About Italy:

Italy is a beautiful country located in Southwestern Europe, on the Apennine peninsula. The country comprises of the mainland Italy and the surrounding islands. Italy stretches southwards almost to the coasts of North Africa.

Italy has something to offer everyone. It boasts stunning old cities, the Mediterranean, and breath-taking natural views. It is known for its fantastic food and wine, as well as its passionate people. At the same time, it is among the 8 most industrialized countries in the world, hosting many of the biggest companies in the world and research facilities. Italy has a rich cultural tradition and history as well as many World Heritage Sites that you might wish to visit during your stay.

Why Study in Italy:

1. World-Class Education: Italian universities take pride in their heritage and rankings. The University of Rome Tor Vergata was ranked one of the best young universities in Europe and is known for its high student satisfaction and far-above-average employment rates of its graduates. Italy is also home to some of the best business schools in Europe, including the prestigious SDA Bocconi in Milan, the financial capital. Its MBA programs frequently top global and European rankings, and many top business leaders are among its alumni. There are currently more than 500 English-taught study programs available in the country.

2. Low Cost of Education: Italy offers one of the lowest fees for the international student population. Compared to other countries in Europe, its public universities are also relatively cheap. On average, public universities in Italy charge around 1,000 EUR per year. Top-ranked prestigious universities might charge more. A special case is the University of Rome Tor Vergata, where tuition fees are tied to your family’s financial situation: Based on the income, you are charged from a low minimum of around 150 EUR to a maximum of around 5,000 EUR per year. International students in Italy have a chance to receive a quality higher education at an affordable cost.

3. Part-Time Work: As an international student studying in Italy, you are eligible to work part-time for 20 hours per week. As a non-EU student your visa will dictate if you are permitted to have paid employment whilst you study. If you do wish to get a job, it may be helpful if you have some Italian language skills. You will need to apply for an international student work permit to work while studying.

4. Access to the European Job market: After completing your education from Italy, you can apply and seek for jobs across the European Union. As an international student on a Schengen visa, you can even travel across the EU and apply for internships there.

Education System in Italy

There are around 90 universities in Italy, of which the majority are publicly funded. There are also several specialized postgraduate centres, polytechnics, and other academies that form part of the higher education sector. Italy has played an important role in academia, fostering the reform of European higher education through the Bologna Process. Under the Bologna Process, Italy has implemented the Nuovo ordinamento system, replacing the former Vecchio ordinamento. Higher education in Italy now consists of a three-year bachelor’s degree called the Laurea Triennale, which can be followed by the two-year master’s degree known as the Laurea Magistrale.

The academic year is made up of two semesters. The first semester starts in September/October and ends in January/February. The second semester starts in February and ends in July.

Types of Degrees in Italy

Based on the Bologna Process, the education system in Italy was reformed in 1999 to create a cohesive system of education throughout Europe. Since then, Italy has implemented a 3-cycle system consisting of the following:

1. First Cycle: Bachelor’s degrees (3 years) and single-cycle degrees
2. Second Cycle: Master’s degrees (2 years) and 1st level vocational masters
3. Third Cycle: Doctorate (5-6 years) specialization school and 2nd Level vocational masters.

Application Procedure for Italy

When applying to study a bachelor, master, or Ph.D. in an Italian university, there are several entry requirements that you should keep in mind.

Bachelor’s degree: To meet entry requirements for a bachelor’s degree at an Italian university, you must successfully have completed upper secondary studies, have a valid school leaving certificate and qualify for higher education studies in your home country. Keep in mind that many bachelor’s level programs in Italy are only offered in Italian, and you may need to prove your language abilities through a certified language test to be accepted to your program of choice.

Masters’ degree: To study a master’s degree at an Italian university, you will need to have a relevant bachelor or equivalent degree certification. Many Italian universities offer a wider breadth of programs in English at the master’s level. If your previous studies were not in English, you can prove your proficiency by taking a recognized English language test like TOEFL® or IELTS. However, some universities waive off the requirement for an English language test as well. Always check with your university for specific requirements. In general, the first step is to contact your chosen university to check the entry requirements for your degree program. Once your eligibility is confirmed, you must submit a pre-application request form to the Italian embassy or consulate in your country of origin along with the relevant documentation (see below). You will need to get your documents translated into Italian by an approved translator.

Based on the student’s scores in the exams and their career goals and aspirations, we at AM Consulting provide our expertise in shortlisting universities for you. We make our students apply to a minimum of 7-8 universities and divide them categories such as Ambitious, Moderate and Safe.

Documents you may need to provide include:

1. Completed application form to receive a Letter of Academic Eligibility and Suitability (Dichiarazione di Valoro in Loco/ DV).
2. Completed relevant pre-enrolment form.
3. Copy of your school leaving qualification if you are an undergraduate applicant or copy of your undergraduate qualification certificate if you are a postgraduate applicant.
4. Transcript of exams, including the name of each passed exam and syllabi of each course, attended.
5. Two passport-sized photographs, one of which you must sign.
6. Any other documentation that can support your application (translated into Italian)

If you are a non-EU citizen residing abroad, you should submit a pre-application request to the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence and indicate what institution and program you are applying to. The officials will forward your documentation to the institution, and you should confirm with your institution how and when the results will be posted. Typically, results are either posted by the Embassy, or the institution will contact you directly.

Applying for a visa to study in Italy: You will only be issued a visa to study in Italy if you can demonstrate that you:
1. Have suitable accommodation in Italy.
2. Have sufficient funds to cover all costs you might incur while studying in Italy (including tuition, accommodation, transport, textbooks, and living costs) This is currently deemed to be €5,824,91 (~US$6,600).
3. Have sufficient funds to be able to travel back to your country of origin at the end of your studies or proof that you have already purchased a return ticket.
4. Are entitled to medical care in Italy, either through private health insurance or an agreement between Italy and your native country.
5. You might also need to show proof of a certificate of payment in full for your degree program.

Tests Required

IELTS/TOEFL: A few universities in Italy do not require students to give the IELTS/TOEFL exams. However, most of the Italian universities do require it to prove English language proficiency. Therefore, students are should check the application requirements for each program on the respective University’s website.

GMAT/GRE: Universities may or may not ask for these exams for different programs. Students should check each university’s website for individual program application requirements.

Costs

Tuition Costs: Tuition fees in Italy are significantly lower than in other countries in Europe. Higher education institutions in Italy establish their tuition fees, but in the case of university education, there is a legal minimum cost for enrolment and a maximum cost for student contributions, which cannot exceed 20% of state funding.

Admission to “master universitari” and other specialized degree courses in Italy may have much higher tuition fees, especially at private institutions. Doctoral students who receive university grants do not pay tuition fees, but non-grant holders are required to pay the applicable tuition fees for their university.

Public Universities: Average tuition fees for public higher education in Italy can range anywhere between 900 to 4,000 € per year, depending on if you are from the EU or not, the specific institution, as well as your program and level of study. The University of Rome Tor Vergata’s tuition fees are tied to your family’s financial situation. This means that it is based on your family’s income, you are charged from a minimum of 150 Euros to a maximum of around 5,000 Euros per year.

Living Costs in Italy:

Student housing in Italy is more expensive in bigger cities and can range anywhere from €300-600 a month, depending on the size and location of the city center and how far you are from campus.

You will require 800-1000 Euros per month for your living expenses in Italy. These will differ based on the city that you are living in.

Private Universities: Private universities in Italy are significantly more expensive than their public counterparts, with fees ranging anywhere from 6,000 to 20,000 € annually.

Scholarships in Italy

There are different scholarship opportunities that students undertaking education in Italy can apply for. Scholarships and funding are often limited and are given to the students based on merit, after an assessment of their grades from previous studies.

The different scholarship opportunities available are:

• EDISU Piemonte Scholarships: These are available to students including non-EU international students, specifically enrolled in a full-time program at the University of Piedmont.

• Bologna University Study Grants for International Students: The University of Bologna awards 48 study grants to international students attending the University of Bologna.

• Bocconi Scholarships in Italy for International Students: This scholarship takes student’s economic situations and academic performance into account when deciding on recipients. It includes a full tuition waiver, worth up to €12,700 per year.

• Politecnico di Torino International Scholarships: This scholarship is offered to international students attending Engineering or Architecture programs at the Polytechnic of Turin.

Stay Back Option in Italy: You are permitted to stay back in Italy, only once you have completed a Ph.D. or level 2 Master’s Program in Italy. The stay back in Italy after masters is known as “Permesso di Soggiorno”, literally translated Residence Permit. Based on the course and university, the stay back is allowed for up to 6 to 12 months. If a student is not able to find a job in that period, he or she must head back to their country of origin. So, it is only possible to stay back in Italy after master’s and Ph.D.

Work Permit After Study in Italy: For EU students, there will be a requirement of the residence permit, and a specific work permit after study in Italy will not be required. They can extend the residence permit if they are working in Italy.

The Non-EU students require a work permit after study in Italy, and a student residence permit. Only Ph.D. students can apply for the temporary residence permit once the program is over. It is important to have a job after their extension period ends in 6 to 12 months. Students can also apply for internships for up to 12 months.

For Work Permit after Study in Italy, non-EU students will require a “permesso di Lavoro”. The average pay in Italy can be around 1300 euros for 14 months, basis on the academics and the experience you possess. It is always advisable to have a basic understanding of Italian and English language.

Italy is one of the world’s major financial powers.

Employability has always been high on the Italian government’s agenda and higher education institutions are expected to prepare their graduates for the job market. Italy is also home to world-renowned arts institutions, multi-nationals, and well-known research institutes and companies (notably in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry). Italy has the eighth largest economy in the world according to the 2018 International Monetary Fund. According to most estimations of national GDP, Italy’s economy is gently among the ten greatest on earth. Top companies with a local presence in Italy are Ferrari, Ferrero, Deutsche Bank, Amazon, Google, Apple, Dolce & Gabbana, Fiat, Luxottica, Poste Italiane, Giorgio Armani, Intesa Sanpaolo, Ubisoft, UniCredit, European Central Bank, J.P. Morgan, Janssen Pharmaceutical, Genenta, EryDel, BNL, The Walt Disney Company.

Top Employment Sectors in Italy:

1. Automotive
2. Chemical Products
3. Food Production
4. Engineering
5. Insurance
6. Pharmaceuticals
7. Telecommunications
8. Luxury and Retail Brands
9. Travel & Hospitality

Salaries in Italy:

Full-time jobs can pay you EUR 1,000 – 1,200 per month.

Few Masters Programs and short courses offer internships as well. For internships after the study program, students will have to apply for study permit renewal in a Questura (Police HQ). Keep in mind that it is not an automatic renewal. An internship cannot be more than 12 months. Internships generally pay around EUR 500 per month. Please be advised that if you are enrolling for a short course (photography, designing, fashion stylist, etc.), which is less than 3 months then you are not eligible for the work permit (including internships) in Italy.

List of Universities in Italy

• Politecnico di Milano
• University of Bologna
• Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (SNS)
• Sapienza University of Rome
• European School of Economics
• University of Padua
• Politecnico di Torino
• University of Milan
• University of Pisa
• University of Trento
• University of Florence
• University of Pavia
• University of Trieste
• University of Genoa
• University of Siena
• University of Turin
• University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
• University of Naples – Federico II
• Bocconi University
• SDA Bocconi
• American University of Rome
• John Cabot University
• Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
• Università Cattolica del Sacro C
• University of Macerata