Study in Italy in English at the University of Parma (Università degli Studi di Parma)

Explore the University of Parma: English-taught programs, low fees, vibrant city life, and scholarships—ApplyAZ guides your study in Italy in English journey.

1. Welcome to One of the Oldest Public Italian Universities

English-taught programs in Italy open doors to historic campuses, and the University of Parma (Università degli Studi di Parma) stands out for deep roots and modern vision. Founded in 962, it ranks among the ten oldest universities in the world. Today it serves 32,000 students and sits in the top 250 for Life Sciences, Food Technology, and Pharmacy in global league tables.
Early scholars drafted civil-law codes here, but current labs map the human microbiome, design smart robots, and 3-D print sustainable packaging. International students can study in Italy in English across Engineering, Economics, Medicine, Humanities, and Agriculture. Because tuition follows income, many learners class Parma among tuition-free universities Italy. Fees drop to zero when family income is below €24,000.
Key departments include:

• Department of Medicine and Surgery – home to a cutting-edge simulation centre and a hospital ranked top five in Italy for clinical trials.
• Department of Engineering and Architecture – runs bilingual degrees in Civil Engineering, Advanced Automotive, and AI Systems.
• Department of Food and Drug – collaborates with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), whose headquarters sit beside campus.
• Department of Economics and Management – offers double degrees with University College Dublin and ESSEC Business School.
• Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Cultural Industries – explores digital heritage, music studies, and Italian language teaching.

All departments embed at least one English-taught program in Italy. Small classes, frequent lab work, and supervised internships mean your lecturers know your name. Academic tutors run weekly study sessions on exam strategy and citation ethics.

2. Parma: A Compact City with Rich Taste and Student Spirit

Set midway between Milan and Bologna, Parma counts 200,000 residents, of whom 45,000 are students. You cycle everywhere in fifteen minutes, yet you live among UNESCO-listed theatres, Romanesque cathedrals, and leafy parks.

2.1 Affordable Living

• Rent: Shared flats cost €270–€350 a month; DSU halls start at €240.
• Food: A full lunch in the student canteen costs €4; weekly groceries average €35 if you buy at the farmers’ market.
• Transport: A student bus pass costs €27 a month; a second-hand bike is €60. Trains reach Milan in 65 minutes and Florence in two hours.

Compared with Rome or Florence you save about 30 percent on rent and dining, helping Parma hold a top-five spot in surveys of student affordability among public Italian universities.

2.2 Climate and Outdoor Life

Parma enjoys warm summers around 30 °C and mild winters near 5 °C. Spring and autumn are perfect for picnics in Parco Ducale or jogging along the Parma River. Snowfalls are short, so you rarely lose study days. Weekends bring hikes in the Apennines or swims in Ligurian beaches reached by regional trains.

2.3 Cultural Scene

Music flows through the city; opera icon Giuseppe Verdi was born nearby, and the Teatro Regio hosts affordable student matinees. Street art festivals paint medieval walls every summer. Museums charge €2 for students, and open-air cinema nights run from May to September. Parma is also a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, meaning food culture enters everyday learning. Workshops on cheese aging or pasta shaping complement nutrition science lectures.

Student clubs span 80 societies—from Model United Nations to drone racing. International evenings happen weekly in Piazza Garibaldi cafés, so you practise Italian phrases over espresso without pressure.

3. Academic Strengths: English-Taught Programs in Italy for Every Interest

3.1 Science and Engineering

Parma runs six bachelor and eight master pathways taught fully or partly in English. Flagships include Advanced Automotive Engineering, coordinated with Ferrari and Dallara; Food Safety and Food Risk Management, delivered with EFSA experts; and Communication Engineering, focusing on 5-G networks and internet-of-things sensors.

3.2 Life Sciences and Medicine

The single-cycle Medicine degree, taught in English, reserves 80 seats for non-EU citizens. Anatomy uses 3-D holograms, and hospitals assign small clinical groups from second year. The Pharmacy master integrates internships in multinational companies like Chiesi Farmaceutici, born in Parma and exporting to 80 countries.

3.3 Economics and Humanities

International Business and Development (MSc) trains future trade analysts, mixing economics with data analytics. Food Culture and Communications (MA) explores branding Parmesan cheese and prosciutto ham on global shelves. Courses include field trips to factories and design studios, so you see how theory meets practice.

All these options let you study in Italy in English while accessing professors who publish widely and win Horizon Europe grants.

4. Jobs, Internships, and Innovation Hubs

4.1 Key Regional Industries

1. Agri-food and Nutrition – Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Barilla pasta, and Mutti tomatoes anchor Europe’s so-called “Food Valley.”
2. Pharmaceuticals and Biotech – Chiesi, Sofar, and Angelini operate R&D nearby, seeking chemists and data scientists.
3. Automotive and Motorsport – Dallara builds IndyCar chassis and trains engineers in its wind tunnel, 25 km away.
4. Packaging and Sustainability – companies such as IMA, Tetra Pak, and Davines innovate in biodegradable materials.
5. ICT and AI – the Emilia-Romagna Data Valley hosts supercomputers and start-ups creating predictive-maintenance software.

4.2 University-Industry Ties

The University of Parma signs about 2,200 internship agreements each year. Typical placements run 200 hours and earn course credit. Examples:

• Analysing gluten-free dough at Barilla’s Global Research Centre.
• Designing health-monitoring apps at Chiesi Digital Lab.
• Running ultrasonic tests on carbon-fibre components in the Dallara factory.
• Mapping cultural-tourism routes with the city council’s smart-mobility unit.

Students may work part-time up to 20 hours a week, earning €650–€850 monthly—enough to cover rent and leisure. After graduation, Italy grants a 12-month job-search visa so you can convert internships into full-time roles.

4.3 Innovation Spaces

• Food Project Incubator – 30 start-ups invent plant-based proteins and blockchain traceability.
• Tec-Lab – a maker space with 3-D printers, CNC routers, and robotics arms open until midnight.
• Digital Humanities Hub – humanists code VR tours of Renaissance frescoes.
  International students gain early contact with mentors, pitch events, and even seed grants of €3,000 for prototype development.

5. Fees, Scholarships, and the DSU Grant

5.1 Fee Model

As one of many tuition-free universities Italy, the University of Parma sets fees by family income and nationality. Bands run from €0 to about €2,400 per year, split into two instalments. If your declared income is under €24,000, you pay nothing.

5.2 Funding Opportunities

• DSU grant – regional scholarship that covers housing, meals, and a €2,000 annual allowance. Win rates exceed 60 percent for first-year international students with good grades.
• EFSA Academic Excellence Award – €5,000 for thesis research on food safety.
• Parma Merit Scholarship – €1,500 for the top 5 percent of each cohort.
• Italian Ministry “Invest Your Talent” Fund – full tuition waiver plus internship for Engineering and Economics majors.

Entry Requirements

• High-school diploma or bachelor equivalent for master level.
• CEFR B2 English or higher (IELTS 6.0).
• Programme-specific maths, chemistry, or art portfolio as needed.
• Motivation letter and video interview for competitive courses like Medicine.

6. Campus Life and Student Services

• Language Centre – free Italian courses up to C1 level, plus conversation cafés.
• Sports Centre (CUS Parma) – 30 clubs from volleyball to rowing; gym membership costs €90 per semester.
• Counselling and Well-being Office – psychologists offer confidential sessions in English.
• Job Placement Desk – CV clinics, mock interviews, and employer webinars.
• Volunteer Hub – connects students with soup kitchens, refugee aid, and green-city projects.

An Erasmus Buddy Scheme pairs you with senior peers who meet you at the train station, help you open a bank account, and introduce you to local pizza spots.

7. Academic Highlights: Research that Matters

• Food Omics – decoding flavour compounds and allergen traces in cured meats.
• Smart Vehicle Lab – building autonomous tractors for sustainable farming.
• Brain and Retail Project – using eye tracking to study shopper choices in supermarkets.
• River Eco-Restoration – civil engineers and biologists collaborate on flood-resilient green corridors.
  Students join these groups through paid assistantships, earning €600–€800 per month and co-authoring journal articles.

8. Living the Parma Experience: From Lecture Hall to Piazza Duomo

Morning could start with a microbiology lab inspecting probiotic cultures. Lunch might be €3 tortelli d’erbetta in the mensa. Afternoon seminars meet in a 17th-century cloister fitted with smartboards. Evenings bring jazz gigs in Oltretorrente or group study in Parco Ducale under plane trees. On weekends you taste balsamic vinegar in Modena, ski in the Apennines, or cheer rugby matches at Stadio Lanfranchi.
Life stays balanced: city bustle, countryside calm, and culture at every corner. Internationals praise Parma’s safety, friendly locals, and manageable size—it is big enough for opportunity yet small enough to feel like home.

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.