Studying at university in Italy: exams, dates, credits and courses

Do you dream of studying in Italy but still don’t know exactly how the Italian university system works? This article is for you and contains everything you need to know before matriculating in an Italian university.

Italian university system: how it works

The public university in Italy follows the approach provided by the Bologna Process, which regulates the university systems of 48 countries.

Among the requirements, all Bologna Process states have introduced a higher education system consisting of: bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

In addition, all universities that are part of the Process follow the same system of counting educational credits , thus facilitating mobility and recognition of degrees between universities. Italian undergraduate credits (CFUs) are in fact equivalent to ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits.

What are educational credits (CFUs)

CFUs are the units of measurement of the study devoted to each teaching contained in the degree program. Each course credit is equivalent to 25 hours of study, divided into 10 hours of lectures and/or laboratory, plus 15 hours of individual study.

Each university examination has awarded a number of credits, for example, 3, 6 or 9 credits. Once you take and pass the exam, you get the corresponding number of credits, regardless of your grade.

The three university cycles

As shown in the table below, the Italian university system is organized into three cycles:

• first cycle (bachelor’s degree);
• second cycle (master’s degree);
• third cycle (PhD).

FIRST CYCLE.	LAUREA DI PRIMO LIVELLO (Bachelor’s degree) Duration: 3 years CFU: 180 Title: Dottore		LAUREA MAGISTRALE A CICLO UNICO Duration: 5-6 years CFU: 300-360 Title: Dottore Magistrale
SECOND CYCLE.	LAUREA MAGISTRALE (Master’s degree) Duration: 2 years CFU: 120 Title: Dottore Magistrale	MASTER DI PRIMO LIVELLO Duration: 1-2 years CFU: 60
THIRD CYCLE.	DOTTORATO DI RICERCA (PhD) Duration: 3-5 years Title: PhD	MASTER DI SECONDO LIVELLO Duration: 1-2 years CFU: 60-120

Thus, if you have just finished high school you can enroll in a laurea di primo livello or a laurea magistrale a ciclo unico, while if you already have a bachelor ‘s degree you can enter the laurea magistrale or enroll in a master’s degree.

If, on the other hand, you have already completed the second cycle, then you can apply for a PhD.

Laurea di primo livello

The first undergraduate degree in Italy is called a laurea di primo livello or laurea triennale, lasts 3 years and is worth 180 CFUs. To enter this degree program, it is necessary to hold a secondary school diploma or an equivalent foreign degree.

Some bachelor’s degree programs are open-enrollment, while others have limited seats and require passing an admission test (e.g., bachelor’s degree programs in nursing, physical therapy, engineering, psychology, economics, etc.).

The first undergraduate cycle ends with the tesi di laurea, which is a research project prepared by the student, later exhibited and discussed before a committee of teachers.

Laurea magistrale

The laurea magistrale lasts two years, at the end of which the 120 CFUs that complete the second undergraduate degree are obtained. To enter a laurea magistrale, one must hold a bachelor ‘s degree or a corresponding foreign degree.

Again, the degree path ends with the discussion of the thesis written by the student.

Please note: the laurea magistrale is the Italian equivalent of the international title Master’s degree (MA/MSc). The master di primo livello, however, is not equivalent to a master’s degree: it is a postgraduate professional degree and does not give access to the PhD.

Laurea magistrale a ciclo unico

Some courses of study are single-cycle, that is, they do not allow a bachelor’s degree + master’s degree division, but are structured in 5 or 6 compulsory years.

For example, they are single-cycle master’s degrees:

• Jurisprudence
• Medicine and Surgery
• Veterinary Medicine
• Architecture
• Primary education sciences

Ph.D.

To enter a Ph.D. program in Italy, it is necessary to:

• Have completed the first two cycles of undergraduate education (and thus hold a master’s degree);
• Pass a closed public competition (i.e., with limited places).

As a rule, a portion of the available doctoral positions is covered by a fellowship, which provides the doctoral student with a monthly stipend for his or her research service.

The minimum length of the doctorate is three years, the maximum is five.

First- and second-level master’s degrees

Master’s degrees are professionalizing courses designed for professionals already in the working world. They often have part-time attendance modes, precisely to facilitate their reconciliation with work.

They are divided into:

• master di primo livello;
• master di secondo livello.

The master di primo livello can be entered with a bachelor’s degree and has a duration of one to two years.

The master di secondo livello is among the third-cycle courses, and to enter you need to have already completed the bachelor’s degree.

Please note: first- and second-level master’s degrees do not give access to PhD.

What is a diploma universitario?

The diploma universitario is an old pre-Bologna Process degree that was granted at the end of the first three years of university. Today it is replaced by the laurea di primo livello (Bachelor’s degree).

College admission test

To enroll in both first-cycle and second-cycle college courses, it is almost always necessary to take an entrance test.

Local programmed access

Many universities providelocal programmed access, that is, a limited number of places set directly by the university.

The test used in these cases is the TOLC: a test that students can take in several sessions throughout the year, either in-person at university sites or online. It is a multiple-choice test with questions divided into subject areas.

There are also open-numbered university courses, which do not involve selection based on score. In this case, the entrance test is not important for admission to the degree program, but is used to test applicants’ knowledge.

National programmed access

Alongside tests administered by individual universities, there are also degree programs in Italy with national programmed access. Access to these faculties is managed by the MUR (Ministry of Universities and Research), and available places are determined nationwide.

National programmed access degree programs are:

• Medicine and Surgery
• Veterinary
• Architecture
• Health professions
• Primary education sciences

Dates of college entrance tests

Italian public university admission tests are generally held between April and September.

Admission examinations for nationwide programmed access degree programs are the same for all applicants and are all held on the same dates. For example, the test for admission to the Veterinary Medicine 2025 course in English was held for all of Italy on September 17, 2025.

Test dates for local programmed-access courses are decided by individual universities and are published in the admission notices, usually between February and July.

If you want to come to Italy to study medicine and surgery, pay attention to the latest news: recently, the arrangements for the medical entrance test have changed.

Italian language test

International students who wish to take a university course in Italian must demonstrate a sufficient level of proficiency to attend classes. A B2 level of the Common European Framework (CEFR) is generally required.

You have to take an Italian language test if:

• your native language is not Italian;
• you enroll in a course delivered in Italian;
• Do not hold a recognized language certification.

The main officially recognized Italian language certifications are: CILS, CELI, PLIDA and CERTIT.

You do not have to take an Italian language exam if:

• you attended an Italian school abroad;
• you enroll in a university course in English (with some exceptions).

Studying at university in Italy: subdivision of the academic year

University in Italy generally begins in September (although recently more and more universities are offering courses with January matriculation, to attract international students).

The academic year is divided into two semesters:

• September-January
• March-June

Each degree program has a syllabus (curriculum) that indicates the subjects to be taken during each semester.

The teachings may include:

• Mandatory attendance: you must attend the in-person classes in order to take the end-of-course exam.
• Non-mandatory attendance: class attendance is recommended but not required, and students can prepare exams independently.

University examinations

Knowledge related to each course taken during the semester of classes is tested in examination sessions.

There are 3 examination sessions during the academic year:

• winter session (January-February)
• summer session (June-July)
• recovery session (September)

Within each session the lecturer can decide whether to make one or more exam dates (appelli)) available to students.

Exams can be repeated several times, even if you have already obtained a sufficient grade but wish to improve it. It is also possible to postpone a first-year exam and give it in the second year.

Some exams are propaedeutic, that is, you must pass them before you can enter the next part of the course. For example, math 1 is propaedeutic to math 2.

The examinations may be:

• oral
• writings
• mixed (oral part + written part)
• idoneità (these exams have no grade, only an assigned number of credits)

The voting system

The evaluation system of Italian universities uses a scale ranging from 18/30 to 30/30.

Grades are awarded in this way:

• 18 is the minimum grade to pass the exam;
• 30 is the maximum grade;
• 30 con lode ( lode is awarded in exceptional cases and is a recognition of excellence).

If the grade is less than 18/30, the exam is considered insufficient and must be retaken at the next roll call.

The final graduation grade is calculated by making a weighted average of the exams taken, that is, considering the grade of each exam and the number of CFUs signed up. Some extra points are then added for thesis, any internships or Erasmus participation.

The highest graduation grade is 110 with honors.

The internships

Many degree programs include mandatory or optional internships. In the case of a mandatory internship (as in health professions courses), the student’s hours are counted as CFUs and are essential for graduation.

Usually universities have offices dedicated to supporting students in finding a place to do the internship.

Obtaining student visa to study in Italy

Not all international students need a visa to attend university in Italy. However, if you come from a non-EU country, it is very likely that you will need to apply for one before you arrive. Check out the list of documents to study in Italy and contact our union to find out how WAI can help you with your plans to study at university in Italy.