured (civil liability and accidents at work), there must be a tutor as the didactic-organisational manager of the activities, and it must be possible to give the activities carried out a value as credits.

Many universities have set up a special office to rationalise the offer of traineeships and disseminate information more effectively among students on the different types of traineeships on offer.

Alongside the internship offices, student associations specialised in offering internships also operate in many locations. These are mainly international associations that bring together students from certain subject areas (economics, engineering, law, medicine, etc.) and operate through a network of local offices. Many graduate associations are also involved in creating links between the university and companies and in facilitating the transition from university to the world of work also through the promotion of internships.

Higher education for the fine arts, music and dance (Alta formazione artistica, musicale e coreutica – AFAM)

Activities carried out by AFAM institutions to facilitate the access of students to the labour market depend on the type of profession taught in each institute. Therefore, it is not possible to provide an overall description.

In general, initiatives recall those put in place by universities (please see above).

Higher technological tertiary education system (Sistema terziario di istruzione tecnologica superiore – ITS Academy)

The Higher technological tertiary education system has been established with the purpose of providing technicians with high technological and technical professional skills, with the aim of progressively bridging the mismatch between labour demand and supply, in particular in strategic technological areas. To facilitate the employability of graduates in the national territory and abroad, the Ministry has provided for the ATECO and ESCO codes for each professional figure corresponding to the different technological areas (DPCM 29.12.2023). Moreover, it has been established the correspondence of the certifications to the EQF 6 level and to the degrees that allows access to public competitions to teach as technical teachers in vocational upper secondary schools (DM 246/2023). Finally, the final certification is accompanied by a diploma supplement based on the Europass model (DM 203/2023).

According to the monitoring issued in 2024, the rates of graduates employed after one year from graduation was 87% (data refer to graduates at 31.12.2022), of which 93.8% placed in jobs coherent with the programmes attended. These data refer to the short-cycle programmes, as in 2022 the programmes corresponding to bachelor's were not yet operating.

(Source: INDIRE, ITS Academy, Monitoraggio nazionale 2024, Infografiche)

Student Assessment

University education and Higher education for the fine arts, music and dance (Alta formazione artistica, musicale e coreutica – AFAM)

Procedures and methods for students' assessment are established by each university and AFAM institutions and in their own teaching regulations. 

At central level, it is established that grades assigned at periodic examinations are calculated on a scale out of 30th, being 18 the minimum mark required for passing the exam. Marks assigned at the final examination are calculated on a scale out of 110th, being 66 the minimum mark required to graduate. In both cases, it is possible to pass the exam and to graduate with honours (30 with honours; 110 with honours).

Both universities and AFAM institutions apply a credit system for the recognition of students' learning workload. University students are assigned 'university formative credits' (crediti formativi universitari – CFU), whereas AFAM institutions assign 'academic formative credits' (Crediti formative accademici – CFAs). CFUs and CFAs have the same following characteristics:

• a credit corresponds to 25 hours of study,
• one year of study for a full-time student corresponds conventionally to 60 credits,
• the total or partial recognition of credits acquired by a student for the purposes of continuing studies is the responsibility of the teaching establishment receiving the student,
• didactic regulations may provide for forms of periodic credit verification and for the minimum number of credits to be acquired by the student within predetermined time limits,
• universities may recognise as university credits, in accordance with predetermined criteria, the professional skills and abilities certified pursuant to the relevant legislation in force, as well as other skills and abilities acquired in post-secondary training activities, to the design and implementation of which the university has contributed.

CFU and CFA correspond to Ects credits. Each institution, in its own regulations, establishes a specific conversion table to facilitate the conversion between the national marks and the ECTS grading.

To obtain a bachelor's degree at a university or AFAM institute, the student must take an individual final examination before an examination board. In order to be admitted to the final examination, it is necessary to have passed all the examinations included in the study plan and to have acquired a total of 180 credits, corresponding to three years of study in the bachelor's programmes. The examination consists of the discussion of a thesis written in an original manner by the student under the guidance of a supervisor.

Higher technological tertiary education system (Sistema terziario di istruzione tecnologica superiore – ITS Academy)

Student assessment at ITSs is summative and it is carried out during the course, at the end of the traineeship and at the end of the course itself.

At the end of the course, students who have attended at least 80% of the total amount of hours and have obtained a final mark between 6 and 10, are admitted to the final exam that aims at verifying the competences acquired. The final mark is the result of all previous assessments, traineeship included.

The final exam consists of a written test, a theoretical-practical test and an oral test, all three related to the technological area, field and professional figure of reference of the training course.

The written test is prepared by the Scientific committee of the single ITS and consists of a set of thirty closed multiple-choice questions, five of which are aimed at assessing foreign language skills. The written test is assessed with marks up to 30 points, being 18 the minimum mark to pass the test and be admitted to the next one.

The theoretical-practical test concerns the discussion of a technical-scientific problem and two short-answer questions. The test is prepared by the Scientific committee of the ITS. The test is assessed with marks up to 40 points, being 24 the minimum mark to pass the test and be admitted to next one.

The oral test concerns the discussion of a work project developed during the traineeship carried out at the company that makes up the ITS Academy. The project can be developed individually or in group and the oral test aims at verifying the validity and feasibility of the results. The test is assessed with marks up to 30 points, being 18 the minimum mark to pass the test.

The exam is positively passed when the student has obtained at least the minimum mark in each test. 

The assessment of the tests is carried out by an examination board, which also assigns the final mark out of 100^th, considering all the previous marks obtained during the course and during the examination. It is also possible to graduate with honours.

The members of the examination board are experts belonging to higher education institutions, the regions, upper secondary schools and the world of work (legge 99/2022, DM 88/2023).

Certification

University education

To obtain the final certification (laurea), students must complete the bachelor's programme, with the assignment of 180 credits, and successfully pass the final test, which consists of the discussion of an original thesis written under the guidance of a supervisor.

The rector, as legal representative of the university, is responsible for issuing the qualifications. The qualifications awarded have academic value and give access to State examinations that qualify for enrolling in the relevant register of the regulated professions. Exceptions are the qualification awarded at the end of some professionalising bachelor's programme that qualify for the relevant regulated professions, such as technical professions for construction and land use, technical professions in agriculture, food and forestry and in industrial and information technology professions (legge 163/2021). 

The didactic regulations of universities lay down the methods and procedures for awarding the certification and the Diploma Supplement. The latter, following models in line with those adopted in European countries, provides information on the student's curriculum completed for obtaining the degree. 

Based on special agreements, the institutions may also award the degrees jointly with other Italian and foreign institutions of a corresponding level, authorised to award degrees recognised in the Italian system in accordance with Community and international law (joint degrees).

Higher education for the fine arts, music and dance (Alta formazione artistica, musicale e coreutica - AFAM)

To obtain the final certification (diploma accademico di I livello), students must complete the bachelor's programme, with the assignment of 180 credits, and successfully pass the final test, which consists of the discussion of an original thesis written under the guidance of a supervisor.

The director of the AFAM institution, as legal representative, is responsible for issuing the qualifications. 

The didactic regulations of AFAM institutions lay down the methods and procedures for awarding the certification and the Diploma Supplement. The latter, following models in line with those adopted in European countries, provides information on the student's curriculum completed for obtaining the degree. 

Based on special agreements, the institutions may also award the degrees jointly with other Italian and foreign institutions of a corresponding level, authorised to award degrees recognised in the Italian system in accordance with Community and international law (joint degrees).

Higher technological tertiary education system (Sistema terziario di istruzione tecnologica superiore – ITS Academy)

To obtain the final certification (diploma di specializzazione superiore per le tecnologie applicate), students must complete the three-year bachelor's programme and pass the final tests and assessments. 

The diploma is issued by the Ministry of education and merit together with the ‘Europass diploma supplement’. The certification is valid throughout the country and allows access to public competitions. The diploma shows, in addition to the name and province of reference of the ITS, the technological area, the national professional figure and profile (if any), the final grade and the award of EQF level 6. The Ministry has provided for the model of certification (DM 88/2023, Annex 2).

Upon the student's request, ITSs also release the certification of competences acquired during the course and in the internship activities. Such certification is issued even in the event of failure to complete the training course or failure to pass the final assessment tests (DM 88/2023).