Italy is bustling with culture and history. After all, it is home to famous sites, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and to many well-known personalities, like Leonardo da Vinci, Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, and Enrico Fermi. Those names may sound familiar to many students—a world-renowned artist, the person who first proposed that the earth revolved around the sun or the physicist who worked on the first nuclear reactor.
Unsurprisingly, the nation has bred so many intellectuals because, after all, some of the world’s most ancient universities are in Italy. If you wish to tread the same steps as these academics, keep reading this article to learn more about the country’s best English-taught institutions.
Top Universities for English-taught Programs in Italy
1. Polytechnic University of Milan
The Polytechnic University of Milan, or Politecnico di Milano, is a recognized English-taught institution founded in 1863. It is the largest technical school in the country and the oldest in Milan. It has seven campuses: Milano Leonardo, Milano Bovisa, Como, Lecco, Cremona, Mantova, and Piacenza. It is also regarded as among Italy’s top universities and one of the world’s best in architecture, art and design, computer science and information systems, and engineering.
Hence, it is no mystery how Politecnico di Milano attracts thousands of local and international students. In this university, the Bachelor of Science equivalent is a Laurea, while for a Master of Science, it is a Laurea Magistrale. At the institution, only two undergraduate or Laurea programs are taught in English combined with Italian.
However, another English undergraduate program in biomedical engineering is offered in collaboration with another university. As for the graduate level, students can select from around 60 English-taught Laurea Magistrale and Ph.D. degree programs.
2. University of Bologna
The University of Bologna, also known as the Alma Mater Studiorum – Universita di Bologna in Italian, is a leading English-taught institution established in Italy in 1088, making it the world’s oldest continuous operation. For the centuries it had spent teaching many remarkable and well-known personalities who have graced its halls, including Nicolaus Copernicus, the first to propose the heliocentric model or theory of the universe.
Universita di Bologna has four campuses: Cesena, Forli, Ravenna, and Rimini. These campuses welcome tens of thousands of students, including a significant number of international students. The university offers more than 200 programs, including first-cycle (bachelor’s), second-cycle (master’s), and single-cycle (combined bachelor’s and master’s) degrees.
The school also offers international degree programs, most of which are delivered in English, and third-cycle programs. Many first- and second-cycle degree programs are delivered in English only or in English and Italian. There may also be some joint degree programs offered. Besides these, there are various Ph.D. programs you may choose from, which are taught either in English only or in both languages.
3. Sapienza University of Rome
The Sapienza University of Rome, or Sapienza Universita di Roma, is Europe’s most prominent institution and Rome’s oldest, founded in 1303. A top-ranked English-taught school in Italy and around the globe, it is known for its excellence in classics and ancient history, archaeology, physics and astronomy, environmental studies, nanotechnology, and many other areas.
More than 100,000 students are welcomed into the Sapienza University of Rome annually. These students can choose from the vast array of degree programs and enjoy the different facilities, including many libraries and museums. Of the hundreds of undergraduate and master’s degree programs it offers, over 50 are taught solely in English, and a few more are delivered partially in English.
These programs give many international students diverse options, including biochemistry, bioinformatics, applied computer science and artificial intelligence, and artificial intelligence and robotics. Although the university also has Ph.D. programs, these may not be taught in English.
4. University of Padua
The University of Padua, or Università di Padova, is another ancient school and one of the best English-taught institutions in Italy. It was founded in 1222, making it the country’s second-oldest and one of the world’s oldest surviving universities. It also takes pride in having the world’s first university botanical garden and permanent anatomical theater. The first woman to receive a Ph.D. degree also came from this school.
Besides its impressive historical feats, the University of Padua can boast its vast population of more than 65,000 students and thousands of faculty members. These students can select from hundreds of degree programs and use its 29 libraries. Aspiring international students may be interested to learn that it also offers English-taught degree programs at the bachelor’s level.
These include animal care, information engineering, psychological sciences, and Italian medieval and Renaissance studies. The university also offers master’s and single-cycle degree programs in English, including forest science, business administration, European and global studies, and engineering. It also offers a six-year single-cycle English medicine and surgery program.
5. University of Milan
The University of Milan, or Università degli Studi di Milano in Italian, is a relatively young school established in 1924. It is also known as La Statale. Over time, institutions, such as the Academy of Letters and Science, Palatine Schools, and Brera Astronomical Observatory, became incorporated under it.
The university is a proud founder and the only Italian League of European Research Universities member. This formation was founded in 2002 to promote research as a tool for social progress. In addition to the said league, it participates in the 4EU+ European University Alliance, a congregation of six universities dedicated to research.
The University of Milan in Italy offers only two undergraduate English-taught programs: international politics, law and economics, and political science. It also has an English single-cycle degree program in an international medical school. Graduate students have more options, as the university offers many master’s and Ph.D. programs directly with other universities, leading to a double or joint degree.
International students can engage themselves in Italian culture while still studying in programs taught in English. Immersing in the nation’s vivid culture and history while improving one’s English language is an excellent perk of studying abroad. Moreover, students can broaden their horizons in an overseas country, so consider the top institutions above if you’re interested!
We hope this article on the best English-taught schools in Italy was helpful. If you’re interested in studying in Italy, make sure also to check out the Italy Page and some of the Available Programs in Europe to explore other options!
