Master&PhD Scholarships at Politecnico di Milano, Italy
The Italian Education System
The recent project to reform the Italian University System has introduced some important innovations in the organization of the academic study courses, implementing the decisions taken by EU Ministers in Bologna in 1998.
Students can apply to Italian Universities only if they have an educational qualification that allows them to enroll. This qualification of secondary education has to be awarded after a study period of at least 12 years. If the educational qualification has been awarded in less than 12 years, it has to be accompanied by the academic certification of the examinations taken or a post-secondary title to compensate for any missing years of secondary education.
The Credit System (ECTS)
The European Credit Transfer System is used by Italilan universities to evaluate and measure the workload teaching hours and the higher education effort of every single course. Credits also measure the student workload which is required to pass the examination and include class attendance, classwork, laboratory work and individual study. It is also possible to obtain credits for other training courses, or project works or theses, internships, foreign languages, basic computing skills, training in communication and public relations and group work.
One credit corresponds to a workload of about 25 hours and the yearly workload for an average study course corresponds to about 60 credits.
Each subject is assigned a number of credits which the student obtains when he passes the final examination. Exams are graded using a grading scale of 30, where 18 is the minimum passing grade and 30 cum laude the highest grade.
University Education Stages
Higher education in Italy is organized in four different stages:
Bachelor of Science - B.Sc. ("Laurea")
The Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate degree obtained after a three year course of study and aims to provide a solid foundation in the core scientific subjects as well as more specialized, professional training. During the third year, the student is expected to acquire work experience by doing an internship at a company. Once student obtains the B.Sc. degree, he can either directly enter the job market or continue his studies by the applying to the Master of Science.
Master of Science - M.Sc. ("Laurea Magistrale")
The Master of Science is awarded after two more years of study and aims to provide rigorous, advanced training in more highly specialized areas. Those who already have a B.Sc. in a different field or have attended a vocational school and want to obtain a M.Sc. certificate must first obtain the necessary credits.
It is important to note that some specific study courses in Italy continue to be five-year courses in order to comply with EU regulations and to obtain official recognition.
Specializing Master - ("Master Universitario")
The Specializing Masters programs can be enrolled in either after the B.Sc. or after the M.Sc. (for more advanced courses) and usually last for one year. They are focused on specific topics and they are aimed at providing practical professional skills to working people willing to upgrade their competence. The programs could be both on a full-time basis and on a part-time basis for those who plan to keep working for their companies.
Doctoral Program - Ph.D.("Dottorato di Ricerca")
The PhD is awarded after three additional years of study and aims to develop the professional competence to carry out high level research in manufacturing and service companies, public bodies and universities. In order to enter a Doctoral Program a candidate must have achieved the Master of Science degree or an equivalent graduate degree.
Fees and Scholarships
Tuition Fees
Students pay University tuition fees according to their family income.
There are 10 different income classes; fees range from 745 € to 2.835 € per year for the Schools of Engineering, Architecture and Design. Specializing Masters are more expensive and range from 3.000 € to 21.000 €.
Every year there is the opportunity to apply for specific scholarships offered to international students. Students obtaining a scholarship will have to pay only a nominal tuition fee of 136 €.
Tuition Fee Structure 
(80 KB)
Scholarships for Foreign Students
Scholarship Seekers
- Undergraduate Scholarship
- Postgraduate Scholarship
- Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Nondegree Scholarship
- Scholarship Tips
- Study Tips
- Online Learning
International Scholarship Updates
Stay current with our international scholarship and postdoctoral fellowship updates.
Other Resources
- Scholarship Preparation
- College Scholarship Guide
- Scholarship Database
- American Scholarship
- Academic Store