Bachelor in Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy at University of Milan
Three-year English-taught L-33-R bachelor's at the University of Milan in economics, behavioural economics, experiments, econometrics and machine learning. Entry is by CEnT-S ranking, with 15 places for non-EU visa applicants in 2026/27, and B2 English is needed to sit exams.
Bachelor
3 years
Milan
English
University of Milan
Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy is a three-year, 180 ECTS bachelor's degree (class L-33-R) taught in English at the University of Milan. Entry needs a school diploma after 12 years of schooling and a ranking place from the CEnT-S test, where only mathematics and reasoning count. You need English at B2 to sit exams. Regional scholarship winners pay no second instalment, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Milan's Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy bachelor asks for a secondary school diploma after at least 12 years of schooling and a place in the CEnT-S ranking, which uses only the mathematics and reasoning sections. Entry is limited, with 15 places for non-EU visa applicants in 2026/27, and you need English at B2 before you can sit exams. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
School-leaving requirement
You need an upper secondary school diploma, or an equivalent foreign qualification, obtained after at least 12 years of schooling, plus an adequate educational background and basic skills in language comprehension, logic and mathematics. [1]
A foreign qualification must also allow admission to university in the country where it was awarded, and the university evaluates its suitability under ministerial rules. If your school system is shorter than 12 years, you add a certificate of university enrolment with a transcript, a post-secondary qualification or a foundation year certificate. [2]
The call sets no minimum school grade and no required school subjects: places go by your CEnT-S ranking. [2]
What this means for your school results
As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a Class 12 or Higher Secondary certificate from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, or Sri Lankan or UK A levels, that gives access to university in the country that awarded it. Strong school mathematics helps, because half of the ranked test is mathematics.
- Check carefully: a Class 12 or Higher Secondary stream without mathematics, such as Commerce or Humanities without a maths paper. The call names no required subjects, but a mathematics score below 10 normalised points brings an extra maths requirement in the first year.
- Often short: a school-leaving certificate obtained after fewer than 12 years of schooling without the extra university year, post-secondary qualification or foundation year the call asks for.
English and Italian
You need English at CEFR B2 to sit any exam. You can show it with a recognised certificate at B2 or higher earned within the three years before you submit it, or with a secondary school diploma taught in English. Otherwise you take the university Language Centre placement test by the end of October of your first year, and a course if you do not pass. The call refers to the university's list of recognised certificates and does not set test scores itself. [1][2]
If you do not take the placement test by October, or fail the end-of-course test six times, you must obtain a recognised certificate before you can register for exams. [2]
With a foreign school qualification, you also need Italian at A2 level before you graduate, shown by a certificate or the university's entry test and courses. [1]
Selection: the CEnT-S test
Selection uses the CEnT-S, the CISIA English Test for Sciences, taken at home or in person, with a €55 fee. The test has 55 questions, but only two sections count for this degree: [2]
- Mathematics: 15 questions in 30 minutes.
- Reasoning on texts and data: 15 questions in 30 minutes.
Each correct answer scores 1 point, each wrong answer loses 0.25 and blank answers score 0. Ties go to the higher mathematics score, then the younger candidate. You can sit the test more than once, but only once in each test period, and your best result counts. The university may add tests or interviews when it finalises the ranking. [2]
For 2026/27 there were 100 places plus 15 for non-EU applicants living abroad who need a visa, who are ranked separately under the same rules. Admitted students who score under 10 normalised points in mathematics must pass an extra maths test in their first year, or they cannot take second or third-year exams. [1][2]
2026/27 deadlines
These dates come from the 2026/27 call. Applications ran from 12 March to 6 July 2026, and CEnT-S results counted if the test was taken between 1 November 2025 and 30 June 2026. The ranking came out on 9 July 2026, with enrolment from 9 to 22 July 2026 and later updates from 23 July. [2]
Non-EU applicants needing a visa had to complete Universitaly pre-enrolment by 31 July 2026. Late submissions were not accepted and led to exclusion from the selection. Documents for foreign qualifications were due by 30 November 2026. The 2027/28 call sets the new dates. [2]
Documents and non-EU steps
With a foreign qualification you apply on apply.unimi.it and upload: [2]
- Your school diploma, legalised or apostilled unless an exemption applies.
- An official Italian translation, unless the diploma is in English, French, German or Spanish.
- A certificate of academic eligibility, if your country issues one.
- Proof of extra study if your school system is shorter than 12 years, and any document showing specific validity requirements, such as A levels for UK qualifications.
You can apply before you finish school: graduands reserve a place after the ranking and confirm it once they hold the diploma, which for 2026/27 meant between 15 July and 3 August 2026. On enrolment you pay a non-refundable first instalment of €146. [2]
By 30 November you also provide a statement of comparability from an ENIC-NARIC centre such as CIMEA, or a declaration of value from the Italian embassy, plus an Italian tax code and, for non-EU citizens, a residence permit or the receipt of your application. Until every document is checked, admission is conditional. [2]
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 Milan. Programme description (manifesto), Bachelor's degree in Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy (L-33 R), students enrolling in 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Milan. Call for applications to the Bachelor's degree programme in Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy (L-33 R), academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Milan. Regulations on tuition and fees, waivers and scholarships, with tuition areas and country groups, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy is a three-year bachelor's degree in class L-33-R (economics), taught entirely in English and in person in Milan by the Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods.
It aims to give a solid grounding in economic theory and its quantitative and statistical tools, together with the behavioural mechanisms that drive the decisions of people and firms in markets.
Entry is limited: for 2026/27 there were 100 places plus 15 for non-EU applicants living abroad who need a visa. [1][2] The degree suits school leavers who like mathematics and data and want to understand how economic policy, consumer choices and markets work in practice.
What you will study
The programme opened its first year in 2026/27, so the second year runs from 2027/28 and the third from 2028/29. [1] The first year covers the foundations in economics, mathematics, statistics, coding and law. The second adds econometrics, experimental methods and policy evaluation, and the third focuses on behaviour, marketing and machine learning. Units in the 2026/27 study plan include: [1]
- Microeconomics and Mathematics (12 ECTS each, first year)
- Probability and Statistics and Coding (first year)
- Data Protection and Consumer Law (first year)
- Econometrics and Experimental Economics (second year)
- Causal Inference and Policy Evaluation (second year)
- Behavioral Economics (third year)
- Machine Learning for Economics (third year)
- Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy (third year)
How the programme is taught
Some exams must be taken in order: Microeconomics comes before Behavioral Economics, Public Economics and Experimental Economics, and Mathematics and Probability and Statistics come before Econometrics. [1]
Besides lectures, you take 12 ECTS of elective courses or laboratories and 6 ECTS of other activities before a 3 ECTS final exam, an essay written in English. With a foreign school qualification, 3 of those 6 ECTS must be Italian at A2 level, and the other 3 can be an internship, a laboratory, computer skills, another language or transversal skills. [1]
The department has exchange agreements with European universities, including partners in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. [1]
Career paths
The official profiles place graduates in companies and in public and private organisations that need people who can collect, check and interpret economic data. They include: [1]
- Data technician: supports experimental research and economic, social and demographic surveys, with data quality control and statistical processing
- Market analyst: studies consumer reactions and market conditions and helps define marketing strategies
- Operative and strategic marketing technician
Fees and scholarships
For fees the degree sits in Area B. [3]
Students whose family income and assets are abroad pay a fixed second instalment by country group: for 2026/27, €256 a year in Group A, which covers countries like India, Pakistan and Nigeria, €1,164 in Group B and €4,101.12 in Group C, on top of a first instalment of €146. [2][3]
The University of Milan runs the Lombardy regional DSU scholarship, and regional scholarship winners are exempt from the second instalment, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. [3]
How to apply from outside the EU
Selection uses the CEnT-S, the English-language test run by CISIA (€55), taken online or at a test centre. [2]
Only the Mathematics and Reasoning on texts and data sections count, and visa applicants have their own ranking for the 15 reserved places. [2]
For 2026/27 the admission window ran from 12 March to 6 July 2026, with documents uploaded on apply.unimi.it. The 2027/28 call sets the next dates. [2]
Visa applicants also had to complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment, which we submit for you, by 31 July 2026, or they were excluded from the selection. If you are admitted, you enrol, pay the €146 first instalment, apply for a type D study visa and, by 30 November, provide a CIMEA statement of comparability or a declaration of value for your diploma. [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 Milan's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your CEnT-S registration, application on apply.unimi.it, enrolment and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your University of Milan 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 Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy at Milan?
A secondary school diploma after at least 12 years of schooling that gives access to university in your country, plus basic skills in language comprehension, logic and mathematics. The call sets no minimum school grade: places go by your CEnT-S ranking. [1][2]
Which entrance test do I need?
The CEnT-S by CISIA, taken at home or in person, with a €55 fee. Only the Mathematics and Reasoning on texts and data sections count, 15 questions each. For 2026/27, tests taken from 1 November 2025 to 30 June 2026 counted, and your best attempt was used. [2]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
You need B2 English to sit exams. You can show it with a recognised B2 certificate from the last three years, a school diploma taught in English, or the university placement test in your first October. The call itself does not set IELTS scores, so we check which proof fits your file. [1][2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, applications ran from 12 March to 6 July 2026, and visa applicants had to complete Universitaly pre-enrolment by 31 July 2026, with no late submissions accepted. The 2027/28 call sets the new dates. [2]
How many places are there for non-EU students?
For 2026/27 there were 15 places for non-EU applicants living abroad who need a visa, ranked separately under the same rules, plus 100 places for other candidates. [1][2]
Can I apply before I finish school?
Yes. Graduands can apply, reserve a place after the ranking and confirm enrolment once they hold their diploma. For 2026/27, confirmation ran from 15 July to 3 August 2026, and admission stays conditional until then. [2]
I studied Commerce or Humanities in Class 12 without maths. Can I apply?
The call does not require specific school subjects, but half of the ranked CEnT-S is mathematics. Admitted students who score under 10 normalised points in mathematics must pass an extra maths test in their first year before taking second and third-year exams. [1][2]
What jobs do graduates do?
The university lists data technician roles supporting research and surveys, market analyst roles studying consumers and markets, and operative or strategic marketing roles, in companies and public or private organisations. Graduates can also continue to master's degrees in economics or data analysis. [1]
Can someone handle my whole application to Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy at Milan?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against Milan's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the University of Milan 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 Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy?
A Class 12 certificate, such as the CBSE or ISC, comes after 12 years of schooling, which is the length the rule asks for. Places then go by your CEnT-S score, where only mathematics and reasoning count, and you need B2 English before you can sit exams. The steps are the CEnT-S, the apply.unimi.it application and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1][2] 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 Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: CEnT-S test, online application on apply.unimi.it, a separate ranking for visa applicants 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 Economics: Behavior, Data and Policy are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: CEnT-S test, online application on apply.unimi.it, a separate ranking for visa applicants 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, online application on apply.unimi.it, a separate ranking for visa applicants 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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