Heading
Heading
Study in Italy in English at tuition-free universities Italy and public Italian universities – Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia)
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia) stands on the Grand Canal yet looks firmly to the future. Founded in 1868 as the first Italian business school, it now offers a wide mix of English-taught programs in Italy. Students come to study in Italy in English, pay fair fees set by tuition-free universities Italy, and enjoy the strengths of one of the leading public Italian universities. This guide explains what makes Ca’ Foscari and Venice a unique launch-pad for global careers.
Why choose English-taught programs in Italy at Ca’ Foscari?
Ca’ Foscari began with economics and languages; today it places in the top 250 worldwide for modern languages (QS 2025) and enters the global top 500 for arts, humanities, and environmental sciences. Key departments include:
- Economics and Management
- Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics
- Linguistics and Cultural Studies
- Digital and Public Humanities
The university hosts more than 1 500 international students each year and delivers over 20 full degrees entirely in English. Small seminar groups mean direct contact with professors who publish in top journals. Partnerships with 700 universities ensure easy Erasmus+ exchanges.
How to study in Italy in English and thrive in Venice
Venice is famous for art, gondolas, and film festivals, yet it is also a living campus spread across six historic districts.
- Student ID cards unlock discounted vaporetto (water-bus) passes, letting you cross the lagoon in minutes.
- Cafe culture encourages language exchange; an espresso costs €1.30 and comes with free tap-water refills.
- Climate is mild: cool, wet winters around 5 °C; warm summers near 28 °C with evening breezes from the Adriatic.
- Most classes lie within a twenty-minute walk, so you save on daily travel costs.
International students find rooms on the mainland in Mestre for around €400 a month, or apply for university dorms on Giudecca Island at similar rates.
Funding and fees at tuition-free universities Italy
Ca’ Foscari follows the national rule that links tuition to family income. Annual fees range from €0 to €1 900; many students qualify for zero cost.
- DSU grant (regional scholarship) – covers fees, meals, and housing if family income is under the set threshold.
- Merit reductions – waive up to 100 per cent of fees for high first-year marks.
- Additional scholarships for international students in Italy – target STEM, sustainability, and cultural-heritage fields.
ApplyAZ scholarship advisers provide checklists, deadlines, and examples of winning DSU grant statements, easing the paperwork load.
Academic structure: flexible paths in public Italian universities
Bachelor programmes last three years, master programmes two. Each uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), so you can move easily between partner institutions. Sample bachelor in Environmental Sciences:
Year 1
- Mathematics, chemistry, and computer tools
- Field trip to the lagoon to sample water quality
Year 2
- Coastal management, climate data analysis, GIS labs
- Optional Erasmus semester in Denmark or Portugal
Year 3
- Sustainable tourism planning, internship, and final thesis
Master options in Digital and Public Humanities, Global Development and Entrepreneurship, or Computer Science let you specialise without leaving Venice.
Research excellence and innovation hubs
Ca’ Foscari leads the European Centre for Living Technology, studying bio-inspired computing. The Department of Economics hosts the Venice Centre in Economic and Risk Analytics for Public Policies, advising EU bodies. Engineering students partner with the Italian Institute of Technology on soft robotics, while climate scientists share data with UNESCO to protect fragile heritage sites from rising seas.
City snapshot: living and learning in a floating laboratory
Venice may look like an open-air museum, yet it offers a modern student lifestyle.
- Supermarkets on the mainland keep grocery bills low; bring produce back on the water-bus.
- Free Wi-Fi squares let you work outdoors between lectures.
- Student theatre at Santa Marta campus stages discounted shows.
- 150 student groups cover rowing, photography, and coding.
Cultural immersion is simple: volunteer as a room steward during the Biennale art exhibition and network with curators worldwide, all while earning ECTS credits.
Public transport and sustainability
The city bans private cars on the historic islands, so you rely on:
- Vaporetti – main water-bus lines run all night, handy after group projects.
- People Mover – a cable-pulled tram linking bus station, cruise terminal, and train station.
- Bicycles – allowed on the mainland; many students keep one in Mestre.
Reduced emissions align with university research on climate resilience. Courses in environmental economics and green finance draw on Venice’s living lab status.
Part-time jobs and internships: real-world experience while you study
Tourism still powers Venice, but the city’s economy now branches into culture tech, marine biology, and sustainable fashion.
- Major employers include luxury group LVMH, UNESCO Venice Office, and shipbuilder Fincantieri.
- Porto Marghera industrial zone offers internships in energy transition, recycling, and logistics optimisation.
- The Venice Innovation District (VeniSIA) incubates start-ups tackling ocean plastics and low-carbon shipping; English-speaking interns are welcome.
- Film students gain paid roles at the Venice International Film Festival each September.
Ca’ Foscari’s Career Service hosts monthly fairs, CV clinics, and mock interviews. ApplyAZ adds industry panels and introduces you to alumni in multinational firms.
Key industries linked to your field of study
- Economics students analyse tourism data or blue-economy funding.
- Computer scientists develop AI tools for art-catalogue digitisation.
- Environmental scientists evaluate flood-barrier performance.
- Language majors intern in translation at publishing houses based in the historic centre.
These projects feed directly into coursework, creating portfolios valued by employers across Europe.
Day-to-day costs and student budget tips
Typical monthly budget (mainland apartment):
- Rent and utilities – €450
- Meals (canteen and groceries) – €250
- Transport pass – €25 with student discount
- Phone and internet – €20
- Leisure and culture – €80
Joining the university sports centre cuts gym fees, and the municipal card offers half-price entry to museums. Many employers reimburse transport expenses during internships.
Language and integration support
While you study in Italy in English, free Italian classes help you navigate daily life. Tandem exchanges pair you with local students keen to practise English or Mandarin. Volunteer tutors also assist with bureaucratic steps such as getting a codice fiscale (tax code) and opening a bank account.
Alumni success and global network
Graduates enter firms like Deloitte, IBM, and the European Central Bank. Others remain to pursue PhDs in History of Art and Conservation Science, often funded by EU projects. The alumni network spans 80 000 members and organises reunions in London, Dubai, and Shanghai.
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.
Digital Management at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
English-taught programs in Italy are growing, and Digital Management at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia) shows why. This bachelor lets you study in Italy in English, benefit from the public-funded model of tuition-free universities Italy, and graduate from one of the most respected public Italian universities. Over three years you will master coding basics, data analytics, and business strategy while living in a city that mixes Renaissance art with start-up hubs. The course balances theory and practice, preparing you for jobs that did not exist a decade ago—think e-commerce analyst, growth hacker, and digital-product lead.
Why choose Digital Management in Venice
Ca’ Foscari opened in 1868 as Italy’s first business school. Today its Department of Management ranks in the global top 250 for Business and Management (QS 2025) and drives research on digital transformation. Lecturers publish in journals like the Journal of Business Research and MIS Quarterly. The Digital Management programme builds on this expertise.
Global classroom – Forty per cent of students come from outside Italy, which means case studies span Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Skills are immediately transferable across cultures.
Project-based learning – Each semester you solve real business problems for local firms. One group mapped customer data for a Venetian artisan brand; another designed a chatbot for a lagoon eco-tour operator. Outcomes are tangible and add to your portfolio.
Faculty with industry links – Professors consult for Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and European Commission digital-policy units. They bring live briefs and invite guest mentors who share insider tips on agile workflows and UX metrics.
Small cohorts – Seminars average 35 students. You receive personal feedback on pitches, code, and dashboards. Peer study groups meet in the digital-lab lounge, equipped with standing desks and smart boards.
Venice itself doubles as a living lab. The city experiments with smart-ticketing for tourists, flood-barrier IoT sensors, and big-data platforms to manage cruise-ship flows. Your assignments often plug into these civic projects, letting you test ideas at city scale.
Course structure: learning journey for a digital era
The bachelor covers 180 ECTS over six semesters. All mandatory modules are taught in English, with optional Italian language courses for daily life and part-time work. Teaching mixes lectures, labs, design sprints, and field trips. Continuous assessment replaces most high-stakes exams, so you build competence step by step.
Year 1 – Core foundations (60 ECTS)
- Introduction to Management
- Principles of Economics
- Business Law and Contract Design
- Mathematics for Data Science
- Introduction to Coding (Python and SQL)
- Academic English Writing Clinic
Group project: build a simple recommendation engine for a Venetian bookshop using public sales data.
Year 2 – Data and strategy (60 ECTS)
- Statistics and Econometrics for Business
- Digital Marketing and Growth Hacking
- Financial Accounting for Start-ups
- UX/UI Design Fundamentals
- European Digital Policy
- Agile Project Management Workshop
Study tour: visit Milan’s fintech district. Meet venture capital analysts and observe pitch sessions at a seed-fund accelerator.
Year 3 – Integration and innovation (60 ECTS)
- Data Visualisation with Tableau and Power BI
- Blockchain and Smart Contracts
- Sustainability and Circular Economy in Digital Business
- Electives: Artificial-Intelligence Ethics, Cyber-security Compliance, or Service Design
- Six-month internship in Italy or abroad
- Capstone Thesis linked to the internship
Internships have included roles at H-Farm Innovation Campus, IBM Italy, and the Venice International Film Festival’s digital-ticketing team. Many positions convert to graduate jobs.
Living and working in Venice
Venice is both heritage icon and innovation node. The historic centre has 50 000 residents, yet the wider metropolitan area hosts 230 000 people and an airport with links to 100 cities. Life costs less than in Milan or Rome, especially if you live in Mestre on the mainland.
Accommodation – A shared flat in Mestre costs €400–450 per month. University residences on Giudecca Island offer sea views at similar rates.
Transport – A student vaporetto pass costs €25 monthly, giving unlimited water-bus rides. Buses and trams on the mainland are included.
Food – University canteens serve three-course lunches for €4. Supermarkets in Mestre keep grocery bills low. Weekly markets sell fresh lagoon fish and produce.
Culture – Free concerts in church cloisters, film festivals on Lido beach, and street-art walks in Marghera industrial zone. You can row a traditional batela boat after lectures.
Climate – Mild winters (4–8 °C) and warm summers (28 °C) tempered by sea breezes. Evening walks along Zattere help you unwind after coding marathons.
Part-time work is plentiful during tourist seasons. Students earn extra income as social-media assistants for boutique hotels, data clerks for art galleries, or ticket agents at cultural events. Italian law allows 20 hours per week on a student visa.
Fees, DSU grant, and scholarships
As a public institution, Ca’ Foscari scales fees to family income. Annual tuition ranges from €0 to about €1 900. Many international students pay nothing once scholarships apply.
DSU grant
The DSU grant is the main form of aid:
- Full tuition waiver
- Subsidised housing or rent allowance
- Two daily meals in university canteens
- Annual book and transport stipend
To qualify, you submit translated and legalised income documents before the July deadline. About 70 percent of eligible applicants receive funding.
Other options
- Ca’ Foscari Academic Excellence Award – Full fee waiver and €6 500 stipend for high entrance-test scores.
- Veneto Regional Mobility Fund – Extra support for low-income students commuting from outside Venice.
- Erasmus+ Grant – €400–500 per month during exchange semesters in Amsterdam, Barcelona, or Helsinki.
The ApplyAZ funding guide walks you through every form, notarisation, and submission date. Our advisers proofread essays, ensuring your story matches selection criteria.
Career outlook: Venice as springboard to Europe
Graduates step into roles such as digital-product manager, e-commerce analyst, and data strategist. Ca’ Foscari’s Career Service runs a job portal with 4 000 postings each year and offers mock interviews with HR partners.
Local ecosystem
- H-Farm – Italy’s largest tech park, 30 minutes from campus, hosts 120 start-ups.
- Venice Innovation District (VeniSIA) – Focus on blue-economy solutions like smart ports and marine-data platforms.
- Fincantieri – Global shipbuilder seeking digital-supply-chain analysts.
- Luxottica – Eyewear giant hiring for e-commerce optimisation in nearby Belluno.
Graduate statistics show 92 percent employment within a year, with salaries averaging €33 000 in Italy and €42 000 abroad. Alumni work at Google Dublin, Accenture Milan, and scale-ups in Berlin’s Silicon Allee.
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.
They Began right where you are
