Bachelor in Bioinformatics at Sapienza University of Rome
Three-year English-taught L-2 bachelor at Sapienza University of Rome joining programming, maths and statistics with genomics, molecular biology and biochemistry, ending with an internship and thesis. Entry is by CEnT-S ranking, with English at B2.
Bachelor
3 years
Rome
English
Sapienza University of Rome
Bioinformatics is a three-year, 180 ECTS bachelor's degree (class L-2) taught in English at Sapienza University of Rome. Places are limited and ranked by CEnT-S score, with more than 18 needed to enter the ranking. Non-EU applicants need 12 years of schooling, a school GPA of at least 75/100 and English at B2. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Sapienza's Bioinformatics bachelor has limited places, ranked by CEnT-S score. Non-EU applicants who need a study visa need a school diploma after at least 12 years of schooling, a GPA of at least 75/100 for MoveIn pre-selection, a pre-acceptance letter, a CEnT-S score of more than 18 and English at B2. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
School-leaving requirement
You need an upper secondary school diploma, already obtained or due in the year you apply (2026 for the 2026/27 intake). [1] Sapienza's pre-selection rules for this degree add: [2]
- Schooling: at least 12 years of schooling in total.
- Minimum GPA: 75/100 in your school results.
- Subject knowledge: basic knowledge of physics, mathematics, biology and chemistry, as normally taught at secondary school, plus logical, reading and writing skills.
Pre-selection alone does not give admission: pre-selected applicants still take part in the admission procedure set by the call. [2]
What this means for your school results
The rules set a minimum GPA and expect a science base, and the CEnT-S decides your rank. As a guide, based on the rules above:
- Usually a fit: Class 12 or Higher Secondary results of 75% or more overall, after 12 years of schooling, with physics, chemistry, biology and maths.
- Check carefully: results close to 75%, grades on a letter, 4-point or 10-point scale, including A levels, and streams without biology or maths, such as Commerce or PCM, since the CEnT-S tests maths, biology, chemistry and physics.
- Often short: overall results below 75%, or fewer than 12 years of schooling in total.
English
English at CEFR level B2. The call notes that you need B2 to sit the CEnT-S, because the test is in English. [1] For pre-selection, no certificate is mandatory, and no minimum scores are listed. Sapienza recommends: [2]
- IELTS
- TOEFL
- Cambridge English B2 First
- Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English
You do not need to submit test scores if you are a native English speaker, hold an English-taught diploma or degree from an accredited institution in the EU, EEA or Schengen area, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US or another country on the university's list, or hold an International Baccalaureate, GCE or GCSE. [2]
Admission test and ranking
Places go by a ranking of CEnT-S scores, and you need a total score of more than 18 to enter the ranking. [1]
- Test sections: 55 questions in English: Mathematics (15), Reasoning on texts and data (15), Biology (10), Chemistry (10) and Physics (5). All five sections count.
- Scoring: Sapienza uses the unnormalised score: 1 point for a correct answer, 0 for a blank and minus 0.25 for a wrong answer.
- Valid tests: the CEnT-S at a university or at home (@CASA), taken from 1 November 2025. You can sit it once per main test period, and your best score counts.
- Ties: decided by the Mathematics, Reasoning, Biology, Chemistry and Physics scores in that order, then in favour of the younger candidate.
- Maths catch-up (OFA): a score below 5 points in the Mathematics questions adds a first-year requirement, cleared by passing Principles of Mathematics 1 or an OFA resit. If it is not cleared in the first year, you repeat the first year.
The English TOLC is no longer accepted. For pre-selection, MoveIn asks for the CEnT-S certificate as a PDF true to the original, with a converted score above zero. [2]
Places in 2026/27
The 2026/27 call offered 50 places: 45 for EU applicants and non-EU applicants legally resident in Italy, and 5 for non-EU applicants living abroad who need a study visa. Non-EU places left empty pass to EU applicants. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad who needed a study visa had these dates: [1]
- MoveIn pre-selection: by 15 May 2026.
- CEnT-S: taken by 18 June 2026.
- Universitaly pre-enrolment: by 30 June 2026.
- Infostud registration (code 12952): 22 June to 6 July 2026.
- Scores published 10 July 2026, ranking by 21 July 2026, first fee instalment paid from 1 to 7 September 2026.
- Lists of alternates: 10 and 17 September 2026.
EU applicants and non-EU applicants legally resident in Italy had a later window, from 2 July to 17 September 2026. The 2027/28 call sets the new dates. [1]
Pre-acceptance, Universitaly and enrolment
Non-EU applicants who need a study visa must hold a pre-acceptance letter for Bioinformatics, downloaded as a PDF from MoveIn after a positive pre-selection. MoveIn pre-selection is separate from the ranking registration on Infostud. The letter does not by itself give a right to a visa or to enrolment. [1]
Universitaly pre-enrolment is required for the study visa but does not by itself give admission. If you win a place, you enrol by paying the first fee instalment with enrolment code 33455, and by providing the documents Sapienza lists for foreign school qualifications. [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.
- Sapienza University of Rome, Faculties of Pharmacy and Medicine; Information Engineering, Computer Science and Statistics; Medicine and Dentistry; and Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences. Call for applications for admission to the restricted-access Bachelor's degree programme in Bioinformatics (L-2), taught in English, academic year 2026-2027, Rector's Decree No. 1176/2026. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Sapienza University of Rome. Online pre-selection for international students (MoveIn): programme descriptions and entry requirements, academic year 2026-2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Sapienza University of Rome, International admissions page for non-EU applicants living abroad (MoveIn pre-selection), academic year 2026-2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Sapienza University of Rome, Bioinformatics programme page (degree class, language, duration, faculties, department and teaching mode). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Bioinformatics is a three-year bachelor's degree in class L-2 (biotechnology), worth 180 ECTS and taught in English at Sapienza University of Rome. It is managed by the Department of Molecular Medicine and draws on four faculties: Pharmacy and Medicine; Information Engineering, Informatics and Statistics; Medicine and Dentistry; and Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences. [4]
The course trains bioinformaticians who can work professionally in applied fields and who have the base for a specialised master's degree. It suits school leavers who like both biology and computing and want to analyse experimental data, biological sequences and gene expression. Places are few: for 2026/27 the call offered 45 places for EU students and 5 for non-EU students living abroad. [1]
What you will study
Year one gives 60 ECTS of foundations in mathematics, physics, chemistry, cell biology, statistics and computer science. Year two covers molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, immunology and bioinformatics, and year three adds genomics, bioethics and electives. Units in the study plan include:
- Principles of Computer Science I and II
- Introduction to Biomedical Statistics
- Biology of the Cell
- Genetics and Computational Genomics
- Bioinformatics I and II
- Molecular Biology and Genomics
- Optimization Methods for Computational Biology (elective)
- AI Lab: Computer Vision and NLP
How the programme is taught
Teaching is in person in Rome. In the third year you choose electives such as Algorithms, Complex Biomolecular Networks or Plant Functional Genomics, and the last semester combines an internship and professional training with a final thesis worth 9 ECTS, linking the thesis to hands-on professional work.
Career paths
Graduates work as bioinformatics technicians and analysts for research institutions, hospitals, universities and industry. The university lists five profiles:
- Bioinformatician in public or private biomedical research, healthcare and pharmaceutical or biotech companies
- Biological data analyst and modeller, for example to identify diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers
- Biological data manager for large omics datasets and web services
- Biological data integration specialist
- Developer of software tools for biological data
Graduates can also continue to master's degrees in bioinformatics, biochemistry, molecular biology, genomic or medical biotechnology, data science or statistics.
Fees and scholarships
Sapienza sets tuition by family income (ISEE). Students who declare income earned abroad and cannot provide an ISEE pay a fixed enrolment fee based on their country. [1] The regional scholarship body for Rome is DiSCo Lazio, and its scholarship winners also get a tuition waiver, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. The region decides scholarship awards.
How to apply from outside the EU
With only five non-EU places, timing matters. For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad who needed a study visa had to register for MoveIn pre-selection by 15 May 2026, take the CEnT-S by 18 June 2026, and register on Infostud between 22 June and 6 July 2026. The ranking was due by 21 July 2026 and the first fee instalment was paid from 1 to 7 September 2026. The 2027/28 call sets the new dates. [1]
Pre-selection on MoveIn opened on 22 December 2025, with at most two programmes per academic year. For this degree, MoveIn asks for a school GPA of at least 75/100. [2][3] Pre-accepted students download a pre-acceptance letter, complete Universitaly pre-enrolment (by 30 June 2026 for that year) and apply for a type D study visa. To enrol, Sapienza needs the documents on its list for foreign school qualifications, which we prepare with you. [1]
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 Sapienza's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your MoveIn pre-selection application, Infostud ranking entry and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your DiSCo Lazio 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 Sapienza's Bioinformatics bachelor?
A secondary school diploma after at least 12 years of schooling, obtained or due in the year you apply. For MoveIn pre-selection, non-EU applicants need a GPA of at least 75/100, and Sapienza expects basic knowledge of physics, maths, biology and chemistry. [1][2]
Which entrance test do I need?
The CEnT-S, a CISIA test in English with maths, reasoning, biology, chemistry and physics sections. You need a total score of more than 18 to enter the ranking, and the English TOLC is no longer accepted. For 2026/27, non-EU applicants had to sit it by 18 June 2026. [1][2]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2. For pre-selection no certificate is mandatory, and Sapienza recommends IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge B2 First or Trinity ISE without listing minimum scores. Native speakers and holders of an IB, GCE, GCSE or an English-taught diploma from the listed countries are exempt. [2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants who needed a visa had to register for MoveIn pre-selection by 15 May 2026, take the CEnT-S by 18 June 2026, complete Universitaly by 30 June 2026 and register on Infostud between 22 June and 6 July 2026. The 2027/28 call sets the new dates. [1]
How many places are there for non-EU students?
The 2026/27 call offered 5 places for non-EU applicants living abroad who need a study visa, and 45 for EU and equivalent applicants. Places go by CEnT-S ranking, and empty non-EU places pass to EU applicants. [1]
I studied Commerce, or PCM without biology, in Class 12. Can I still apply?
Possibly. Sapienza lists no required school subjects, but it says basic knowledge of physics, maths, biology and chemistry is important, and the CEnT-S tests all four. You also need a GPA of at least 75/100 for pre-selection, so we check your results first. [1][2]
What can I do after this degree?
The university lists roles as a bioinformatician, biological data analyst, data manager, data integration specialist and software tool developer, and master's degrees in bioinformatics, biochemistry, biotechnology, data science or statistics.
Can someone handle my whole application to Bioinformatics at Sapienza?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against Sapienza's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the DiSCo Lazio 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 Bioinformatics?
Sapienza asks for 12 years of schooling and, for MoveIn pre-selection, a school GPA of at least 75/100, so we check your Class 12 results against that rule. A base in physics, chemistry, biology and maths matters, as the CEnT-S tests all four. The steps are MoveIn pre-selection, the CEnT-S, the Infostud ranking entry and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1][2] 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 Bioinformatics are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: MoveIn pre-selection, a CEnT-S score over 18, a place in the ranking 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 Bioinformatics are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: MoveIn pre-selection, a CEnT-S score over 18, a place in the ranking 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 Bioinformatics 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: MoveIn pre-selection, a CEnT-S score over 18, a place in the ranking 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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