Study in Italy in English at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)

Explore how to study in Italy in English at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. Learn about tuition-free universities Italy, scholarships, and vibrant Milan life.

Academic Excellence and Global Standing

Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) opened its doors in 1921. Today it is one of the most respected public Italian universities with more than 40,000 students and five campuses across the country. Milan hosts the main campus, while Brescia, Piacenza-Cremona, Rome, and Campobasso serve specialised faculties.

Rankings and Reputation

The university appears consistently in global tables for graduate employability, economics, agriculture, media studies, and health sciences. Recruiters praise its strong industry networks, and Italian employers list it among the top talent pipelines. The institution’s active research centres attract visiting scholars from Europe, North America, and Asia, ensuring that classes stay current and practical.

Key Departments

1. Economics and Management – well known for international case studies and partnerships with banks and consultancies.
2. Agricultural and Food Sciences – leading labs in sustainability, wine science, and agri-tech.
3. Communication and Media – historic school that feeds Milan’s thriving creative industries.
4. Medicine and Surgery – prestigious faculty on the Rome campus with teaching hospitals and advanced simulation suites.
5. Psychology and Education – popular among students seeking human-centred careers.

Many courses fall under English-taught programs in Italy. These degrees range from undergraduate business tracks to specialised master’s in data science and healthcare management. Each syllabus blends lectures with project work and offers elective Italian language modules to boost cultural fluency.

Milan: A Student-Friendly Metropolis

Milan combines ancient heritage with modern pace. Gothic cathedrals, Roman ruins, and Renaissance art share space with glass towers, fashion catwalks, and fintech start-ups. International students find an inclusive community and daily opportunities to practise both English and Italian.

Living Costs

Budgets vary by lifestyle, but most students allocate between €1,100 and €1,800 per month. The bulk of expenses comes from housing. Shared flats near the campus range from €450 to €600 per month. University residences and co-living spaces widen the options.

Groceries cost roughly €250 monthly, especially when shopping at local markets. A student transport pass keeps travel affordable and covers metro, trams, and suburban trains. Many cultural sites—and even some cinemas—offer discounts to anyone under 26.

Climate

Milan experiences four clear seasons. Summers turn hot and humid, with temperatures close to 30 °C, while winters remain cool but rarely severe. Spring and early autumn bring mild weather suited to outdoor events, from open-air concerts in Sempione Park to farmers’ fairs on the Navigli canals.

Public Transport

The ATM network covers the city with four underground lines, dozens of tram routes, and night buses during weekends. Suburban trains connect the centre to outlying areas and to Lake Como, Bergamo, and Pavia. Cycling is rising, helped by an expanding bike lane grid and city-run bike-sharing schemes.

Culture and Recreation

• World-renowned fashion weeks each February and September.
• Opera and ballet at Teatro alla Scala with student rush tickets.
• Over 200 contemporary art galleries plus design showrooms.
• Football matches at San Siro and basketball at Mediolanum Forum.
• Easy weekend trips to the Alps in winter and to Ligurian beaches in summer.

Career and Internship Prospects

Milan generates nearly one-tenth of Italy’s GDP, making it a prime location for internships and part-time employment alongside study in Italy in English. Campus career fairs invite firms from sectors that match the university’s academic strengths.

Major Industries

1. Finance and Consulting – headquarters of large banks, asset managers, and advisory firms.
2. Fashion and Luxury – home to famous houses such as Armani and Versace, supported by hundreds of suppliers and marketing agencies.
3. Technology and Digital Innovation – global tech giants maintain offices here, while local start-ups cluster in the Milano Innovation District (MIND).
4. Life Sciences – pharmaceutical laboratories and biotech incubators partner with the university hospital for clinical research.
5. Food and Agribusiness – Lombardy’s fertile fields feed export markets and drive research on sustainable farming.

Work Regulations

International students can work up to twenty hours per week during term time and full-time in holidays. Many English-speaking roles exist in customer success, market research, and design. Internships often carry academic credit and feed into graduate programmes at the same firms.

Funding and Support

Tuition Structure

Although Catholic University of the Sacred Heart is private in status, fees align with those at public Italian universities. Charges scale to family income, with lower-band tuition possible for candidates from low- and middle-income countries.

Scholarships for International Students in Italy

The university offers merit awards based on grades, language proficiency, and extracurricular achievements. External foundations provide sector-specific bursaries—for example, in agriculture, renewable energy, or media production.

DSU Grant Explained

The regional diritto allo studio universitario (DSU) grant covers housing, meals, and partial tuition. Applicants submit household income documents, translated and legalised, to prove need. Successful students may pay only administrative fees, turning Cattolica into one of the most attractive tuition-free universities Italy has to offer.

Day-to-Day Services

• Orientation weeks with language refresher classes.
• Academic tutors for essay structure and referencing.
• Psychological counselling and peer-to-peer mentoring.
• Sports facilities including swimming pools, gyms, and rowing clubs on the Navigli.

Linking Degrees to Industry Needs

Business and Finance

Students pursuing economics find Milan’s stock exchange and fintech labs ideal for case studies and data projects. Many group assignments simulate consulting briefs for real companies.

Fashion and Creative Media

Communication majors intern as social-media analysts, stylists, or PR assistants during fashion week. Creative writing electives take place inside magazine offices, giving hands-on experience.

Agriculture and Food Technology

The Piacenza campus sits near the Po Valley’s supply chain. Field trips introduce students to dairy consortiums, wine estates, and packaging innovators focused on circular economy models.

Health Sciences

Medical and nursing students split time between classrooms and teaching hospitals. Simulation centres replicate operating rooms, while joint degrees in biomedical engineering tackle prosthetic design and telemedicine.

Daily Student Experience

Accommodation

First-year students may choose the university halls for convenience and ready-made community. Later years often see a switch to shared flats in Porta Romana, Navigli, or Lambrate—areas close to campus yet known for student-friendly rents.

Food

Canteens on each campus serve subsidised meals, with discounts for DSU recipients. Outside campus, bakeries sell focaccia and panzerotti, while multicultural districts stock ingredients from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Social Life

A network of student clubs organises language exchanges, coding hackathons, and volunteer trips. Music lovers join choirs or bands that perform in on-campus chapels and city venues. Spiritual services remain open to all faiths, reflecting the university’s inclusive ethos despite its Catholic heritage.

Research and Innovation

Laboratories

Advanced labs study topics such as precision agriculture, neuro-marketing, and smart textiles. Researchers secure European Horizon grants and publish in high-impact journals, keeping classroom teaching aligned with new findings.

Incubation Programmes

Collaboration with Polihub and local venture studios offers seed funding and mentorship for student projects. Recent success stories include an agri-drone firm, a telehealth platform, and a sustainable fashion marketplace.

Conferences and Networks

Annual conferences on European economics, media ethics, and global health bring experts to campus. Students assist with organisation, gaining networking experience that supports future employment.

Holistic Support for International Students

• Airport pickup and multilingual welcome desks.
• Visa and residence permit workshops led by legal advisors.
• Free Italian courses at beginner and intermediate levels.
• Alumni mentoring circles that link new arrivals with graduates in similar fields.

Outlook: Why this University–City Pair Works

Studying at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan means learning under respected professors, enjoying a vibrant city, and stepping into one of Europe’s strongest job markets. English-taught programs in Italy let you graduate with skills valued worldwide while paying far less than at many universities in North America or the UK. The combination of scholarships for international students in Italy and the DSU grant lowers costs even more, edging close to tuition-free universities Italy on many budgets.

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.