Long and short-term academic programs are available in Italy across many universities and educational centers. International students and researchers may apply to BA, MA, Ph.D., and postdoctoral research programs in Italy. Moreover, summer schools and conferences are other excellent academic activities that make Italy an attractive destination for scholars and scientists. Many programs also come with fully-funded scholarships and fellowships as well as travel grants and financial aid, thus every student, researcher, and professor can always find a suitable program in Italy and apply.
Scholarships in Italy
- The American University of Rome Scholarships
- ItaliaRail’s Italy Study Abroad Scholarship
- Tor Vergata University of Rome Scholarships
- UniTrento Scholarships
- The University of Padua Scholarships
- The University of Milan International Scholarships
- Scholarships and University Credits with Parola School in Florence
- The Bank of Italy Scholarships
Fellowships & Grants in Italy
- Outside Grants and Fellowships, Italian Art Society
- UN/DESA Italian Fellowships Programme
- Center for Italian Modern Art Fellowship
- Bank of Italy Research Fellowships for Economists
- AstroFit2 Astronomy Fellowships in Italy
- Clinical Fellowship for Italian Neurologists & Related Specialists
- Visiting Fellows Programme Unipi
- ISA Visiting Fellowship
- Paris x Rome Fellowship
- Grants & Opportunities, Italian Art Society
- Grants and Study Awards, University of Turin
- Italian Study Grants, ILM
- Bowdoin Grants and Fellowships
Summer Programs in Italy
- Summer in Italy, Depauw University
- CIEE Summer in Rome
- SYA High School Summer Study Abroad Program in Italy
- Summer in Italy, Sony Brook University
- Harvard Summer Program in Milan and Siena, Italy
- International Human Rights Summer Law Program in Rome, Italy
- Summer Studies in Italy McGill
- Music Summer Study in Florence, Performing Arts Abroad
- Summer Immersion Program in Italy, Community College of Rhode Island
- IED Summer Courses in Italy
Winter Programs in Italy
- KIIS Italy Winter
- Winter Programmes, Cattolica International
- University of Trento, International Winter Schools
- Design-Made in Italy, Summer and Winter Courses in Florence
- The Winter School, University of Alberta
- January Term Programs, Babilonia
- Summer and Winter Schools, University of Trento
- Winter Study Abroad in Rome
- Summer/Autumn/Winter Schools, Venice International University
- Summer and Winter Schools at the University of Bologna
Italy as an academic destination
The majority of students, regardless of their universities' location, are influenced by the Italian education system. The term Bologna system says it all. The education system, which became widespread firstly in Europe and then in other countries of the world, was invented in Italy.
The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 in Bologna city, south of Italy. It is the oldest university in the country. Later, since 1999, the Bologna system emerged in Italy as a cohesive education system for the country and Europe.
Up to now, Italy follows the same system in its higher education institutions. The 3-cycle principle allows you to have both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in 5 years. The breakdown of this system, which is also called 3+2, is as followed:
- First Cycle is the 3-year Bachelor's degree programs
- The Second Cycle is the Master's degrees taking two years
- The last Cycle is for Doctorate degrees which can take up to 6 years
What and where to study in Italy?
The generations in Italy transfer the experience and education of their worldly famous ancestors. Italy was home to the individuals whose names and impact on society are bright up to current, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Galileo Galilei, and others.
Therefore, it's not surprising that the two prominent higher educational institutions in Italy are university institutions and non-university institutions such as Higher Education in the Arts and Music.
There is no better place to study Architecture, Arts, Design, and Fashion than in the country of their origin. Besides, Italy is also renowned for the academic programs in Research and Science. The countries' 61 public, 30 private universities, and 11 public research organizations provide you with the opportunity to escalate your skills in the mentioned fields.
The 30 of the mentioned universities are included in the world famous university rankings. The below list includes some of the most popular academic spots in Italy:
- Politecnico di Milano
- Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
- Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna Pisa
- Università di Bologna
- Sapienza- Università di Roma
Student Visa for Italy
All the non-EU-Citizens need a visa, for which they should apply at the Italian Consulate of their jurisdiction. The application for an Italian visa is no significantly different than for any other country.
A point to note is that even if you submitted all the visa-required documentation properly, Border Authorities still might double-check all the documents upon arriving in Italy or any other Schengen Area. Besides the student visa, there is a need to have a residence permit for students of some nationalities.
Non-Eu citizens must apply for the residence permit in the post office in the city of their living within eight working days after the arrival. The post office provides the applicants with a kit containing the application form.
The residence permit grants international students an opportunity to work up to 20 hours per week and 1,040 hours per year in Italy. Each year the permit should be renewed.
EU/EFTA citizens do not need to apply for a residence permit. The requirement for them is to register with the Register Office of their municipality of residence if they plan to stay in Italy for more than three months.
International student expenses in Italy
The cost of living in Italy highly depends on the city of residence. Not surprisingly, the most expensive cities are urban centers Rome, Milan, and Florence, both for the locals and international students.
However, Italian universities' tuition fees are more affordable than in the countries in Western Europe or North America. This affordability is the result of many publicly financed universities in the country.
The university fees for international students vary from 900-4,000 EUR in public universities and 6,000-20,000 EUR for private universities.
The accommodation issues are generally solved with the help of the international university offices. Those organizations provide the necessary information for apartment renting, which is cheaper than private house renting markets.
Both when renting a house as advised from the international office or from the private market, the common practice is sharing the living area with other students. The estimated accommodation prices vary between 300 to 600 EUR in Italy. The usual renting period of Italian houses is one year; however, you may find accommodation for less period as a student.
Should you need more information on Italian studies, contact your chosen university's dedicated departments. We hope the opportunities collected in this section of ARMACAD will make your education path in Italy smooth and successful.