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Study in Italy in English: University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna)
English-taught programs in Italy. Study in Italy in English at UniBo, a tuition-free universities Italy option among public Italian universities.
International students often dream of high-quality, low-cost degrees in the heart of Europe. The University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna) turns that dream into reality. It offers some of the most established English-taught programs in Italy. Through ApplyAZ you can study in Italy in English, pay almost nothing at one of the leading tuition-free universities Italy, and join a proud tradition shared by the best public Italian universities. This guide explains why UniBo and its vibrant home city belong on your shortlist.
English-Taught Programs in Italy: Academic Highlights
Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna is the oldest university still in operation. Yet it remains forward-looking. Today UniBo hosts more than 90,000 students spread across five campuses and offers over 80 bachelor’s and master’s degrees delivered fully in English. Small seminar groups, hands-on labs, and research-led teaching make learning interactive and practical.
Global rankings reward this mix of heritage and innovation. UniBo sits consistently inside the world top 200 (QS and Times Higher Education) and among the top 100 for employability. It is Italy’s number one university for international outlook and research funding from the EU’s Horizon programmes.
Key departments with strong English tracks
- Engineering and Architecture – civil, mechanical, and AI engineering are regularly ranked in Europe’s top 50.
- Economics and Management – partners with over 500 companies for internships.
- Medicine – renowned for biomedical devices and public-health research.
- Agricultural and Food Sciences – pioneers of sustainable farming and the “Mediterranean diet” project.
- Humanities and Cultural Heritage – digital humanities hub with UNESCO partnerships.
Short, six-week modules let you explore subjects beyond your major. Double-degree pathways link UniBo to universities in the United States, Germany, China, and Brazil; you graduate with two diplomas in as little as two years. Summer Schools cover topics from climate change diplomacy to video-game design, giving you extra ways to deepen your CV.
The university’s research ecosystem is vast. Over 3,000 PhD candidates work in 33 doctoral schools, and master’s students can join faculty teams on EU-funded projects from renewable energy to clinical trials. The city’s science libraries and inter-campus digital catalogue give easy access to millions of texts and datasets.
Tuition-Free Universities Italy: Costs, Scholarships, DSU Grant
Italian public tuition fees scale with family income. If your household’s annual income indicator (ISEE) is below €24,500, UniBo charges no tuition. Even above that threshold, fees rarely exceed €3,000 per year—far below most Western European norms.
Financial help goes further:
- DSU grant (Diritto allo Studio Universitario) – covers tuition, housing, a meal card, and up to €6,000 in living-cost support. Award decisions consider income and academic merit.
- UniBo Action 2 – waives fees for high-performing international master’s applicants.
- ApplyAZ merit bursaries – reserved for clients who score top-tier grades at school or in language tests.
- External scholarships from Italian embassies and the EU’s Erasmus+ fund can add travel or research allowances.
Living costs in Bologna average €750–€950 per month. Shared student flats near campus rent for about €350–€450. A university meal costs €3, and the regional student travel pass fixes unlimited bus and train rides at €30 per month.
How ApplyAZ keeps finances clear
- We pre-screen your ISEE forecast.
- We calculate likely DSU grant amounts.
- We flag every scholarship round you qualify for.
- We file each application on your behalf—on time and in Italian.
Public Italian Universities & Bologna City Life
Bologna, capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, blends medieval charm with modern energy. Its famous porticoes (covered walkways) stretch for more than 62 km, sheltering you from both sun and rain while you walk between classes.
- Climate – hot, dry summers (avg. 29 °C) and mild, foggy winters (avg. 6 °C). Snow is rare.
- Culture – cinemas screen films in original language, and 40+ museums stay free or discounted for students. The city hosts Europe’s biggest comics fair and a year-round jazz calendar.
- Public transport – buses run 24 hours, and the high-speed rail station links you to Florence in 35 minutes and Milan in 65. Cycling lanes cover most main roads.
- Food scene – Bologna is nicknamed “La Grassa” (“the fat one”) for good reason. You will taste authentic tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini in brodo, and the original mortadella.
- Safety and inclusion – an active international community (12% of residents are foreign-born) supports language exchanges, cultural festivals, and LGBTQ+ events.
Nightlife centres on the Quadrilatero and Via del Pratello, where cafes double as study nooks by day and live-music venues after dusk. Affordable tickets to city theatres, plus discounted Serie A football matches at the Dall’Ara stadium, add extra colour to weekends.
Study in Italy in English: Career Paths and Internships
Emilia-Romagna boasts one of the highest GDP per capita rates in Europe and anchors Italy’s “Motor Valley,” “Food Valley,” and a growing “Data Valley.” As a UniBo student you tap into each cluster:
- Motor Valley – Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati, and Maserati host design and engineering interns every semester.
- Food Valley – Barilla, Granarolo, FICO food-tech park, and countless PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) consortia recruit agrifood scientists and marketers.
- Data & AI – CERN-backed INFN data centre, E-CAMPUS cloud hub, and dozens of AI start-ups offer roles in machine learning and cyber-security.
- Healthcare & Biomedical – IRCCS university hospital and private device firms sponsor joint research theses.
- Fashion & Culture – Max Mara and Yoox Net-a-Porter hire design, logistics, and communication majors.
UniBo’s Career Service posts more than 18,000 internship ads per year. Over 40% are in English, and most pay €500–€1,000 monthly. The university organises six job fairs annually—two devoted solely to international students. A regional law permits you to work part-time up to 20 hours weekly during term and full-time in breaks.
The University of Bologna gives you history, cutting-edge teaching, and a city that feels equal parts open-air museum and start-up lab. When you add tuition waivers, the DSU grant, and ApplyAZ’s personalised guidance, the path to an affordable European degree becomes clear—and exciting.
In two minutes we’ll confirm whether you meet the basic entry rules for tuition-free, English-taught degrees in Italy. We’ll then quickly see if we still have space for you this month. If so, you’ll get a personalised offer. Accept it, and our experts hand-craft a shortlist of majors that fit your grades, goals, and career plans. Upload your documents once; we submit every university and scholarship application, line up multiple admission letters, and guide you through the visa process—backed by our admission-and-scholarship guarantee.
Study in Italy in English: Business and Economics L-18 (University of Bologna – Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna)
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English-taught programs in Italy. Study in Italy in English: Business & Economics L-18. See tuition-free universities Italy & public Italian universities.
English-taught programs in Italy give you a clear route to a respected degree with low fees. One standout option is the Business and Economics (L-18) bachelor at the University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna). When you study in Italy in English, you combine global business theory with real data projects. Because UniBo ranks among the strongest tuition-free universities Italy and leads the network of public Italian universities, it attracts students from over 80 countries.
Why Choose English-taught Programs in Italy at UniBo?
The University of Bologna founded the very idea of a university in 1088, yet it keeps innovating. Its Business and Economics L-18 programme belongs to a select group of English-taught programs in Italy that earn top-200 places in both QS and Times Higher Education rankings. Students attend classes in modern lecture halls just five minutes from the medieval city centre. Professors integrate EU case studies and invite guest speakers from local start-ups and global firms like Deloitte, Ferrari, and Barilla.
- Global classroom. Around 45 % of enrollees come from outside Italy. Group projects pair you with peers from Asia, Africa, and the Americas, so you master intercultural teamwork before graduation.
- Research-led teaching. Lecturers publish in journals such as Economic Policy and Journal of Business Ethics. You review real data from the European Central Bank and draw policy conclusions.
- Flexibility. Students can add a minor in Digital Management or Sustainability without extending their study time.
- Exchange network. Over 500 Erasmus agreements let you spend a semester in Spain, Germany, or even South Korea while still paying Italian fees.
Thanks to this environment, the programme’s satisfaction rate remains above 90 % and its graduate employment hits 88 % within twelve months.
Study in Italy in English: Course Structure and Teaching
Business and Economics L-18 lasts three academic years (180 ECTS credits). All teaching and exams are in English, so you never need Italian for classroom success.(unibo.it) Class sizes average 60 students, and each course blends lectures, lab sessions, and tutorials.
Typical study plan
- Year 1 – Foundations
- Principles of Microeconomics
- Financial Accounting
- Mathematics for Social Sciences
- Business Law (EU focus)
- Management and Organisational Behaviour
- Year 2 – Analysis and Practice
- Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy
- Corporate Finance
- Marketing Management
- Statistics and Econometrics
- Operations and Supply-Chain
- Year 3 – International Outlook
- International Economics
- Innovation Strategy
- Choice of two electives (e.g., Sustainability Accounting, Digital Analytics)
- Internship (minimum 150 hours)
- Final Thesis
Seminars with visiting CEOs run every fortnight. A compulsory Data Lab teaches Python for economic modelling. Field trips include the Bologna Stock Exchange and an automotive factory in nearby Modena. Attendance is recommended but not mandatory, giving working students flexibility.
Assessment and support
- Exams weigh 60 % written tests, 20 % oral exams, and 20 % project work.
- The programme tutor offers weekly office hours for academic advice.
- Free Italian language workshops help you integrate into local life.
- ApplyAZ clients receive an extra study-skills webinar and one-to-one visa documentation checks.
Affordable Excellence: Tuition-free Universities Italy and Funding
Italian public universities set tuition on a sliding scale linked to family income (ISEE). If your ISEE is below €24,500, UniBo waives all tuition, making it one of the most accessible tuition-free universities Italy. Even at the top bracket, annual fees rarely exceed €3,200.
Key funding routes
- DSU grant. This regional benefit covers tuition, a meal card, and up to €6,000 for rent and books. Awards consider income and academic merit.
- UniBo Action 1 and 2 scholarships. These waive full tuition for high achievers with IELTS ≥ 7.0 or SAT ≥ 1200.
- Scholarships for international students in Italy from Italian embassies. Some include a €900 monthly stipend.
- ApplyAZ bursary pool. Merit-based top-up funds for clients with outstanding grades.
Living costs in Bologna average €850 per month, including a room in a shared flat, groceries, and a 12-month student bus pass for €30. Cooking at home keeps costs lower than in Milan or Rome.
ApplyAZ pre-screens your financing, estimates DSU grant amounts, and submits every scholarship form on your behalf, all in Italian. Our team also checks that your ISEE paperwork meets regional rules.
Career Benefits of Public Italian Universities Network
Public Italian universities weave strong ties with industry. UniBo stands at the hub of Emilia-Romagna’s “Motor Valley,” “Food Valley,” and fast-growing “Data Valley.” Business and Economics students can therefore test theory against practice from year one.
- Motor Valley. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati, and Dallara welcome interns in finance, supply-chain, and marketing departments.
- Food Valley. Barilla, Coop Italia, and FICO Eataly World offer roles in consumer insight and sustainable sourcing.
- Data Valley. The EuroHPC super-computer centre and dozens of AI start-ups need analysts who can translate numbers into strategy.
- Consulting corridor. Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG employ over 4,000 staff across Bologna and Milan.
UniBo’s Career Service advertises more than 18,000 internships yearly; about 40 % list English as the working language. The average paid placement brings €700 per month for three to six months. Students may work part-time up to twenty hours weekly during term.
Graduates receive a 12-month “search-year” residence permit to find a job. Many continue on UniBo’s two-year master’s in Economics and Finance, also taught in English, which unlocks managerial roles and PhD pathways.
Public Italian Universities: Community and Lifestyle
Bologna’s compact city centre hosts 90,000 students. Mediaeval towers share space with coworking lofts and vegan cafés. Monthly rent for a shared flat ranges between €380 and €450. The climate is warm and dry from May to September, with mild, foggy winters. Covered walkways (porticoes) protect you from rain while you walk to class. Buses run 24 hours, and high-speed trains place Florence 35 minutes away.
Cultural life thrives: museums stay free or discounted for students, cinemas screen original-language films, and live jazz fills Via del Pratello nightly. University sports clubs—basketball, rowing, volleyball—charge about €50 per semester.
International students often join the Erasmus Student Network for day trips to Venice and career workshops. ApplyAZ adds private networking events with alumni who now work at Amazon, Bain, and the European Central Bank.
Staying connected
- Free campus Wi-Fi across libraries and cafeterias.
- Digital platform “virtuale” uploads slides and recorded lectures within 24 hours.
- Italian SIM cards start at €9 per month for 70 GB data.
Next Steps and ApplyAZ Support
Applying to Business and Economics L-18 requires an online form, a maths and logic entrance test (TOLC-E or SAT), proof of English at B2 level, and a pre-enrolment declaration for your visa. Seats are limited to 250.
ApplyAZ simplifies each stage:
- We evaluate your grades and language certificates.
- We reserve your exam slot and guide you through practice tests.
- We translate and notarise your school transcripts.
- We lodge your DSU grant request on day one of the window.
- We prepare your visa kit and schedule your consulate appointment.
Our personalised dashboard tracks every step, so you never miss a deadline.
Thinking ahead
With a UniBo bachelor’s on your CV, you can start a graduate job at an Italian firm, enter a master’s anywhere in Europe, or open a start-up under Italy’s fast-track visa scheme. The university’s alumni office will keep you linked to 300,000 graduates worldwide.
Ready for this programme?
If you qualify and we still have a spot this month, we’ll reserve your place with ApplyAZ. Our team will tailor a set of best-fit majors—including this course—and handle every form and deadline for you. One upload, many applications, guaranteed offers, DSU grant support, and visa coaching: that’s the ApplyAZ promise. Start now and secure your spot before this month’s intake fills up.
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