Bachelor in Biology of Human and Environmental Health at University of Padua
Three-year English-taught L-13-R bachelor of the Universities of Padua and Bologna on human health and the environment, with a third-year choice between Padua and Bologna. Entry needs 12 years of schooling, English at B2 and a ranked CEnT-S score.
Bachelor
3 years
Padua
English
University of Padua
Biology of Human and Environmental Health is a three-year, 180 ECTS bachelor's degree (class L-13-R) taught in English by the Universities of Padua and Bologna. Entry needs a school diploma after 12 years of schooling, English at B2 and a CEnT-S score of at least 18, with 25 non-EU places for 2027/28. Non-EU students with family abroad pay a fixed fee, and regional scholarship winners are exempt, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Padua's Biology of Human and Environmental Health bachelor asks for an upper secondary diploma after at least 12 years of schooling, English at B2 and a CEnT-S test score of at least 18, with places ranked on the test. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
School-leaving requirement
You need an upper secondary school diploma, or equivalent, after at least 12 years of schooling, that gives access to higher education. Under the 2026/27 call it had to be obtained by 31 July 2026. The university also applies country-based rules on which school qualifications are accepted. [1]
The call sets no minimum school grade. Places are assigned through a ranking based on the CEnT-S test. [1]
What this means for your school results
The call asks for 12 years of schooling, not a particular stream, but the CEnT-S ranks you on maths, reasoning, physics, chemistry and biology. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: Class 12 or Higher Secondary in the science stream with physics, chemistry and biology, ideally with maths, or A levels in biology and chemistry, provided the qualification completes 12 years of schooling.
- Check carefully: a science stream without biology or without maths, where one CEnT-S section needs extra preparation, and any qualification where the count of school years or university access in your country is unclear.
- Often short: commerce or humanities streams with no recent maths or science, where the diploma can meet the 12-year rule but the test sections are much harder to pass at 18 or above.
English
English at CEFR level B2 or equivalent. The university keeps a list of accepted certificates, minimum scores and exemptions. Under the 2026/27 call, you could apply without it and submit proof by 31 July 2026. [1][2]
CEnT-S test and ranking
You must take the CISIA CEnT-S, online (CEnT@CASA) or in a university classroom (CEnT@UNI), once per macro-period at most. For 2026/27, the test had to be taken by the end of the second macro-period, in March 2026, and your best valid score counted. [1]
- The ranking uses the Mathematics, Reasoning on texts and data, Physics, Chemistry and Biology sections.
- You need a normalised score of at least 18 to be ranked.
- Ties are broken by the same sections in that order, then by the youngest candidate.
- If the results show anomalies, the programme may hold an interview, and missing it or not passing can exclude you.
- If you answer fewer than 5 maths questions correctly, you are given an additional learning requirement (OFA) in maths after enrolling.
For 2026/27 there were 30 places for non-EU candidates living abroad. For 2027/28 there are 25. [1][2]
Deadlines
For 2027/28, non-EU candidates living outside Italy apply from 7 January to 7 March 2027 (23:59 Central European Time), and studies start on 1 October 2027. The first CEnT-S dates of the first macro-period are 26 November and 17 December 2026. [2]
For 2026/27, the non-EU window ran from 7 January to 7 March 2026, rankings were published from 10 April 2026, and the diploma and English proof were due by 31 July 2026. A second round for EU and EU-equated candidates, including non-EU citizens living in Italy, ran from 15 July to 4 September 2026 for 34 places. [1][3]
Documents and non-EU steps
The application on apply.unipd.it needs: [1]
- a valid passport
- CEnT-S registration and your provisional and normalised results
- your school transcript, and your diploma if already obtained
- official translations into Italian or English if your documents are in another language
- an English certificate at B2, if already obtained
- a CV
Selected candidates accept by paying a non-refundable admission fee, set at €205 in the 2026/27 call and updated yearly by the Veneto Region. Candidates without their diploma or English proof are admitted conditionally. To complete enrolment, you submit your diploma legalised by the Italian embassy or consulate, an apostille, or a CIMEA statement of verification, and CIMEA's statement of comparability may also be requested. [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 Padua, Global Engagement Office. Call for applications for non-EU students residing abroad, Bachelor's degree in Biology of Human and Environmental Health, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Padua. Biology of Human and Environmental Health programme page and international admissions portal course page, academic year 2027/28. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Padua, Global Engagement Office. Second selection round for EU and EU-equated candidates holding a foreign qualification, Bachelor's degree in Biology of Human and Environmental Health, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Padua. Student fees page with the Tuition Fees and Exemptions Notice, and Scholarships and benefits for international students page, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Biology of Human and Environmental Health is a three-year, 180 ECTS bachelor's degree in class L-13-R (biological sciences), taught in English. It is an interuniversity programme of the University of Padua and the University of Bologna, listed under Padua's School of Science, and we apply through the University of Padua. Enrolment is limited: for 2027/28 there are 25 places for non-EU candidates living outside Italy, compared with 30 in 2026/27. [1][2]
The degree takes an advanced, multidisciplinary approach to life science research and to the interaction between human health and the environment. You study the biological basis of diseases and how human activity and environmental change affect human wellbeing, combining theory with research methods. It suits school leavers who want a route into biomedical or environmental research. Students of Padua's Medicine and Surgery, MedTech degree can also earn this bachelor alongside their medical degree.
What you will study
The first two years cover general biological principles, human anatomy and physiology, disease mechanisms and advanced methods in biomedical research. In the third year you choose one of two curricula: biological bases of human diseases, taught in Padua, or environmental influences on human health, taught in Bologna. Each curriculum runs only if at least 5 students enrol in it. [1][2]
- Year 1: Fundamentals of Mathematics, Chemistry, Principles of Biology, Physics with Applications to Biological Systems, Biochemistry 1 and 2, Biostatistics, Microbiology
- Year 2: Molecular Biology and Genetics; Cells, Tissues, Embryology and Development; Global Change and Human Biology; Computational Methods in Bioinformatics; Anatomy and Physiology; Introduction to Environmental Health; Pathology
- Year 3, Human Health curriculum (Padua): Clinical and Molecular Biology; Human Genetics; Epidemiology, Public Health and Bioethics; Immunology and Immunopathology; Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics
- Year 3, Environmental Health curriculum (Bologna): Environmental Physiology; Botany and Plant Environment Interactions; Molecular Basis of Genome Editing; Climate Change Microbiology in Human Health; Plant Metabolism for Human Health and Nutrition
Career paths
The university says graduates can continue to a master's degree, in Italy or abroad, or work as biomedical or environmental research assistants who apply standardised experimental methods, analyse data, present results and write reports. They can also sit the national qualifying exam to join the professional register of biologists as a junior biologist. [2]
Fees and scholarships
For 2026/27, the University of Padua set a fixed, non-recalculable fee for non-EU students whose household does not live in Italy: €2,990 a year for scientific degrees (Group B), or €996.66 for students from countries on the ministry's list of countries with a low human development index. Fees are paid in three instalments, starting with €208 at enrolment, and the programme call gives annual fees of up to €3,000. [1][4]
The University of Padua runs the regional scholarship, funded by the Veneto Region, for low-income students, Italian and international. Students eligible in its rankings do not pay the fee balance, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. Padua also offers International Excellence Scholarships and 100 full fee waivers for students enrolling in degrees taught entirely in English. [4]
How to apply from outside the EU
Places are ranked on the CISIA CEnT-S test: you register and pay €55 with CISIA, and can sit it only once per macro-period. For 2027/28, non-EU candidates living outside Italy apply on apply.unipd.it from 7 January to 7 March 2027 (23:59 Central European Time), and the first CEnT-S dates are 26 November and 17 December 2026. The university's €60 application fee is waived if you apply only to bachelor's degrees that use the CEnT-S. [2]
Under the 2026/27 call, admitted candidates paid a non-refundable admission fee to accept their place, sent their diploma and English proof by 31 July, and had until 31 October to submit a legalised or apostilled diploma or a CIMEA statement of verification. We complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment and you request a type D study visa. Studies start on 1 October 2027. [1][2]
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 Padua's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your CEnT-S registration, apply.unipd.it application and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your University of Padua 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 Biology of Human and Environmental Health at Padua?
An upper secondary diploma after at least 12 years of schooling that gives access to university in your country, obtained by 31 July of the intake year. The call sets no minimum school grade, because places are ranked on the CEnT-S test. [1]
Is there an entrance test?
Yes, the CISIA CEnT-S. The ranking uses its Mathematics, Reasoning on texts and data, Physics, Chemistry and Biology sections, and you need a normalised score of at least 18 to be ranked. You can sit it once per macro-period, online or at a university. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at CEFR B2, shown with a certificate from Padua's accepted list, which sets the minimum scores and exemptions. In 2026/27 you could apply without it and submit proof by 31 July 2026. We check which certificate or exemption your file can use. [1][2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2027/28, non-EU candidates living outside Italy apply on apply.unipd.it from 7 January to 7 March 2027. In 2026/27 the CEnT-S had to be taken by the end of the second macro-period, in March, so plan the test early. [1][2]
How many places are there for non-EU students?
For 2027/28 there are 25 places for non-EU candidates living outside Italy, compared with 30 in 2026/27. Places go in order of CEnT-S score, so your test result decides your ranking. [1][2]
Can I apply before I finish Class 12?
Yes. Under the 2026/27 call you could apply with your transcript, be admitted conditionally, and submit your diploma and English proof by 31 July 2026. The legalised diploma, apostille or CIMEA statement was due by 31 October 2026. [1]
I studied commerce, or maths without biology, in Class 12. Can I still apply?
Possibly. The call asks for 12 years of schooling, not a set stream, but the CEnT-S ranks you on maths, reasoning, physics, chemistry and biology, so missing subjects make the test harder. Fewer than 5 correct maths answers also bring an extra maths requirement. [1]
Where will I study?
The degree is based in Padua. In the third year you choose the human health curriculum in Padua or the environmental health curriculum at the partner University of Bologna, and each curriculum runs only if at least 5 students enrol in it. [1][2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Biology of Human and Environmental Health at Padua?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against Padua's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the University of Padua 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 Biology of Human and Environmental Health?
Class 12 from CBSE, ISC or a state board can meet the school rule if it completes 12 years of schooling and gives access to university in India. A science stream with physics, chemistry, biology and maths prepares you best for the CEnT-S, where you need a normalised score of at least 18, plus English at B2. [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 Biology of Human and Environmental Health are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: CEnT-S test, apply.unipd.it application in the non-EU window, admission offer 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 Biology of Human and Environmental Health are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: CEnT-S test, apply.unipd.it application in the non-EU window, admission offer and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.
I'm applying from the UK, US, Canada, Singapore or Malaysia. Is anything different?
The academic rules are identical. Non-EU applicants who live abroad, including citizens of these countries, follow the same route: CEnT-S test, apply.unipd.it application in the non-EU window, admission offer and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa. Read our guides for London, New York, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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