How Italians study at the institute. How to get higher education in Italy. What documents will the applicant need

Italy is one of the most comfortable and hospitable countries for students. There are 89 universities with a huge choice of specialties. Italian education is recognized both in the European Union and in Russia.

People go to Italy for education in the field of design, fashion, music and art. These are the main destinations for which the country is known. But this does not mean that other specialties are poorly taught there. Rather, on the contrary: the centuries-old experience of working with students affects.

Who can apply to an Italian university

Anyone who has studied for 12 years can become a bachelor. In Russia, they go to school less than in Italy. Therefore, after 10 or 11 years of school, we need to study somewhere else: at a college, at a university. It is not necessary to obtain a diploma in Russia. And you can even continue your studies in Italy in a different specialty.

If you want to study for a master's degree or get a doctorate, then you need a bachelor's degree, which confirms that you have enough knowledge and experience.

Entrance tests depend on the university and on the specialty.

Some courses have no entrance exams at all.

To get a creative profession, you need to pass an exam to assess abilities and bring a portfolio, but the conditions for admission change and do not match in different universities. Some universities require a certificate of knowledge of Italian, and some offer to take a language exam already in Italy.

Each educational institution has its own characteristics of admission, you need to find out in advance: you cannot enter several universities at once and a mistake can ruin all plans. To understand all the nuances, chat with representatives of universities at the exhibition "", which will be held on October 28 in Moscow (we tell you more about how to get there and what to ask about at the end of this article).

How many years study in Italy

The terms of study depend on what degree and specialty you want to receive. Conventionally, higher education in Italy can be divided into three levels:

1. Corsi di Laurea is what we call a bachelor's degree. Anyone who has 12 years of any education behind them can study under such programs. Corsi di Laurea takes at least three years, in some specialties the training lasts longer.
2. Corsi di Laurea Specialistica, Corsi di Laurea Magistrale - a master's program, it is entered with a bachelor's degree. It takes at least two years, gives the right to study further.
3. Corsi di Dottorato di Ricerca is a doctoral program aimed at serious research. Takes about three years. There are also separate programs for some specialties, such as for doctors.

But keep in mind that these deadlines are not for students, but for universities: at such a time, the curriculum may meet. Students themselves determine how many exams they take each year, because in Italy there are no sessions we are used to. You can study longer if you feel that knowledge needs to be accumulated.

How much does education cost in Italy

Then come to grips with the paperwork. Some educational institutions accept documents all year round, but in most cases you need to have time to do everything before July.

Documents will have to be submitted through the embassy or consulate, where they will be checked. You will need identity documents, education documents with apostilles and certified translations. If you apply for a scholarship, then you need certificates of family income (which ones - depends on the region in which you will study). Plus, if available, a language proficiency certificate.

Studying in Italy begins in September-October. And in order to join the next academic year without interference, you need to think about entering now.

The university sends confirmation that you are invited to the entrance examinations or immediately to study. And by this time you should have all the documents for a study visa and obtaining a residence permit: insurance, proof of solvency and a contract for housing, photographs, air tickets.

Moving to another country for education is not difficult if you prepare. To decide whether you want to study in Italy and where exactly, contact the universities that work with foreign students directly.

To do this, there is an exhibition “Study in Italy! Studiare in Italia”, which will take place on October 28 in Moscow and on October 29 in St. Petersburg. It is carried out by the agency in the field of education START! with the support of the official representation of European universities in Russia and the CIS STUDIES & CAREERS and the Italian Institute of Culture in Moscow.

The exhibition is free: everyone can come and ask how to get an education in Italy.

Representatives of higher educational institutions come to the event to talk about the conditions for admission and study. Over the past six years, 60 Italian universities have taken part in the exhibition.

The exhibition will help you decide which university suits you. This year at “Study in Italy! Studiare in Italia” will bring together representatives of universities specializing in art, design, architecture, fashion, management and economics, as well as general universities. The latter will talk about the faculties where they study anything: from engineering and medicine to linguistics and philosophy.

At the exhibition you will learn:

1. Which universities are considered the most in demand.
2. What will you learn.
3. Which programs and which universities can you apply to.
4. What exams are waiting for you.
5. How much money to set aside for moving.
6. To whom to turn to do without unnecessary nerves and mistakes of beginners.

All you need to get to the exhibition is to register. This will be the first step towards Italy.

Many, when they see a long list of documents for obtaining a student visa on the website of her embassy, ​​panic and think that it is very difficult. But in fact, everything is real. However, you need to be patient.

What documents are needed

The Italian education system differs from the Russian one: local residents study at school for 12 years - and they enter the university at the age of 18-19, therefore, immediately after graduating from a Russian school, it is impossible to enter an Italian university. First you need to complete 1-2 courses of a university or college in Russia. Of course, some private universities can accept a Russian student right after graduation, but at the time of admission, you must still be 18 years old. So here you have to wait.

However, then, on the contrary, you will need to hurry up: you need to start processing documents a few months before submitting them to the embassy. They are issued from January, and served from mid-April to early May.

Why such a hurry?

• First of all, because the school certificate and certificate of completion of 2 years of the institute must be put apostille- a stamp confirming the authenticity of the document, and this procedure lasts 2-3 months (and the Ministry of Education deals with it).
• After that, the documents must be translated into Italian (it is better if a translator accredited at the embassy does this), and then taken to the Italian consulate in order to be issued there dichiarazione di valore- confirmation of the diploma.
• In addition, you need to make a request - take a questionnaire at the embassy; in it you indicate your data and where you intend to study. Select the city and university in advance: it is impossible to send documents to several universities at once.

On the appointed day, you come with legalized documents and a request - and give them to the embassy employee, who will take care of sending them to the university, from where an invitation will be sent to you.

Of course, you can do all this on your own, but most often applicants resort to the help of the Italian Institute of Culture in Moscow (there is a similar institute in St. Petersburg), which provides all the information about the deadlines, forms to fill out and translation. In addition, all basic information about documents can be obtained directly from the Italian embassy.

After some time, you will receive a response from the embassy whether you have received an invitation from the university to come to the entrance exam. Next, you submit documents for obtaining a visa.

So, having received a visa and packed a suitcase, future students arrive in Italy in early September, where the entrance exam for foreigners takes place in the very first days.

However, before talking about the entrance exam and the study itself, let's see in which cities and what exactly is best to study in Italy.

Where and for whom to study

All Italian universities are divided into private and public. Tuition at a public university is not too high, no more than 800 euros per year - and students from a low-income family can apply for a scholarship.

Studying at a private university in Italy is much more expensive: from 12 thousand euros or more - but since there are fewer students in such universities than in public ones, the conditions for studying here are more comfortable.

Note that textbooks are quite expensive in Italy - from 20 to 70 euros. It is not accepted here to take the main literature on the subject in the library. Very often, due to such prices, Italian students do not buy textbooks, but order photocopies of them in numerous points located around each university (which, by the way, are not always legal, but many turn a blind eye to this).

The best university in Italy is the University of Bologna. In addition, it is the oldest university in Europe, because it was founded in 1088. Bologna is often called a student city: not only foreigners come here to study, but also Italians themselves from different cities of Italy. Good universities can also be found in Rome, Pisa, Florence, Naples, Milan, Genoa, Trento, Turin. There are also famous universities for foreigners in Perugia and Siena, where students come mainly to study Italian (you can also come to these universities for short-term courses - for example, for 3 months) and where teachers of Italian language and literature are trained.

Italians themselves prefer to study at the faculties:

• economy;
• international relations;
• jurisprudence;
• medicine.

Foreigners most often study in Italy:

• art;
• design;
• music;
• architecture.

This is understandable, because where, if not in Italy, can you practically see everything that you study, just by going out into the street? Italy is an open air museum. Artists, musicians, artists, writers find their second home here. And Russian students very often choose the Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​to study in Italy.

Entrance tests

Let's go back to the admission process. For foreigners, the exam takes place simultaneously at all universities, in early September. It usually consists of testing your knowledge of the Italian language.

To study in Italy, you need to have at least a minimum knowledge of the Italian language. With zero knowledge in this area, it will be possible to go to study only at language courses. But the Italians are quite loyal in this matter - and do not require you to have an excellent knowledge of the language (namely, this is what the British, for example, would have done in their place). It is enough, albeit a little, but still to understand someone else's speech and be able to explain yourself at the entrance exam. There are practically no cases when someone was sent home because of not knowing the language, unless it was some very prestigious faculty with high competition. However, it is highly desirable to speak Italian, because in lectures no one makes any exceptions for foreigners. The student himself must be interested in understanding all the lectures well - for this reason there are Italian courses for foreigners at all universities. So, if your level of Italian is not very high, you will be offered to attend free language courses at the university.

In some faculties (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, architecture, law, engineering, fine arts) you will also need to pass entrance exams in majors.

After passing the entrance examinations, you will be issued a certificate stating that you are a student at an Italian university. After receiving it, you can relax a little: the study itself does not begin in September, but in early or even mid-October (depending on the specific university).

Education

The system of education at the Italian university is very different from the Russian one. Everything in Italy is based on independence. You begin to understand this on the very first day of school. A lot of different information is posted on the stands or on the university website - and you need to make your own study plan and class schedule. Each course has several core subjects, while the rest you choose yourself.

There is no course curator who attends all the lectures. And a person who simultaneously entered the same specialty will not necessarily go to all the lectures with you - if, unlike you, he has acquired a slightly different set of subjects for study.

It happens that several lectures from your set take place on the same day and at the same time - and then you yourself have to decide which class you want to attend, and which subject you prefer to study on your own. And in general, almost all universities in Italy have the so-called free admission. No one will follow you, whether you are present at all the lectures (but it is still not recommended to skip studies to successfully pass the exams). There are also some subjects that are required to attend (the teacher himself will inform you about this).

Lectures usually follow the same pattern - the professor covers a new topic, and the students listen carefully and write down everything. If you have any questions or problems in connection with the development of the topic, you should come to a separate consultation: for this, each teacher has his own hours of admission, which will be dictated to you at the first lectures.

Sessions

In an Italian university, they will not understand what it means to get an exam or a credit automatically. All students, regardless of whether they attended lectures, must pass an exam and receive a grade in a grade book. At the time of the session - and there are usually 3 of them during the year (in January-February, June-July and September) - the university posts the dates of all exams, and the student can choose which exam he wants to take during the session and on which day this will happen.

There are no tickets for exams. The professor and one or two of his assistants can ask any question on the subject, so to pass the exam, you need to learn absolutely all the material. Unlike the usual exam system, when an Italian professor announces a grade for you, you can refuse it at the same moment if it seems too low to you. Would you like to get a higher grade in this subject? Come for the same exam during the next session. Naturally, it is best to have time to pass all the subjects passed during the semester during the session immediately following it. Otherwise, the "tails" from the first semester will move into the second semester, subjects from the first year will move to the second year - and as a result, you risk being in a situation where you will have to pass a huge number of exams. This happens because no one kicks you out of the university because of not passing the exam, and you can take the same one as many times as you like. This is the false "advantage" of the Italian university. As a result, it's not uncommon for Italians to stretch out their university studies for many years - and it's not uncommon to find a 30-year-old student who still has to pass a huge number of exams in order to finally get a diploma.

Diplomas

In most faculties, the training course lasts five years, and in medicine - six. After the first three years of study, the student receives a diploma (laurea), corresponding to a bachelor's degree. The student can continue their education to obtain the next degree, corresponding to the master's degree, and receive a diploma (laurea specialistica). This course usually lasts two years.

You can come to Italy already having a Russian diploma of higher education. In this case, in addition to the legalization and translation of the diploma, it is also necessary to legalize and translate the curriculum - in order for the Italian university to know what subjects you took in Russia and whether this program is close to the one studied in Italy. If your education matches that given in Italy, you can apply for a master's degree. Most likely, however, you will have to retake some subjects in Italian. This process is quite complicated and long, so very often Russian students prefer to start studying in Italy from scratch - and receive one more Italian higher education in addition to the Russian one. Sometimes, however, they are enrolled immediately in the second course.

Work

While studying at an Italian university, a foreign student receives an educational residence permit, which must be renewed annually by passing at least 2 exams per year. With this residence permit, you can earn 20 hours a week, which is what many students do. In big cities, it is realistic to find quite a lot of job offers for those who know Russian and Italian. Many students from our country find work there already during their studies - and change their residence permit to work.

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Of course, Italian education is not as prestigious as, for example, British education, but you will remember the years spent in Italy for a lifetime. What could be better than living in a beautiful atmosphere, listening to beautiful Italian every day, enjoying beautiful views, delicious food and chatting with cheerful Italians? It is quite difficult to exchange the Italian “dolce vita” for any other.

Higher education in Italy is a unique chance to plunge into the centuries-old history and cultural heritage of this magical country. A lot of architectural structures, incomparable landscapes, wonderful cuisine and world-famous fashion houses - these are just some of the positive points for deciding to study at one of the universities in Italy.

In the QS World University Rankings 2019, 12 Italian universities are included in the TOP-500 of the best universities in the world, 3 of which we will discuss in more detail at the end of the article. In addition to quality education in one of the oldest educational institutions in the world, studying in Italy will provide an opportunity to immigrate to Europe for permanent residence, subsequently find a prestigious job and, in the long term, obtain Italian citizenship.

The Italian higher education system is represented by the university and non-university sector. The second type of educational institutions consists of educational institutions in the field of arts, music, dance, military studies, diplomacy. Most students in Italy, including foreigners, study in the university sector, which includes:

1. State Universities- 60, including 2 polytechnic universities and 2 universities for foreigners.
2. Private universities- 17 (diplomas recognized by the state);
3. higher schools- 6, aimed at postgraduate studies.
4. Line universities- 11 specialize in online e-learning.

Italian university education is built to meet the requirements of " Bologna process", operating since 1999. One of the features is the so-called credit system that students earn while studying. Approximately 60 credits are required per year. One credit equals 25 hours of work. They are obtained after passing exams or other types of knowledge assessment adopted at the university.

Study programs at Italian universities include the following cycles:

Undergraduate (Laurea). The term of study is 3 years, you need to collect 180 credits. The cycle is aimed at obtaining sufficient basic knowledge and acquiring specific professional skills. Sufficient for admission to the civil service.

Master's degree (Mainline). The term of study is 2 years, you need to collect 120 credits. They enter after a bachelor's degree or an equivalent degree from a foreign university. The cycle is aimed at obtaining deep knowledge for the implementation of highly qualified activities.

Doctorate and specialized courses (Dottorato di ricerca - Ph.D. and Scuole di Specializzazione). After completing the master's degree, students can continue their studies in the field of scientific research and, after a minimum of 3 years of study, defend a doctoral dissertation. For some types of highly qualified professions, mainly medical, there are specialized courses. They also enter after a master's degree, the duration depends on the discipline.

Depending on the university, the academic year in Italy starts at September - October, and ends at May - June. The language of instruction is mainly Italian, in some private universities and certain specialties - English. As in many European universities, students in Italy enjoy relative freedom during their studies in choosing subjects and when to take exams. The main emphasis is on independent learning.

The procedure for processing documents, requirements for registration and conditions may differ depending on the chosen educational institution. Of course, for more information, you need to visit the website of a particular university. Here we highlight the main points that must be considered when entering an Italian university.

If the whole procedure is successfully completed, the university will send a notification with an invitation to study in Italy. After that, a student visa is issued.

Primary requirements:

• financial security, based on 450 euros per month;
• availability of a place to live in Italy;
• medical insurance;
• the ability to pay for a ticket back.

Upon arrival in Italy within 8 working days must apply to the local police station to obtain a residence permit.

Foreign students in Italy have equal rights with Italians to obtain scholarships, grants, participate in student programs and receive other assistance, to partially compensate for the costs of study, accommodation, meals, and transport. There is also a chance to get a dorm room and other student benefits.

Studying at a public university in Italy will cost an average of 900-1000 euros for the academic year. At a private university, the amounts are much higher. Depending on the specialty and the training program, this is from 10,000 to 25,000 euros in year. In addition, the cost of education varies depending on the location of the university.

In the north of the country the payment is higher, in the south - lower. The same applies to the cost of housing and food in Italy. On average, renting an apartment will cost 350–500 euros per month. For food and daily needs you will need a minimum 300–400 euros.

The best universities in Italy

Technical University of Milan (Politecnico di Milano)

The Technical University of Milan is the heart of the scientific and technical world of Italy. Founded in 1863, the university is the country's largest educational institution for the training of engineers and architects. Various international rating agencies rank the Politecnico di Milano among the best technical universities in the world.

The structure of the university is represented by 17 faculties located in 7 Campuses, where up to 40,000 students study. The most popular areas are industrial design, architecture and design, aerospace and nuclear technology, energy. The research centers of the university actively cooperate with the largest companies in Italy and the EU countries. The goal is to develop and implement modern technical innovations and the latest industrial developments.

For admission to the Technical University of Milan, you must pass special tests to determine the initial knowledge. Mandatory areas are English, mathematics and physics. Depending on the specialty, the cost of education reaches 3900 euros per year.

Official website of the Technical University of Milan - polimi.it

University of Bologna (Università di Bologna)

The oldest European university in the Italian city of Bologna has almost a thousand years of history. The founding date of the university is considered to be 1088. The educational institution is the founder of the study of Roman law and subsequent trends in jurisprudence. Today, about 85,000 students receive knowledge within the walls of the university, of which more than 2,000 are foreigners.

The structure of the university consists of 5 Campuses, 11 schools, 9 research centers and 33 departments. The university has 237 agreements with foreign companies on the passage of internships by students. At the university, you can study a large number of disciplines, for example, philosophy, psychology, sociology, literature, economics, legal sciences, medicine and much more.

Especially for foreign students, the university has organized a wide range of various services, preparatory courses, scholarships and benefits programs, assistance in finding housing, and medical care.

Official website of the University of Bologna - unibo.it

Sapienza University of Rome

The Sapienza University of Rome was founded in 1303 and is one of the oldest in Italy and throughout Europe. About 115 thousand students study at 11 faculties, of which more than 7 thousand are foreigners, and another 3 thousand study at various universities of the world on international exchange programs. The structure of the educational institution includes 63 departments, many research and service centers.

The developed infrastructure consists of 59 libraries, 20 museums, a network of sports facilities and venues for cultural events. The areas of medicine, law, architecture, economics and mathematics are considered popular areas of study. The Sapienza University of Rome is constantly marked by various rating agencies as one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world. On average, studying at a university will cost up to 3,000 euros per year.

Official website of the Sapienza University of Rome - unibo.it

Universities in Italy are a great opportunity to get a quality European education for relatively little money. It is in this country that everything is imbued with the spirit of the greatest creators: Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Bruno and many others, who attract students like a strong magnet. However, studying in Italy is much cheaper than the average cost in Europe, so its availability is not even disputed.

Italy is a country with a unique and truly rich culture, its traditions are rooted deep into the Renaissance. 47 state universities have been created on the territory of the country, for admission to which thousands of students from all over the world are ready to compete every year. Higher Italian educational institutions are of several types: universities, academies, conservatories and institutes, and all education is divided into three types:

University of Padua

• the first step is equivalent to a bachelor's degree. They go to her for three years;
• the second is a variety of programs for obtaining a specific specialty and a master's degree of the first degree.
• the third step gives the possibility of obtaining a second degree master's degree and the status of a doctor of science.

The academic year in Italian universities starts in October or November and ends in June. In the course of training, students go through 4 sessions, during which all classes are suspended.

What are the universities in Italy?

The most famous Italian university is, perhaps, Bologna. It is one of the oldest universities not only in this country, but throughout the world. Initially, the place was created for the study of Roman law, but today the University of Bologna in Italy has grown into 23 faculties and a host of additional campuses scattered throughout the country. It is one of the most popular universities, education in it is honorable, the cost ranges from 600 to 1,000 euros per year.

If at the University of Bologna they prefer to give students knowledge in the humanities, then the University of Bari (Italy) pleases with a different - technical - specificity. It is there that young people go for technical skills and the ability to handle the most complex equipment.

Italian medical universities are also in great demand. These include the University of Milan, where there is a medical faculty, and the University of Rome, which has become the largest educational structure in the country over the past century. The University of Rome deserves a separate description, as it offers its students almost three hundred undergraduate programs and the same number of professional master's programs. More than 160 thousand people study in it, the knowledge of which is carried by the best professors of Italy.

When choosing a university, it is important to take into account your degree of language proficiency, since in many institutions for admission you have to go through not only an interview, but also a test. In this case, simple understanding will not be enough. Remember that almost all institutions in Italy are museums that honor centuries-old traditions and respect knowledge of the history of the state.

Are there any advantages of studying in Italy

The advantages of Italian education are obvious:

Continuing the theme of the advantages of public universities in Italy, it is worth saying that students are given the opportunity to independently draw up an individual curriculum, and with it, choose exams. They, as in Russia, are of two types: written and oral, but their main difference is the complete absence of tickets. This approach does not simplify the passing of the session, but on the contrary, makes it look like an obstacle course, as students have to study a lot of additional literature in each subject. Perhaps that is why only three out of ten applicants reach the final goal (diploma).

How to proceed?

Anyone who meets the conditions of admission can enter an Italian university, so local universities easily attract young people. Universities in Italy for foreigners are as open as possible: a student from another country simply needs to submit documents for admission in advance, so that in case of misunderstandings, he will have time to resolve emerging conflicts, and he will not have to take any entrance exams. Applications for admission should be submitted at the visa centers of your country. They must contain a certificate of secondary education, a certificate confirming knowledge of the Italian language.

To obtain a student visa, you will have to collect a number of documents:

• a passport that would remain valid not only for the duration of training, but also for three months longer;
• completed application form;
• official invitation from the university;
• photographs of a certain format;
• certificates of their own income or the income of their parents (up to the age of eighteen). We are talking about documents from a school, university or place of work, as well as papers confirming the ownership of any real estate or life sources of income. Income declarations will be a good proof of solvency.
• a bank statement confirming the availability of the necessary funds for each individual month of study. In Italy, the lower threshold is 413 euros.
• a one-way ticket (or a reservation for it);
• international medical insurance policy;
• papers confirming the availability of housing in Italy.

Entering Italian universities is a unique opportunity not only to get a higher education, but also to feel the history of one of the most beautiful European countries!