Master in Agri-food Sustainability at University of Pavia
Two-year English-taught LM-69-R master at the University of Pavia on sustainable agri-food production, with tracks in agroecology and sustainable farming or food quality and nutrition, a thesis internship and blended delivery. Entry needs 45 subject credits and English at B2.
Master
2 years
Pavia
English
University of Pavia
Agri-food Sustainability is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-69-R) taught in English at the University of Pavia, with blended teaching partly online. Entry needs a bachelor's with at least 45 credits across five listed agricultural, biological, chemical, earth-science or engineering sectors, plus English at B2. With income-based fees, it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Pavia's Agri-food Sustainability master asks for a bachelor's degree of at least three years with at least 45 credits spread over five listed agricultural, biological, chemical, earth-science or engineering subject sectors, English at B2, and a committee review that may include an interview. The degree and credit rules come from the 2025/26 course regulations and are repeated on the 2027/28 application portal. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and credit rule
You need a bachelor's degree, a three-year university diploma or a foreign qualification the university recognises as suitable, plus the curricular requirements and adequate personal preparation. These rules come from the 2025/26 course regulations: [1]
- Degree class: the curricular requirements are met automatically by Italian degrees in Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Technologies (class L-25) or Agri-food Sciences and Technologies (class L-26).
- Credits: in every case you need at least 45 CFU across at least five different subject sectors from a set list. It covers agriculture (rural economics, agronomy, tree and vegetable crops, forestry, agricultural genetics, hydraulics, machinery and buildings, entomology, plant pathology, agricultural chemistry, soil science, food science and technology, agricultural microbiology), biology (botany, plant physiology, zoology, ecology, physiology, biochemistry, applied biology, pharmacology, pharmaceutical biology, genetics, microbiology), chemistry (general and inorganic, organic, food chemistry), earth sciences (physical geography and geomorphology, applied geology) and civil engineering (hydraulics, hydraulic works and hydrology, environmental engineering, surveying and cartography).
For 2027/28, Pavia's application portal asks for a bachelor's of at least three years and states that a committee evaluates every degree, including agricultural and agri-food ones. It lists Applied Chemistry, Chemistry, Mathematics, Zoology, Education and Arts degrees in humanities subjects (including Archaeology, Philosophy and heritage conservation) as not suitable. [4]
What this means for your transcript
Italian CFU and the credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit, and the portal also accepts an equivalent number of hours. The committee looks at the subjects on your transcript, not just your total. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Sc. in Agriculture, Horticulture or Forestry, or a B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering or Food Technology, which normally covers agronomy, crops, soil science, food science and chemistry.
- Check carefully: a B.Sc. in Botany, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Environmental Science or Food Science and Nutrition, which may reach 45 credits across five listed sectors, but the committee judges whether the degree suits the course.
- Check carefully: a B.Tech or B.E. in Civil Engineering, which may reach 45 credits through hydraulics, environmental engineering, surveying, geology and chemistry, but has little agricultural or biological content.
- Often short: a B.Sc. in Chemistry, Mathematics or Zoology, which the portal lists as not suitable, and a B.Tech in Computer Science, BCA, B.Com, BBA or BA.
Graduates who lack the curricular requirements can make them up through single courses, and can also take up to 30 CFU of the master's courses in advance. [1]
English
English at CEFR level B2 or higher, written and oral. The regulations accept these certificates at B2, or a higher level: [1]
- BEC Vantage, B2 First or ILEC Pass;
- IELTS 5.5 to 6.5 Academic;
- TOEFL iBT 72 to 94;
- Trinity College ISE II or GESE 7, 8 or 9;
- Oxford Test of English B2, TrackTest English Test B2 or LCCI EfB Level 3.
The interview committee assesses other certificates case by case, and the 2027/28 portal adds that it can also assess a declaration that your degree was taught in English. Without a certificate, your English is checked in a short interview. [1][4]
Committee review and interview
There is no entrance test and no national or local cap on student numbers. A committee checks the requirements by evaluating your qualifications and documents, and may ask you to take an interview to fully assess your admissibility. [1][4]
2027/28 calls and deadlines
Pavia's application portal lists these calls for 2027/28, with classes starting on 14 September 2027: [4]
- First call: 12 to 18 November 2026, 23:59 CET, for EU and non-EU applicants.
- Second call: 12 to 20 January 2027, 23:59 CET, for EU and non-EU applicants.
- Third call: 12 to 22 March 2027, opened to non-EU applicants living abroad only if seats remain.
- Later calls: from 6 June 2027 and from 1 September 2027; the last is for EU applicants and non-EU applicants living in Italy.
For comparison, in 2026/27 the first two windows ran from 12 to 20 November 2025 and 12 to 20 January 2026, and the March 2026 call had no places for non-EU candidates who need a visa. [3][4]
Documents and non-EU steps
The online application needs: [4]
- a scan of your passport or identity card;
- your bachelor's transcript listing exams, marks and credits;
- the completed table of exams relevant to the 45-credit rule;
- an English certificate, or proof that your bachelor's was taught in English.
Documents must be in English, French, Italian or Spanish. [4]
You can also apply while finishing your degree if you hold at least 150 credits by the application deadline. In that case you can enrol only after an admission interview that checks your preparation. [1]
After admission, you submit Universitaly pre-enrolment, without which enrolment cannot be confirmed, and apply for a type D study visa. For enrolment, your degree must be legalised by the Italian embassy or consulate, apostilled, or accompanied by a CIMEA statement of verification. Degrees from countries outside the Lisbon Recognition Convention also need a declaration of value, a CIMEA statement of comparability or a Diploma Supplement. [3]
Students with a foreign qualification include a compulsory 3 CFU Italian language course in their study plan, unless they show Italian at B1 or above. [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.
- University of Pavia, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Course regulations, Master's degree in Agri-food Sustainability (LM-69), enrolment cohort 2025/2026, with study plan. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia, Agri-food Sustainability programme page and course website: language, delivery, curricula, LM Plus, career opportunities and application and enrolment, academic year 2026/2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia. How to apply to master's degree programmes, and information for non-EU students after admission, academic year 2026/2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia, international application portal. Master's Program in Agrifood Sustainability course page and application calls, academic year 2027/2028. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia. Fees regulation and fees for non-EU prospective students, academic year 2026/2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Agri-food Sustainability is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree in class LM-69-R (Agricultural Sciences and Technologies), taught in English by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in Pavia. There is no national or local cap on student numbers. [1][2][4]
Teaching is blended: learning activities are partly online and partly in person. In the 2025/26 regulations, the Agroecology and Sustainable Farming curriculum has 57 CFU taught in person and 33 online, and Food Quality and Nutrition has 59 in person and 31 online. For first-year students, the first semester runs online until December and practical activities on campus start in January. [1][4]
The degree trains specialists in sustainable, high-quality agri-food production, from farming to the nutritional value of food and the protection of consumers and the environment. It suits graduates in agriculture, agri-food or related sciences who want to work on sustainability in the food system.
What you will study
Students follow the Agroecology and Sustainable Farming track or the Food Quality and Nutrition track, which share most first-year units. Units in the 2025/26 study plan include: [1]
- Agroecology and Biodiversity Conservation
- Conservation and Promotion of Plant Genetic Resources
- European Agrifood Law
- Food Marketing
- Sustainable Grass Crops, Integrated Production, Organic Farming
- Plant Pathology (agroecology track)
- Integrated Course of Nutrition and Human Health (food quality track)
- Soil Conservation and Precision Agriculture (agroecology track)
How the programme is taught
The second year includes a 12 ECTS internship for the thesis and an 18 ECTS final thesis, written and discussed in English. Students also choose 12 ECTS of free-choice units. Through the LM+ project, selected students enrol for five semesters instead of four, two of them spent training at a partner company or organisation, with expenses reimbursed. Students with a foreign qualification take a compulsory 3 ECTS Italian language course unless they show Italian at B1 or above. [1][2]
Career paths
The degree aims to train senior agronomists who can plan and manage agricultural production with a focus on supply chain quality. Career sectors named on the degree website are: [2]
- Sustainable agriculture and agribusiness
- Food safety and quality control
- Environmental monitoring
- Consulting and NGOs
- International organisations such as FAO and UN agencies
Fees and scholarships
Non-EU students choose between two fee routes. The flat rate depends on citizenship and subject area, with the lowest bracket including countries like India, Nepal, Nigeria and Pakistan. It stays fixed for the normal length of the degree plus one year. [5]
The income-based route uses an equivalent ISEE calculated from your family's income and assets abroad. With an ISEE up to €32,000 students are exempt from the all-inclusive fee, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. [5] You need this route to apply to EDiSU Pavia, the regional right-to-study body, whose scholarship can include a college place, one meal a day and a cash grant. EDiSU decides awards on merit and income.
How to apply from outside the EU
We apply on apply.unipv.eu with your passport, your bachelor's transcript listing exams, marks and credits, a table of the exams that count towards the 45-credit rule, and an English certificate or proof that your degree was taught in English. Documents must be in English, French, Italian or Spanish. [4]
Seats for non-EU students who need a visa are limited: for 2026/27, the third call had no places left for them. For 2027/28, the first call runs from 12 to 18 November 2026 and the second from 12 to 20 January 2027, both open to EU and non-EU applicants. A third call, from 12 to 22 March 2027, opens to non-EU applicants living abroad only if seats remain, so we apply in the first call. Classes start on 14 September 2027. [4]
After admission we complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment, and you apply for a type D study visa at the Italian consulate, which decides the visa. For 2026/27, pre-enrolment for the first three calls closed on 25 May 2026; the 2027/28 date is not yet published. On enrolment your degree must be legalised, apostilled or verified by CIMEA, and degrees from countries outside the Lisbon Recognition Convention also need a declaration of value, a CIMEA statement of comparability or a Diploma Supplement. [3]
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 transcript against Pavia's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your online application on Pavia's portal and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your regional 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 bachelor's degree do I need for the Agri-food Sustainability master at Pavia?
A bachelor's of at least three years with at least 45 credits spread over five listed subject sectors in agriculture, biology, chemistry, earth sciences or civil engineering. Italian agricultural and agri-food degrees meet the curricular rule automatically, and a committee judges every other degree. [1][4]
Is there an entrance exam?
No written test and no cap on numbers. A committee evaluates your degree and documents and may ask you to take an interview. If you have no English certificate, your English is checked in a short interview. [1][4]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2, written and oral. Accepted certificates include IELTS 5.5 to 6.5 Academic, TOEFL iBT 72 to 94, B2 First and the Oxford Test of English B2. IELTS is not compulsory: without a certificate, your English is assessed in a short interview. [1]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2027/28, the first call runs from 12 to 18 November 2026 and the second from 12 to 20 January 2027, both open to non-EU applicants. The March 2027 call opens to non-EU applicants abroad only if seats remain, so we aim for the first call. [4]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. The regulations allow conditional enrolment if you hold at least 150 credits by the application deadline. You can enrol only after an admission interview that checks your preparation. [1]
I have a B.Sc. in Botany or Biotechnology. Can I apply?
Possibly. Botany, plant physiology, genetics, microbiology, ecology and chemistry courses all count towards the 45 credits, which must span five listed subject sectors. The committee then judges whether your degree suits the course. Chemistry, Mathematics and Zoology degrees are listed as not suitable. [1][4]
Is the Agri-food Sustainability master taught online?
It is blended and taught in English. In the 2025/26 regulations, 31 to 33 credits are taught online, depending on the curriculum. For first-year students, the first semester runs online until December, and practical activities on campus in Pavia start in January. [1][4]
What careers does the degree lead to?
The course website names sustainable agriculture and agribusiness, food safety and quality control, environmental monitoring, consulting and NGOs, and international organisations such as FAO and UN agencies. The LM+ option adds two semesters of training at a partner company or organisation. [1][2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Agri-food Sustainability at Pavia?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Pavia's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the regional 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 Agri-food Sustainability?
A recognised Indian bachelor's of at least three years, such as a B.Sc. in Agriculture or a B.Tech in Food Technology, can meet the rule if it has at least 45 credits across five listed agricultural, biological, chemical, earth-science or engineering subject sectors. You also need English at B2. The steps are the online application, committee review with a possible interview and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1][4] 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 Agri-food Sustainability are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application, committee review with a possible interview 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 Agri-food Sustainability are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application, committee review with a possible interview 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 Agri-food Sustainability are the same whatever your nationality, and your degree is assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: online application, committee review with a possible interview 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.
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