Bachelor in Economics of Tourism and Cities at University of Bologna
Three-year English-taught economics bachelor on the University of Bologna's Rimini campus on tourism, urban ecosystems and sustainable local development. Entry is by Digital SAT ranking with English at B2, and 50 of 120 places were reserved for non-EU applicants in 2026/27.
Bachelor
3 years
Bologna
English
University of Bologna
Economics of Tourism and Cities is a three-year, 180 ECTS bachelor's degree (class L-33 R) taught in English at the University of Bologna's Rimini campus. Entry needs a school-leaving qualification from at least 12 years of schooling and a Digital SAT score, with English at B2 checked through the SAT. For 2026/27 there were 120 places, 50 for non-EU applicants. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Bologna's Economics of Tourism and Cities bachelor, taught in Rimini, has limited places. You need a school-leaving qualification from at least 12 years of schooling and a Digital SAT score sent to Bologna by the College Board, with English at B2 checked through the SAT. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
School-leaving requirement
You need a secondary school qualification that gives access to university. A foreign qualification must come from at least 12 years of schooling and give access to university in the country that issued it, under the yearly Italian ministry rules. [1]
You can apply before you finish school, but you must obtain your diploma, and any extra qualification needed for access, by 31 December 2026, or your enrolment is cancelled. Bologna checks that a foreign qualification is eligible only after you enrol and upload your documents. [1]
What this means for your school results
The call sets no required school subjects and no minimum grade, and the programme page states no minimum SAT score: your SAT result decides your rank. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: Class 12, Higher Secondary (HSC or HSSC) or A level results that complete 12 years of schooling and give access to university at home.
- Check carefully: diplomas taken after Class 10, such as a polytechnic diploma, where we check the total years of schooling and how the qualification is recognised.
- Often short: a school-leaving qualification from fewer than 12 years of schooling.
Maths matters after you enrol: a SAT Math score below 400 out of 800 adds an extra maths requirement (OFA), to be completed by 31 March 2028, or you repeat the first year. [1][2]
English
The call asks for good English, at least CEFR level B2. It lists no separate certificate such as IELTS or TOEFL: the level is assessed through the SAT, which is held in English. [1]
Admission test and ranking
Selection uses the Digital SAT, run by the College Board at SAT centres in Italy and abroad. The essay is not required, and only tests taken from 1 February 2024 count. You must have the College Board send your official score to Bologna with code 6993, and it must be received by the deadline of your selection. [1][2]
The ranking is on a 160-point scale, your total SAT score divided by 10. The programme page states no minimum score, and ranking follows your score in descending order. [1][2]
This call also covers Economics and Finance in Bologna. You can list both programmes in order of preference, and your choices cannot be changed once entered. [1]
Places in 2026/27
- Total: 120 places. [1]
- First intake: 35 places for Italian, EU and equivalent applicants and 50 for non-EU applicants living abroad. [1]
- Second intake: 35 places for Italian, EU and equivalent applicants, plus any places left from the first intake, including unused non-EU places. [1]
- Third intake: held only if places remain, for Italian, EU and equivalent applicants only. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
Non-EU applicants living abroad could only take part in the first intake. Applications ran from 10 February to 4 May 2026 at 1pm, Bologna had to receive the official SAT score by 4 May 2026, the ranking came out on 26 May 2026 and enrolment ran from 26 May to 5 June 2026. [1]
The second intake (5 May to 3 July 2026) and the possible third intake (3 to 11 September 2026) were open to Italian, EU and equivalent applicants and to non-EU applicants living abroad who compete with EU candidates. The 2027/28 call is not yet published. [1][2]
Application, Universitaly and enrolment
You register on Studenti Online with your name, date and place of birth exactly as on your SAT record, and with an email that matches your College Board account, or you are excluded. Non-EU applicants living abroad upload their passport, and one application also covers later intakes in the same call. [1]
Non-EU applicants living abroad also complete Universitaly pre-enrolment, where you can apply for only one programme and must be admitted to it. After a place in the ranking, you enrol by paying the first instalment, upload your qualification documents and study visa on Studenti Online, and present the originals at the International Desk of the Rimini campus on arrival. Your student career must be activated by 26 February 2027. [1][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 Bologna. Call for applications for the limited-access bachelor's degree programmes in Economics of Tourism and Cities (Rimini) and Economics and Finance (Bologna), class L-33 R, academic year 2026/27, English abstract. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Bologna, Economics of Tourism and Cities programme website and How to enrol page, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Economics of Tourism and Cities is a three-year laurea in class L-33 R, Economics, run by the Department of Economics (DSE) on the University of Bologna's Rimini campus. It is worth 180 ECTS, is delivered entirely in English and has restricted access: the 2026/27 call set 120 places, 50 of them reserved for non-EU applicants living abroad. Giovanni Prarolo is the degree programme director, and the department's guidance material refers to the degree as ETAC.
Its theme is "urban life, tourism, and a sustainable future". Students learn to analyse and rethink the strategies and policies that tourist destinations and urban ecosystems need to face the challenges of modern life. It suits students who want to apply economics to places: how destinations and cities develop, compete and stay sustainable.
What you will study
The degree applies economic analysis to two linked settings, tourist destinations and cities, with sustainability as a common thread. The course units, credits and teaching periods for each year are published in the course structure diagram on the degree website, next to the timetable and exam dates. We check the 2027/28 diagram before you apply, as units can change between intakes.
Career paths
The university lists the professional profiles the degree trains for:
- Director of a tourism company
- Tourist planning assistant
- Tourist promoter
- Destination management consultant
- Local development consultant
Graduates can also continue to a laurea magistrale; the same department runs the English-taught Tourism Economics and Management master on the Rimini campus.
Fees and scholarships
For 2026/27 the contribution rises with family income, but with an ISEE of €27,000 or less it does not apply, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. Students from non-OECD countries (the list includes countries like India) whose families have income only abroad may choose a reduced flat fee instead. The regional scholarship is run by ER.GO, whose winners pay only the fixed charges.
How to apply from outside the EU
This is a restricted-access degree, and places go by Digital SAT ranking. In 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad could only take part in the first selection, which ran from 10 February to 4 May 2026. The 2027/28 call is not yet published. You apply for the selection and enrol on Studenti Online, paying the first instalment.
If you need a visa, we file the Universitaly pre-enrolment after admission and wait for the university's unconditional validation (none are made during the August closure); the consulate also checks proof of financial means. Your school qualification needs translations and legalisation where required, and the residence permit request is due within eight days of arrival.
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 Bologna's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your Studenti Online application with your official SAT score, and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ER.GO Emilia-Romagna 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 of Tourism and Cities at Bologna?
A school-leaving qualification that gives access to university, from at least 12 years of schooling. The call sets no minimum grade or required subjects: your place depends on your SAT ranking. You can apply before finishing school if you get your diploma by 31 December 2026. [1]
Which entrance test is required? Is there a minimum SAT score?
The Digital SAT, taken from 1 February 2024 onwards, with the official score sent to Bologna by the College Board using code 6993. The programme page states no minimum score: you are ranked by total score. A SAT Math score below 400 adds an extra maths requirement. [1][2]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
The call asks for English at CEFR B2 or higher and assesses it through the SAT, which is held in English. It lists no separate certificate such as IELTS or TOEFL for this programme. [1]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad could only apply in the first intake, from 10 February to 4 May 2026, and Bologna had to receive their official SAT score by 4 May. The 2027/28 call is not yet published. [1]
How many places are there for non-EU students?
For 2026/27 the programme had 120 places, 50 of them reserved for non-EU applicants living abroad in the first intake. The rest went to Italian, EU and equivalent applicants, and unused non-EU places passed to the second intake. [1]
I studied Commerce or Humanities in Class 12. Can I apply?
The call sets no required school subjects, so your stream is not a bar in itself. Your SAT score decides your rank, and a SAT Math score below 400 out of 800 adds an extra maths requirement to complete by 31 March 2028. [1]
Where is the programme taught?
On the University of Bologna's Rimini campus, not in Bologna itself. International students enrolling with a foreign qualification present their original documents at the International Desk of the Rimini campus after arrival. [1][2]
What jobs does it prepare for?
The university lists director of a tourism company, tourist planning assistant, tourist promoter, and destination management or local development consultant. Graduates can also continue to a master's degree, such as Tourism Economics and Management in Rimini.
Can someone handle my whole application to Economics of Tourism and Cities at Bologna?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against Bologna's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ER.GO Emilia-Romagna 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 of Tourism and Cities?
Bologna asks for a school-leaving qualification from at least 12 years of schooling that gives access to university, so we check your Class 12 or Higher Secondary certificate against that rule. You also need a Digital SAT score sent to Bologna, which also checks English at B2. The steps are the SAT, the Studenti Online application in the first selection, a place in the ranking and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1] 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 of Tourism and Cities are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: Digital SAT, Studenti Online application in the first selection, a place in the ranking 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 of Tourism and Cities are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: Digital SAT, Studenti Online application in the first selection, a place in the ranking and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.
I studied or live in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. What is the route?
The academic rules for Economics of Tourism and Cities are the same whatever your nationality, and your school results are assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: Digital SAT, Studenti Online application in the first selection, a place in the ranking and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for where they live. Read our guides for students in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
More English-taught programmes at this university
Other public universities in this city
They began right where you are
