Italy has a well-established public healthcare system. In the OECD’s 2025 country snapshot, Italy is reported to cover all residents for a core set of services and to perform better than the OECD average on 6 of 10 access and quality indicators. The country also continues to focus on strengthening health infrastructure and workforce capacity, supporting digital innovation, and safeguarding long-term sustainability.
With this healthcare landscape, Italy can be a strong option for students interested in public health, health economics, and healthcare management. Below, we discuss some top Italian universities and schools offering public health-related programs.
Top Schools Offering Public Health Programs in Italy
1. University of Milan
The University of Milan is a major public university offering a Ph.D. in Public Health Sciences. The latest call lists the program as a three-year doctorate designed to train researchers who can design, conduct, and critically interpret research and advanced training projects. Its learning objectives include assessing population health, preventing the spread of transmissible and chronic-degenerative diseases, promoting health in individuals and communities, and sharing scientific knowledge and research methods.
Doctoral students can develop research methodologies for healthcare, from laboratory to clinical settings, as well as prevention policies for the general population and risk groups. The program also covers health protection and promotion services, One Health approaches that connect human, animal, and environmental health, and quantitative skills needed to interpret findings in basic, clinical, public health, and epidemiological research.
2. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is a private Catholic university with a graduate degree in Healthcare Management in Rome. The program is taught in English, lasts two years, and carries 120 ECTS credits. Starting from the 2025-2026 academic year, the university has given autonomy to the Healthcare Management profile, which is offered through collaboration between the Faculty of Economics and the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery “A. Gemelli.” One second-year elective option is Ethics, Medicine and Public Health.
The Healthcare Management program prepares students for administrative, managerial, financial, and organizational responsibilities in healthcare institutions and businesses. Career paths include managerial roles in hospitals, primary care centers, residential care homes, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, public institutions that regulate healthcare, and consulting or entrepreneurial roles in the sector.
During the two-year course, students study through lectures, discussions, and case studies that introduce practical management issues in healthcare organizations. The program also emphasizes international exposure through a visiting professor who works with the resident faculty, and students may have opportunities for a semester abroad or a thesis project in another country.
3. University of Bologna
The University of Bologna is considered the oldest university in the Western world. Its public health-related master’s program reflects the university’s strong international orientation. The University of Bologna offers the European Master in Health Economics and Management, also known as Eu-HEM, an English-taught joint degree offered with Erasmus University Rotterdam, the University of Oslo, and MCI Management Center Innsbruck.
The two-year program consists of four semesters and 120 ECTS credits. Students begin the first semester in Bologna, then choose a specialization track that determines where they study during the second and third semesters. The fourth semester is dedicated to the master’s thesis.
The program currently offers four tracks: Health Economics and Policy, Economic Evaluation in Healthcare, Management of Healthcare Institutions, and Population Health Management. It prepares graduates for staff and executive positions in organizations involved in national and international healthcare provision, including hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, aid organizations, government agencies, and research institutions.
4. Sapienza University of Rome
The Sapienza University of Rome offers a two-year, English-taught master’s degree in Health Economics. The program is an in-person LM-56 degree under the Faculty of Economics and the Department of Economics and Law. It trains students to use economics, statistics, management, and public health tools to analyze health systems and health policy.
Featured study areas include Hygiene and Epidemiology, Statistics for Health Economics, Health Economics, Health Care Management, Pharmacoeconomics and Evaluation of Health Technologies, Health and Development, Policy Evaluation, Performance Evaluation, Health Law, Economics of Healthcare Markets, and Information Technologies for Health.
Students complete a final dissertation in English on a specific research topic under faculty supervision. The final examination may also draw on internships or placements with public or private bodies, institutions, and companies in the healthcare sector, whether national or supranational.
5. SDA Bocconi School of Management
SDA Bocconi School of Management offers the Master of International Healthcare Management, Economics and Policy, also known as MIHMEP, for students looking to take on global roles in healthcare. This 12-month, full-time English program offers 70 ECTS/CFU credits and is designed for careers in private industry, government and international organizations, and health service providers.
The program combines management, health economics, health policy, and public health. Students choose from three specializations: Global Health and Development, Healthcare Management, and Pharmaceutical and Medical Technology. The program includes core courses, specialization courses, a study tour, and internships in settings such as pharmaceutical and medical device companies, health authorities, hospitals, insurance organizations, NGOs, supranational organizations, research centers, and consulting companies.
The program also equips students with managerial skills for organizations across the healthcare sector. Its practical structure is especially useful for students interested in roles with healthcare providers, public institutions, private companies, consulting firms, and international health organizations.
Studying public health-related fields in Italy can be a strong choice for international students who want exposure to healthcare systems, health economics, policy, management, and research. Consider the schools listed above if you want to study public health, health economics, or healthcare management in Italy.
We hope this article on the best public health universities in Italy was helpful. Also, make sure to check out the Italy Page and Available Programs in Europe for International Students!
