University for Foreigners of Siena: Italian courses and CILS center
A comprehensive overview of courses, language certifications and opportunities offered by the University of Siena dedicated to spreading Italian language and culture around the world.
History: how the University for Foreigners of Siena was born
The tradition of teaching Italian language and culture in Siena dates back to 1588, when the first Italian language professorship was established for German students.
In 1917, the Italian Language School for Foreigners began giving its first Italian language courses after the unification of Italy.
Today, like the neighboring University for Foreigners of Perugia, L’Università per Stranieri di Siena is an international university that pursues the mission of promoting Italian language and culture among foreign students while fostering cultural exchange and dialogue between different countries.
What is studied at Siena University for Foreigners? Comprehensive educational offerings
The university offers various paths dedicated to the study of languages-not just Italian-as applied to various professional contexts such as publishing, tourism, interpreting, translation (literary and audiovisual) and language mediation.
The university boasts various international collaborations and offers the possibility of obtaining a double degree; for example, with the French universities of Caen and Paris Nanterre, the University of Hanoi (Vietnam), the German University of Erlangen-Nürnberg and the Chinese University of Zhejiang.
Bachelor’s degree programs
- Language and cultural mediation
- Italian language and culture in global contexts
- Multilingualism, translation and interpretation
- Italian language, literature, arts in international perspective (online degree program)
The master’s degree programs
- Text skills for publishing, teaching and tourism promotion
- Tourism science and intercultural communication
- Languages, cooperation and the university
Studying Italian at the University for Foreigners of Siena
The University for Foreigners of Siena offers various options for learning Italian with courses of varying lengths: from two-week intensive courses to monthly courses, to the three-year degree program in Italian Language and Culture in Global Contexts.
Month-long courses are called ordinary courses and are organized into classes divided according to the Common Frame of Reference for Languages (A1 to C2 level).
Each level corresponds to a three-month module of 240 hours total: it is possible to enroll in one or more modules or attend only one or more months.
CILS exam at Siena University for Foreigners
The University for Foreigners of Siena is an official certifying body for both CILS and DITALS certification.
International students studying Italian at Unistrasi have the opportunity to certify their knowledge by taking the CILS exam, which certifies the degree of linguistic-communicative competence in Italian as L2.
CILS certification is also useful for non-Italian students who want to matriculate in any degree program in Italy, or for those who want to obtain Italian citizenship.
For those who, on the other hand, want to teach Italian, DITALS certification attests competence in teaching Italian to foreigners.
There are 3 levels of DITALS, the first level (DITALS base) is designed especially for non-Italian native speakers who wish to teach Italian to foreign students.
How much does it cost to study at Unistrasi?
Unistrasi is apublic university, which means that tuition fees are calculated from ISEE: the student’s family income indicator. This is also true for most international students (with exceptions); for them the ISEE to be submitted is theISEE parificato and the procedure for obtaining documents is different.
In any case, the maximum annual cost is about 2,200 euros, but there is always the possibility of accessing regional scholarships through the DSU Tuscany website.
Other benefits of studying at Siena University for Foreigners
A great advantage of studying at this university is definitely being able to discover the city of Siena, so rich in art and history and so close to other Italian jewels such as Florence, Pisa and the Tuscan countryside. The city’s medieval historic center is jaw-dropping in its architectural beauty and the impressive monuments surrounding Piazza del Campo.
Siena is an ideal city for students: it is safe, livable and full of cultural events year-round. The university, being small in size, also facilitates the creation of a close-knit international student community.
How to enroll in Unistrasi
To begin your university journey at Unistrasi, the first step is to check your Italian language skills. Specifically, the Italian language levels required are:
- B2 level for bachelor’s degree programs (B1 level in the case of native speakers of Oriental languages);
- C1 level to matriculate in a master’s degree program.
CILS, CELI, CERTIT or PLIDA certifications are accepted to document the level of Italian.
The second step will be to take the entrance knowledge test. This is not a closed-entrance test, but it is still compulsory and is used to assess students’ basic knowledge.
Other requirements for enrollment at the University for Foreigners of Siena for international students concern the documents to be presented at the time of matriculation. Welcome Association Italy can help you with this: our union supports EU and non-EU students who wish to study in Italy.
