Bachelor in Economics, Governance and Decision-Making at University of Padua

About the programme

Economics, Governance and Decision-Making is a three-year, 180 ECTS bachelor's degree in class L-33 (economics), taught entirely in English in Padua. It belongs to the School of Economics and Political Science and is run by the Department of Economics and Management. Places are limited: for 2027/28 there are 30 for non-EU candidates living outside Italy.

The programme is transdisciplinary and aligned with the PPE (philosophy, politics and economics) degrees offered worldwide. It builds solid skills in the social sciences with a strong methodological imprint and attention to ethics and logical reasoning, applied to challenges such as the energy transition, digital transformation and governance. It suits students who want to combine economics with politics, law and philosophy.

What you will study

Two common years are followed by a third year in one of three paths: Policy Advising and Consulting in Multilevel Governance; Ethical Decision Making and NGOs Governance; or International Organizations and Geopolitical Analysis. Units include:

• Logic and Critical Thinking, and Political Philosophy
• Microeconomics and Mathematics for Social Sciences
• Foundations of Law and Legal Systems, and Principles of Management and Accounting
• Econometrics for Social Sciences, and Statistics and Data Analysis
• Epistemology and Game Theory, and Public Ethics
• International Macroeconomics and Global Challenges
• Third-year units such as Policy Evaluation and Causal Inference, Corporate Governance, Accountability and Ethics, or Monetary and Fiscal Policies

How the programme is taught

According to the admissions portal, the first semester is held entirely online; the degree's venue is Padua. Sociology and Development Economics appear in all three third-year paths.

Career paths

The university says graduates work as junior analysts or consultants and can go on to master's degrees in economics, business, politics or philosophy in Italy and abroad. Settings it names include:

• Non-governmental organisations
• International organisations
• Public institutions and private organisations
• Research centres and think tanks
• Consulting

Fees and scholarships

Degrees of the School of Economics and Political Science are in fee Group A. For 2026/27, non-EU students whose family lives outside Italy pay a fixed €2,790 a year, or €930 as citizens of a country on the ministry's list of particularly poor countries; an ISEE parificato changes only the regional tax. The regional scholarship, which the University of Padua runs for Veneto, exempts winners from the fee, which means zero euro tuition for eligible students. Merit scholarships and full fee waivers are awarded without a separate application.

How to apply from outside the EU

The 30 places are assigned through a ranking list based on the CISIA CEnT-S test: register and pay €55 with CISIA, and note that you can sit the test only once per macro-period. Non-EU candidates living outside Italy apply on apply.unipd.it between 7 January and 7 March 2027. The university's €60 fee does not apply if you apply only to CEnT-S bachelors.

After admission you pay a €208 non-refundable deposit, complete Universitaly pre-enrolment and apply for a type D study visa. Your diploma must be legalised, apostilled or verified by CIMEA by 31 July, and studies start on 1 October 2027.

How ApplyAZ helps

If this programme fits your goals, ApplyAZ can include it in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities. We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose, submit your applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your DSU scholarship application and prepare your visa file, with a named person on each stage. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.