Bachelor in Process Engineering at Polytechnic University of Milan
Three-year English-taught L-9 bachelor's at Politecnico di Milano's Cremona campus on industrial processes in chemicals, pharma, agri-food and energy, with automation, data and digital twins. Entry needs a test score of at least 30/100 and proof of English.
Bachelor
3 years
Milan
English
Polytechnic University of Milan
Process Engineering is a three-year, 180 ECTS bachelor's degree (class L-9) taught in English at Politecnico di Milano's Cremona campus. Entry needs a secondary school qualification, a TOL, TOLC-I, CEnT-S or SAT score of at least 30 out of 100, and proof of English before enrolment. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
PoliMi's Process Engineering bachelor asks for a secondary school qualification, an entrance test score of at least 30 out of 100 (TOL, TOLC-I, CEnT-S or SAT) and proof of English before enrolment. Italian is not needed to start, but you must reach B2 before graduating. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
School-leaving requirement
On top of the legal entry requirements for any Italian bachelor's degree, which start with a secondary school qualification, Politecnico di Milano asks for an entrance test and language proficiency. [1]
For 2026/27 you could apply while still at school: standard-phase candidates had to hold a diploma or obtain it at the end of the 2025/26 school year, and confirm completion of secondary education in PoliMi's Online Services by 10 September 2026. [1]
What this means for your school results
The call sets no required school subjects and no minimum school grade. Your entrance test score decides your place in the ranking. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: completed Class 12, Higher Secondary (HSC or HSSC) or A level results with maths and physics, since the test ranks you mostly on logic, mathematics and physics.
- Check carefully: diplomas taken after Class 10, such as a polytechnic diploma, where we check how the qualification counts for university entry in Italy.
- Often short: school results that will not be complete in time, as completion had to be confirmed by 10 September 2026 for the 2026/27 intake.
On the TOL, the Logic, Mathematics and Statistics section carries the most weight, and it also breaks ties in the ranking. [1]
English
The programme is taught entirely in English, and English proficiency is an entry requirement that you must show before enrolment. [1][2]
- No certificate needed: citizens of listed English-speaking countries, such as the United Kingdom, USA, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Malta, and holders of a school qualification obtained in English.
- Everyone else: an accepted English certificate. For 2026/27 the minimums included IELTS Academic or General Training 5, TOEFL iBT 59, Cambridge B2 First at grade C, Trinity ISE II and Oxford Test of English 111. [4]
Without proof of English you would be assigned an English OFA, an extra learning requirement that limits your study plan until you submit a recognised certificate or pass an approved external test. [1]
Italian
Italian is not required for admission, but you must reach at least B2 in Italian before graduation. [2]
A TOLC-I score of at least 30 out of 100, Italian, San Marino or Ticino citizenship, or a school qualification obtained in Italian counts as proof. Otherwise you enrol with an Italian OFA, cleared before the degree exam with a recognised B2 certificate or a free PoliMi Italian course with at least 75% attendance and a final test. [1]
Entrance test and ranking
You need one of four tests. [1][2]
- TOL: PoliMi's own online test, in Italian, with 65 questions in 100 minutes on English, Logic, Mathematics and Statistics, Verbal Comprehension and Physics.
- TOLC-I: CISIA's engineering test, in Italian.
- CEnT-S: CISIA's test in English.
- SAT: the College Board test in English. For 2026/27 it had to be taken between 1 January 2025 and 4 May 2026.
The minimum TOL score is 30 out of 100. Other test results are converted to the same 100-point scale using PoliMi's formulas. Rankings use your best registered score and up to five programme preferences, with ties going to the higher Logic, Mathematics and Statistics score, then to the younger candidate. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
Standard TOL windows ran from 1 February to 10 March and from 11 March to 31 May 2026, with up to two attempts. TOLC-I, CEnT-S and SAT results had to be registered in Online Services by 4 June 2026. [1]
Process Engineering, as a new programme pending Ministry approval, was not open in the early enrolment phase. Its places went through the standard phase, with the first ranking on 22 June 2026, then later phases for remaining places, with the last scheduled enrolment by 9 September 2026. [1]
The 2027/28 call is not yet published. Students in the penultimate year of school could already sit an early TOL in 2026 for 2027/28, and for English-taught courses this route uses specific rankings. [1]
Non-EU applicants living abroad
Non-EU candidates in the quota reserved for applicants living abroad follow the same procedure and deadlines as other candidates. You enrol in Online Services by paying the first tuition instalment, and those eligible for enrolment then apply for the study visa through the Universitaly portal, under the Ministry's rules for international students. [1]
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.
- Politecnico di Milano. Call for admission to Engineering Bachelor's degree programmes, academic year 2026/27, with the early test for 2027/28 (English information translation of the Italian call). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Process Engineering course handbook, academic year 2026/27, March 2026. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano, Process Engineering programme page. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. English and Italian language requirements for English-taught Laurea programmes, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Process Engineering is a three-year bachelor's degree (laurea, class L-9) worth 180 ECTS, taught in English by Politecnico di Milano's School of Industrial and Information Engineering at the Cremona campus. It began in 2026/27.
The degree looks at how industry transforms materials and energy, in sectors such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, agri-food, energy, materials and advanced manufacturing, and at how data, automation and digital tools make those processes safer, cleaner and more efficient. It suits students with a taste for chemistry, physics and computing who want a practical, systems view of industry.
What you will study
Year one covers maths, physics, chemistry and computer science with an introduction to business and industrial systems, tied together by two interdisciplinary Engineering Corners. Year two builds process engineering basics such as thermodynamics and transport phenomena, circuits, statistics, software and automatic control. Year three applies them to modelling, automation and operations. Examples from the plan:
- Mathematical Analysis I, Linear Algebra, and Mechanics and Thermal Physics (9 ECTS each)
- General and Organic Chemistry
- Business Management and Industrial Systems
- Thermodynamics and Transport Phenomena
- Plants and Process Engineering, and Automation of Process and Production Systems
- Industrial Process Digital Twins
- Model Identification, Data Analysis and Learning
- Metals Processing and Component Engineering
How the programme is taught
Courses combine lectures with guided exercises, lab work and projects, some developed with industry, and each student has an academic tutor. The degree closes with a Final Project on a real process engineering problem, which can be done with a company, research body or other partner, and is presented in English.
Career paths
Graduates start in technical and operational roles in industries that transform matter and energy, and can join Section B of the Italian Register of Engineers after the State Examination. Many continue to master's degrees in chemical or process engineering, automation and control, or management engineering.
- Monitoring and improving process performance, efficiency and quality
- Collecting and interpreting process data
- Process modelling and simulation
- Running automation and control systems
- Plant design support, operations planning, safety and sustainability
Fees and scholarships
This is one of two new English bachelor's degrees for which PoliMi has offered scholarships for international students (the 2026/27 call is closed). Otherwise, fees follow family income, using the ISEE parificato for income abroad. With the DSU scholarship that PoliMi manages, this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students.
How to apply from outside the EU
Non-EU applicants living abroad apply through the same engineering bachelor's call, rankings and deadlines as other candidates, within the quota reserved for them. In 2026/27 you registered in Online Services and sat the TOL (in Italian) or registered a TOLC-I, CEnT-S or SAT result, with standard TOL sessions from 1 February to 31 May 2026. As a new programme, Process Engineering was not open in the early enrolment phase, so places went through rankings from 22 June to 9 September 2026. Applicants offered a place then complete the Universitaly study visa application and apply for a type D study visa. The 2027/28 call is still to be published.
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 PoliMi's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your test registration, ranking preferences, enrolment and Universitaly application.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your Politecnico di Milano 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 Process Engineering at PoliMi?
A secondary school qualification that meets the legal entry rules for Italian bachelor's degrees. The call sets no required subjects or minimum grades: your entrance test score decides your place. For 2026/27 you could apply in your final school year if you finished school in 2026. [1]
Which entrance test do I need?
One of the TOL, TOLC-I, CEnT-S or SAT, with a score of at least 30 out of 100 on PoliMi's scale. The TOL and TOLC-I are in Italian, while the CEnT-S and SAT are in English, which suits most international applicants. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
You must prove English before enrolment. Citizens of listed English-speaking countries and holders of a school qualification obtained in English need no certificate. For everyone else, the 2026/27 minimums included IELTS 5, TOEFL iBT 59 and Cambridge B2 First at grade C. [1][4]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
Non-EU applicants follow the same calendar as other candidates. For 2026/27, alternative test results had to be registered by 4 June 2026, the first standard ranking came out on 22 June and the last scheduled enrolment window closed on 9 September 2026. The 2027/28 call is not yet published. [1]
Do I need to speak Italian?
Not to get in. The course is taught entirely in English, but you must reach Italian B2 before graduating. Without proof of Italian at enrolment you get an Italian OFA, which a free PoliMi Italian course with a final test can clear. [1][2]
I studied Commerce in Class 12. Can I apply?
The call sets no required school subjects, so your stream is not a bar in itself. The entrance test weighs logic, mathematics and physics heavily, though, so students without recent maths need strong preparation to reach the 30 out of 100 minimum. [1]
Where is Process Engineering taught?
At Politecnico di Milano's Cremona campus, in an industrial area of northern Italy about one hour from Milan. The campus has labs, study areas and the Ada Byron Residence with up to 143 beds. [2]
What makes this degree different from chemical engineering?
It links physical processes with data, automation and control. Courses include Industrial Process Digital Twins, Automation of Process and Production Systems, and Model Identification, Data Analysis and Learning, ending with a capstone project on a real industrial challenge. [2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Process Engineering at PoliMi?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against PoliMi's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the Politecnico di Milano 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 Process Engineering?
We check your Class 12 or Higher Secondary certificate against the legal entry rule for Italian bachelor's degrees. You also need an entrance test score of at least 30 out of 100: the CEnT-S and SAT are in English, while the TOL and TOLC-I are in Italian. You must prove your English before enrolment, and a school qualification obtained in English counts. [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 Process Engineering are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: an entrance test score, a place in the ranking, enrolment in PoliMi's Online Services and the Universitaly application, 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 Process Engineering are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: an entrance test score, a place in the ranking, enrolment in PoliMi's Online Services and the Universitaly application. 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 Process Engineering 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: an entrance test score, a place in the ranking, enrolment in PoliMi's Online Services and the Universitaly application, 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.
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