Bachelor in Artificial Intelligence at University of Pavia
Three-year English-taught AI bachelor run by the University of Pavia with two Milan universities, mixing computer science, maths, physics, psychology and law. Non-EU applicants abroad compete on SAT scores, with no English certificate needed for year 1.
Bachelor
3 years
Pavia
English
University of Pavia
Artificial Intelligence is a three-year, 180 ECTS bachelor's degree (class L-31-R) taught in English by the University of Pavia with the University of Milan and Milano-Bicocca. Non-EU applicants living abroad need 12 years of schooling and an SAT total of at least 979/1600, ranked by score. No English certificate is needed for first-year entry. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Pavia's Artificial Intelligence bachelor asks for a school-leaving qualification after 12 years of schooling and, for non-EU applicants living abroad, an SAT total of at least 979/1600, with seats given in score order. No English certificate is needed for first-year entry. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
School-leaving requirement
You need a valid secondary school qualification obtained after at least 12 years of schooling, plus proof that you passed your country's university entrance exam if one is mandatory there. [1]
- 11 years of schooling: you also need one of these: a completed foundation year, enrolment at another university with all first-year exams passed, or a completed one-year non-university course related to artificial intelligence. [2]
- British curriculum: a GCE or IGCSE after 12 years, with classes 11 and 12 in the British curriculum, and three or more A levels from Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology and Physics. [2]
- American curriculum: a High School Diploma after 12 years, with classes 11 and 12 in the American curriculum, and three or more AP courses from Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Physics 1, Physics 2 and Statistics. [2]
The Admission Office checks that your qualification gives access to university study. A positive evaluation is needed to confirm enrolment. [1]
What this means for your school results
Seats for non-EU applicants living abroad are ranked on the SAT, not on school marks, but your school qualification still has to meet the rule above. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: Class 12 or Higher Secondary results after 12 years of schooling, such as CBSE, ISC or a state board in India, or the HSC in Pakistan or Bangladesh, as long as any national entrance exam your country requires is passed.
- Check carefully: A levels from a British-curriculum school. You need three or more from Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology and Physics, so A levels mostly in Biology, Chemistry or Business can fall short.
- Often short: a school system that ends after 11 years, unless you add a foundation year, a passed first university year or a one-year course related to artificial intelligence.
Strong maths matters: an SAT Mathematics score below 510/800 means an extra exam to pass in the first year. [1]
English
The degree is taught in English. [1] For first-year entry the university does not require an English certificate, and no English certificate can replace the entrance test. [2]
Admission to the second or third year through a transfer needs English at CEFR level B2. [3]
Selection: the SAT
Access is limited to a fixed number of seats. [1]
- Non-EU applicants living outside Italy: an SAT total score of 979/1600 or more, taken by the application deadline. Eligible applicants are ranked by SAT score. Ties go to the higher Mathematics score, then to the earlier application. [1]
- Score report: you upload the SAT score sheet and ask the College Board to send your scores to the University of Pavia, code 62940. [1]
- Seats in 2026/27: 45 for non-EU applicants living abroad and 5 for the Marco Polo programme. Unused Marco Polo seats move to the non-EU quota. [1]
- EU applicants and non-EU residents in Italy: a CEnT-S normalised score of at least 20 or an English TOLC-I score of at least 21/50, in a separate quota of 130 seats. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
These dates come from the 2026/27 call. Non-EU applicants living abroad applied from 28 April to 18 May 2026. The ranking came out on 28 May 2026 and admitted applicants enrolled from 28 May to 9 June 2026. Vacant seats were reassigned in ranking order until 28 August 2026. [1]
Admitted applicants pre-enrolled on Universitaly for the study visa by 31 August. [2] Applicants still finishing school had to send their final diploma by 30 September 2026. [1] The 2027/28 call is not yet published and will set the new dates.
Documents and non-EU steps
The application is made online with these documents: [1]
- The SAT score sheet in PDF format.
- Your final diploma, an authorised copy or a replacement certificate, with your transcript of records.
- The certificate of your national university entrance exam, if your country requires one.
- A declaration of value, a CIMEA statement of comparability or an ARDI statement of correspondence, if you already have one.
If you are still in your final school year, you can apply with your latest transcript or a school declaration that confirms your enrolment and expected graduation date. [1][2] After admission, non-EU applicants living abroad complete Universitaly pre-enrolment, which the university validates, and then apply for a study visa. [1]
Sources and verification
Checked by the ApplyAZ admissions team against the university's official documents listed below. Entry rules can change with each new call, and we re-check them before every application.
- University of Pavia, Admission Office. Notice for admission to the first year of the Artificial Intelligence degree course, academic year 2026/2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia, Bachelor in Artificial Intelligence. How to apply: application and enrolment steps, academic year 2026/2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia. Artificial Intelligence: admission to subsequent years (second and third year), academic year 2026/2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Artificial Intelligence is a three-year bachelor's degree in class L-31-R, worth 180 ECTS and taught entirely in English. The University of Pavia is the administrative seat, so we apply and you enrol there, but the degree is run jointly with the University of Milan (La Statale) and the University of Milano-Bicocca. Pavia's Department of Mathematics "Felice Casorati" coordinates it, and access is restricted to a fixed number of seats.
Lessons move between the cities. In Pavia you spend the second semester of year 1 and the first semester of year 2; the other semesters, including all of year 3, are shared between Milano Statale and Milano-Bicocca, and students get discounted train passes between Pavia and Milan. The degree suits school leavers who are comfortable with mathematics and want to study AI from several angles: computing, physics, cognition and law.
What you will study
The first two years are common to all students and aim to give the theoretical foundations, techniques and methods of artificial intelligence. In the third year you choose one of four tracks: data analysis, communication and marketing; industrial systems and healthcare; brain, cognition and society; or physics for AI, covering environment, health and quantum information. Compulsory units on the university's course page include:
- Computer Programming, Algorithms and Data Structures
- Knowledge Representation and Reasoning
- Theoretical and Computational Linear Algebra
- Machine Learning, Artificial Neural Networks and Deep Learning
- Probability and Statistical Inference
- Ethics, Law and AI
- Text Mining and Natural Language Processing
- Brain Modelling and Statistical Modelling (year 3)
How the programme is taught
The second semester of year 3 is the practical part. You can take a 9 ECTS internship (225 hours), three short laboratory courses, or a 6 ECTS internship (150 hours) plus one laboratory. The ten laboratories include machine learning and neural signals and brain-inspired systems. Year 3 also leaves 12 ECTS of free choice, Italian language can count towards the elective credits, and the degree closes with a 3 ECTS final exam.
Career paths
The degree site describes graduates as data and information analysts, decision support operators, system developers and designers of smart devices. Each third-year track leads towards a different field:
- Marketing and business analytics based on big data and customer insight
- Industrial automation and healthcare, including telemedicine platforms and wearable exoskeletons
- Cognitive science and human-computer interaction
- Environmental monitoring, physics research and quantum information technology
Fees and scholarships
The degree is in Pavia's science fee area. With a study visa you can choose a flat rate set by your citizenship, or pay by equivalent ISEE. With an ISEE of €32,000 or less, students are exempt from the all-inclusive fee, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. The ISEE route also opens the EDiSU Pavia regional scholarship.
How to apply from outside the EU
This degree has its own call rather than the general calendar. For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad applied on apply.unipv.eu from 28 April to 18 May 2026 for 45 seats, plus 5 for the Marco Polo programme, uploading the SAT score sheet, school diploma and transcript. Only scores of 979/1600 or more competed, and the ranking came out on 28 May.
Admitted students then completed Universitaly pre-enrolment by 31 August 2026 and applied for a type D study visa, which the consulate decides. The 2027/28 call is not yet published, and it will set the new dates.
How ApplyAZ helps
ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities. We can include this programme in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes that fit your profile, so your plan never rests on a single application.
For eligible students who start with us, a named person owns each stage, from A to Z:
- We check your school results against Pavia's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your online application with your SAT scores, enrolment and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your regional DSU scholarship application at the right time and in the right format.
- We prepare your visa file.
With operations in all 20 Italian regions, we follow each region's scholarship rules and deadlines as they change. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa, so no one can promise an outcome. You pay in milestones, and every service you pay for is either delivered or its fee is refunded (terms apply).
Programmes at Italian public universities can be tuition-free for eligible students. Check if you are eligible and book a one-to-one consultation session with one of our Italy experts, or see how ApplyAZ works.
Questions and answers
What school results do I need for Pavia's Artificial Intelligence bachelor?
A secondary school qualification after at least 12 years of schooling, plus your national university entrance exam if your country requires one. With 11 years you also need a foundation year, a passed first university year or a one-year course related to AI. Non-EU applicants abroad are then ranked on the SAT. [1][2]
Which entrance test do non-EU students take?
Non-EU applicants living outside Italy need an SAT total of at least 979/1600, taken by the application deadline. Seats go in SAT score order, with ties decided by the Mathematics score. EU applicants and non-EU residents in Italy use the CEnT-S or English TOLC-I instead. [1]
Do I need IELTS or another English certificate?
No. For first-year entry the university does not require an English certificate, and the SAT is the test that counts. The whole degree is taught in English, so you need to follow lectures in English. Admission to the second or third year needs English at B2. [2][3]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad applied from 28 April to 18 May 2026, and the ranking came out on 28 May 2026. The 2027/28 call is not yet published and will set the new dates. [1]
Can I apply before I finish Class 12?
Yes. You can apply with your latest transcript or a school declaration showing your expected graduation date. Under the 2026/27 call, admitted applicants still at school had to send their final diploma by 30 September 2026. [1][2]
I studied Biology or Commerce in Class 12. Can I still apply?
The call does not set Class 12 subject rules for most school systems, and seats are ranked on the SAT. Maths still matters: an SAT Mathematics score below 510/800 means an extra first-year exam. British-curriculum students need three A levels from Maths, Further Maths, Computer Science, IT or Physics. [1][2]
How many places are there for non-EU students?
For 2026/27 there were 45 seats for non-EU applicants living abroad and 5 for the Marco Polo programme. Access is restricted, so reaching the minimum SAT score does not by itself give you a seat. [1]
Where are classes held?
In both cities. The second semester of year 1 and the first semester of year 2 are in Pavia; the other semesters, including all of year 3, are shared between Milano Statale and Milano-Bicocca. Students get discounted train passes.
Can someone handle my whole application to Artificial Intelligence at Pavia?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against Pavia's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the regional DSU scholarship application at the right time and in the right format, and prepares your visa file, for eligible students. Start by checking your eligibility.
I'm applying from India. What is the route into Artificial Intelligence?
Indian Class 12 results from CBSE, ISC or a state board come after 12 years of schooling, which matches the school-length rule. Your place then depends on an SAT total of at least 979/1600, with seats given in score order. The steps are the online application with SAT scores, the ranking, enrolment and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1] Indian students apply for the type D study visa at the Italian embassy or consulate that covers their state, such as New Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
Is the route different from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
No. The academic rules for Artificial Intelligence are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application with SAT scores, the ranking, enrolment and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for their country of residence. Read our guide for students in Dhaka.
I live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain. Where do I apply for the visa?
At the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you legally live, after Universitaly pre-enrolment. The academic rules for Artificial Intelligence are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application with SAT scores, the ranking, enrolment and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.
I studied or live in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. What is the route?
The academic rules for Artificial Intelligence are the same whatever your nationality, and your school results are assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: online application with SAT scores, the ranking, enrolment and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for where they live. Read our guides for students in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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