Why Italy? Italy has played an important role in European higher education: it is one of the four countries that first engaged to create the so-called "European Area of Higher Education" (Sorbonne Declaration, ay !""#$, thus starting that type of higher education reform %hich, &no%n as "'ologna (rocess" ('ologna Declaration, )une !"""$ is being implemented all o*er Europe+ ,oday Italy ran&s among the # most industriali-ed countries in the %orld+ Alongside some big companies, both state-o%ned and pri*ate, it has de*eloped a sound net%or& of small and medium-si-ed underta&ings, promoted a fe% scientific par&s, and is incenti*i-ing basic and applied research in a great *ariety of fields (biology, I.,, medicine, physics, etc+$+ Academc Cale!da"# ,he academic year in Italy is made up of t%o semesters+ ,he first semester starts in September/0ctober and ends in )anuary/1ebruary+ ,he second semester starts in 1ebruary and ends in )uly+ ,he actual start and finish dates %ill *ary in the different uni*ersities but each semester lasts around 23 %ee&s and is made up of a teaching period lasting around !4 %ee&s and an e5am period lasting around 6 %ee&s+ Teach!$ a!d lea"!!$# ost teaching still ta&es place in large lecture halls but this %ill depend *ery much on the single course of study+ Students are also e5pected to carry out a considerable amount of self study outside the classroom in order to prepare for e5ams+ A%%e%%me!t# E5ams are held after the teaching period and are mainly oral e5ams although some courses %ill ha*e %ritten tests ta&ing place during the semester or before the oral e5am+ Each e5am %ill ha*e a number of dates offered during the e5am period and students can choose %hich date they %ish to ta&e the e5am+ ,hey are also entitled to turn do%n a mar& and ta&e the e5am again if they are not satisfied %ith the result+ 7ules apply as to ho% often a student can ta&e an e5am %ithin an e5amination period+ &"ad!$ %y%tem%# E5aminations are graded according to a scale ranging from 3 to 83, %ith !# as a pass mar&+ A "cum laude" may be added to the highest grade (839 83 e lode$ as a mention of special distinction+ All e5amination results are used to calculate the o*erall degree mar& on a scale of 3 : !!3+ ,he final result is based on e5am results plus the presentation of a pro;ect or dissertation in front of a 'oard of E5aminers+ ,he pass mar& is 66 and students %ho obtain full mar&s of !!3 may also be a%arded <summa cum laude= (!!3 e lode$+ Fee% a!d C'%t%# >ni*ersities and other Higher Education Institutes establish their o%n fees but in the case of uni*ersity education there is a legal minimum fee for enrolment and ma5imum le*el for student contributions to costs and ser*ices, %hich cannot e5ceed 23? of state funding+ ,he a*erage fees a student has to pay is some%here bet%een #@3 euro and !,333 euro per year since this *aries from one uni*ersity to another and also depends on the chosen course of study+ (ri*ate uni*ersities are clearly much more e5pensi*e+ Admission to Amaster uni*ersitariB and other speciali-ation courses also ha*e much higher fees+ Doctoral students %ho recei*e a grant from the uni*ersity do not pay fees, but non- grant holders are reCuired to pay the fees, %hich %ill *ary again according to the uni*ersity chosen+
Sch'la"%h(% a!d )!a!cal ad# ,he Italian Do*ernment a%ards scholarships for studying in Italy both to foreign citi-ens and Italian citi-ens resident abroad (I7E$+ Scholarships can be a%arded only for study/ research pro;ects at institutions %ithin the Italian public education and research system+ ,he scholarships are a*ailable for >ni*ersity degree courses (>ndergraduate and (ostgraduate$, Ad*anced *ocational training, art and music courses, asters Degree courses (Ee*els I or II$, (h+D+ .ourses, Speciali-ation Schools, 7esearch under academic super*ision, .ourses on Italian language and culture or courses for teachers of Italian as second language+ All international students are entitled to the same student assistance ser*ices as Italian students, on basis of the same reCuisites of financial means and/or merit+ ,his applies to scholarships, student loans, housing assistance, refectory meal tic&ets and fee %ai*ers+ St*de!t l)e# 0ptions for social acti*ities %ill depend *ery much on %here you study+ 0b*iously the bigger cities and to%ns ha*e more on offer but small to%ns often ha*e *ery acti*e student associations and a %ider choice of outdoor acti*ities+ ,he best %ay to find out %hat is going on is to chec& %ith local students and student associations+ ,he local papers %ill co*er information on e*ents ta&ing place in the to%n or region Adm%%'! t' de$"ee ("'$"amme%# &e!e"al c'!dt'!% In principle, all international citi-ens may get admission to one of the !st , 2nd and 8rd cycle programmes of Italian higher education (H+ Ed+$+ The t+' e%%e!tal adm%%'! c'!dt'!% a"e that they h'ld the !d%(e!%a,le m!m*m ed*cat'!al "e-*"eme!t% a!d ha.e a $''d c'm(ete!ce ! Itala! A"e y'* a! !te"!at'!al a((lca!t? In the adfirmati*e, go on to the H+Ed+ cycle in %hich you are interested (select one from three listed here belo%$ and learn about the Cualification and conditions reCuired for admission to the programmes of your choice: Admission to !st cycle degree programmes Admission to 2nd cycle degree programmes Admission to 8rd cycle degree programmes