Master in Architecture and City Sustainability at University of Parma
Two-year LM-4 architecture master in Parma with full English and Italian paths, laboratory-based studios in design, planning, restoration and BIM, and three second-year curricula. Entry needs an architecture bachelor's and B2 English.
Master
2 years
Parma
Multiple
University of Parma
Architecture and City Sustainability is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-4) taught in English, with an equivalent Italian path, at the University of Parma. Entry needs a three-year bachelor's, designed for architecture graduates (class L-17 or equivalent), and certified English at B2. Grades below 90/110 may lead to an interview. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Parma's Architecture and City Sustainability master asks for a three-year bachelor's, designed for architecture graduates (Italian class L-17 or a recognised foreign equivalent), with curricular requirements and personal preparation checked before enrolment, and certified English at B2 for the English path. Applicants with grades below 90/110 may be interviewed. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree requirement
You need a three-year university degree or diploma, or a qualification obtained abroad that is recognised as suitable. [1] The course is designed for holders of a bachelor's obtained in Italy in class L-17 (Architectural Science) or abroad, and the DreamApply portal is for applicants with a bachelor's of at least three years of higher education. [2][3]
Before enrolment, the university checks your curricular requirements and the adequacy of your personal preparation, following the course's degree regulations. The admission sources do not list credit totals by subject. [1][2]
What this means for your transcript
Italian CFU and the credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit, and Parma looks at your subjects, not just your total. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Arch, the degree closest to an Italian architecture bachelor's.
- Check carefully: a B.Tech or B.E. in Civil Engineering, a B.Planning or a B.Des in interior or spatial design. These share some subjects but may lack architectural design, history or restoration.
- Often short: a B.Sc., BCA, B.Com, BBA or BA, where few subjects match an architecture bachelor's.
Your grades matter too. In 2026/27, applicants with a final grade below 90/110, or a 3.5 GPA or equivalent, could be asked to attend an interview. [2]
English and Italian
The English path needs certified English at B2, added to your pre-evaluation documents. For 2026/27 the course page listed FCE or CAE, IELTS 5.5 or higher and TOEFL 69 or higher as accepted proof, and recognised certificates from TOEFL, IELTS, Trinity College London, Pearson, City and Guilds, Cambridge English and EDI. Other certificates, such as Duolingo, are not accepted. [2]
- Exempt: native speakers, and graduates of a previous course taught in English with an official letter from their university stating the language of teaching. [2]
- Italian: not required to enter the English path, but you must pass an Italian language assessment before graduation. The Italian path needs a B2 certificate (CELI, CILS, ROMA3 or PLIDA) or a pass in the university's Italian test. [2]
Selection
There is no entrance exam. Pre-evaluation is based on the documents you submit, and in 2026/27 applicants with a grade below 90/110 (3.5 GPA or equivalent) could be asked to attend an interview. A portfolio and at least one reference are not mandatory but are recommended. [2] In 2025/26, Parma set 30 places on this course for non-EU applicants needing a visa. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, the DreamApply window for non-EU visa applicants ran from 15 January to 6 April 2026. A second intake from 4 to 26 June 2026 was open only to five other English-taught master's, not this one. [3] In 2025/26, Universitaly visa applications had to arrive by 30 July 2025. [1]
The 2027/28 call is not yet published. For 2026/27, Parma announced the call in November 2025 for publication in mid-December, and the next call sets the new dates. [3]
Documents and non-EU steps
The DreamApply pre-evaluation asks for: [2][3][4]
- Your CV.
- Your language certificate, or a medium of instruction letter.
- Your bachelor's diploma, issued in English or officially translated into Italian.
- Your transcript of records with exams, hours or credits and grades.
- Optional documents such as a portfolio or motivation letter.
One application covers up to three course requests. [2] After a positive outcome you receive a pre-acceptance letter, upload it to your Universitaly visa application, then pre-enrol on Esse3. [1] At enrolment, holders of foreign qualifications deliver their original documents in person to the student office. [2] Parma's admission page also states that non-EU applicants' documents are translated into Italian and legalised by the Italian embassy or consulate, which issues a declaration of value. [4]
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 Parma. Admission to second-cycle degree courses taught in English for non-EU visa applicants, academic year 2025/26. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Parma, DreamApply admissions portal. Architecture and City Sustainability course page, academic year 2026/27 (requirements, languages, fees, structure and careers). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Parma, DreamApply admissions portal. Portal home page, call for admission 2026/27 and second intake notice for non-EU visa applicants. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Parma, Architecture and City Sustainability admission and deadlines page (pre-evaluation documents and legalisation, 2025/26 information). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Architecture and City Sustainability is a two-year laurea magistrale in class LM-4 at the Department of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Parma. It carries 120 ECTS and is taught on site in Parma. The course runs as two equivalent paths, one entirely in Italian and one entirely in English, so international students can follow it entirely in English. [2]
The degree combines theory in core professional subjects with an applied, technical approach to sustainable design and planning. It suits architecture graduates who want to work on new buildings and open spaces, urban and regional planning, and the restoration of existing buildings. It complies with European Directive 85/384/EEC on the mutual recognition of architecture qualifications, and about 50 students enrol each year, half of them from other Italian and international universities. [2]
What you will study
Most modules are organised as laboratories. The first year includes four compulsory integrated studios and a B2 English unit: [2]
- Architectural and Urban Design Studio for the Sustainable City (20 CFU): composition, architecture and urban regeneration, design of structures and innovative technologies for sustainable design.
- Urban Planning Studio for the Sustainable City (20 CFU): urban and sustainable planning, planning assessment techniques, economic evaluation, and landscape planning and design.
- Architectural Restoration Studio (12 CFU): heritage conservation, analysis of existing structures and structural safety.
- Building Information Modeling (8 CFU): digital modelling and visualisation.
- English for Engineering and Architecture (3 CFU, level B2).
The second year adds research methods in architectural history, administrative law for architecture and planning, and environmental applied physics, plus a 13 CFU core studio in your curriculum: [2]
- The design for the architecture of the city (architectural and urban regeneration, or urban strategic sustainable design)
- Restoration and reuse of architecture
- Urban, regional and landscape sustainable planning
How the programme is taught
One credit equals 25 hours: 10 hours of teaching and 15 of individual study. The plan includes a 6-credit internship, 8 credits of electives and an 8-credit final exam. The programme has cooperation agreements with foreign universities, and a double degree with the Université Internationale de Rabat in Morocco is being defined. [2]
Career paths
Graduates develop a broad set of professional skills in the design of buildings and open spaces, planning practice and conservation. After the Italian state exam they can practise independently in Italy. The university reports employment rates of around 100% within three years of graduation. Typical settings include: [2]
- Architecture and design practices
- Urban and regional planning offices
- Restoration and heritage conservation projects
- Public bodies working on urban regeneration
Fees and scholarships
Fees follow family income (ISEE), so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. [2] ER.GO, Emilia-Romagna's right-to-study agency, runs the regional scholarship. You can apply before you arrive in Italy, as you do not need to be enrolled, and missing its deadlines means you cannot apply that year. [1]
How to apply from outside the EU
Non-EU applicants who need a visa apply for pre-evaluation on Parma's DreamApply portal, with a CV, language certificate, bachelor's diploma, transcript and, ideally, a portfolio. One application covers up to three course requests. For 2026/27 the window ran from 15 January to 6 April 2026, and the June second intake did not include this course. [2][3]
A positive pre-evaluation gives you a pre-acceptance letter, which you upload to your Universitaly visa application. You then pre-enrol on Parma's Esse3 system, pay the first instalment and apply for a type D study visa. To finalise enrolment, you deliver your original documents in person to the student office. [1][2] The 2027/28 call is not yet 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 transcript against Parma's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your DreamApply pre-evaluation, Universitaly visa application and Esse3 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 bachelor's degree do I need for Architecture and City Sustainability at Parma?
A three-year university degree or a recognised foreign qualification. The course is designed for architecture graduates (Italian class L-17 or equivalent abroad), and the university checks your curricular requirements and personal preparation before enrolment. [1][2]
Is there an entrance exam or interview?
No entrance exam. Pre-evaluation is based on your documents. In 2026/27, applicants with a final grade below 90/110, or a 3.5 GPA or equivalent, could be asked to attend an interview. [2]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
A certified B2 for the English path. For 2026/27, Parma accepted IELTS 5.5 or higher, TOEFL 69 or higher, Cambridge FCE or CAE and some other certificates, but not Duolingo. Native speakers and English-medium graduates with an official letter are exempt. [2]
Is the course really taught in English?
Yes. It runs as two equivalent paths, one entirely in Italian and one entirely in English. You do not need Italian to enter the English path, but you must pass an Italian language assessment before graduating. [2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, visa applicants applied on DreamApply from 15 January to 6 April 2026. The June second intake did not include this course. The 2027/28 call is not yet published, and it will set the new dates. [3]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. The DreamApply portal is open to applicants who hold, or are about to hold, a bachelor's of at least three years. The sources do not set a graduation date for this course, so we check it against your expected degree date. [3]
I have a B.Tech in Civil Engineering or a B.Planning. Can I apply?
Possibly, but check carefully. The course is designed for architecture graduates, and Parma checks your subjects against its curricular requirements before enrolment. Civil engineering or planning degrees may lack architectural design, history or restoration, so we review your transcript first. [1][2]
Which specialisations can I choose?
In the second year you take a 13 CFU core studio in one of three curricula: design for the architecture of the city, restoration and reuse of architecture, or urban, regional and landscape sustainable planning. [2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Architecture and City Sustainability at Parma?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Parma'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 Architecture and City Sustainability?
An Indian B.Arch is the closest match to the Italian architecture bachelor's (class L-17) this course is designed for, and Parma checks your curricular requirements before enrolment. You need certified English at B2, and a grade below 90/110 or its equivalent may lead to an interview. The steps are DreamApply pre-evaluation, a pre-acceptance letter 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 Architecture and City Sustainability are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: DreamApply pre-evaluation, a pre-acceptance letter 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 Architecture and City Sustainability are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: DreamApply pre-evaluation, a pre-acceptance letter 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 Architecture and City 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: DreamApply pre-evaluation, a pre-acceptance letter 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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