Master in Automation Engineering and Control of Complex Systems at University of Catania
Two-year English-taught LM-25 master's at the University of Catania in control, robotics, sensors and industrial automation, with Automation and Automation for Biotechnology curricula and a double degree with ISEP Porto.
Master
2 years
Catania
English
University of Catania
Automation Engineering and Control of Complex Systems is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-25) taught in English at the University of Catania. Non-EU applicants need a three-year bachelor's with solid maths, control, electronics and computing, English at B2 (such as IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL 72) and at least 50/100 in a selection. With an ERSU Catania scholarship, the degree can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Catania's Automation Engineering and Control of Complex Systems master asks non-EU applicants for a foreign bachelor's of at least three years with solid maths, science and automation subjects, English at B2 (such as IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL 72) and at least 50/100 in a selection based on your academic record, its relevance, a reference letter and your motivation. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and subject knowledge
You need a bachelor's degree or higher of at least three years, obtained abroad, that gives access to master's study in its own country. You also need adequate knowledge of: [1]
- Basic subjects: mathematical and numerical analysis, linear algebra and geometry, probability and statistics, physics and chemistry.
- Programme subjects: computer science, automatic control and systems theory, electronics and signal theory.
- Method: the ability to use maths and the basic sciences to describe engineering problems.
Preferred degrees are in automation, electronic, computer, telecommunications, electrical, mechanical and industrial engineering. The committee judges your knowledge from the ECTS credits and marks in your transcript, and your methodological skills from projects in your degree or equivalent experience. [1]
What this means for your transcript
The call sets no fixed credit totals, so the committee weighs your subjects and marks against the list above. As a guide, based on that rule:
- Usually a fit: a B.Tech or B.E. in Electronics and Communication, Electrical, Computer Science or Electronics and Telecommunication, all preferred fields, especially with courses in control systems and signals.
- Check carefully: a B.Tech in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering is a preferred field but may include little electronics, signal theory or control. A B.Sc. in Physics, Mathematics or Computer Science, or a BCA, is not on the preferred list and may lack control and electronics.
- Often short: a B.Com, BBA or BA, which rarely covers the maths, physics and engineering subjects.
English
English at CEFR B2 or higher, shown by one of: [1]
- IELTS overall 5.5 or higher.
- TOEFL total of at least 72.
- Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) or higher.
- A certificate from the university that awarded your bachelor's or master's stating that English was the official language of the course.
- A declaration that you are a citizen of a country whose official language is English.
Selection
There is no fixed entrance exam. A committee of at least three professors scores each application out of 100: [1]
- Academic record: up to 50 points.
- Relevance of your previous studies to this master's: up to 40 points.
- Reference letter: up to 5 points.
- Motivation: up to 5 points.
You need at least 50/100 to be eligible, and ties go to the younger candidate. The committee can also ask for an online interview or test. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad applied from 10 February 2026 at 12:00 to 17 March 2026 at 23:59 (GMT+1), and rankings were due by 6 May 2026. Applicants still studying had to graduate by 31 July 2026. Admitted students had 15 days from the admission email to confirm their place. The next call sets the 2027/28 dates. [1]
Documents and non-EU steps
The online application on the Smartedu portal needs: [1]
- The personal data pages of your passport.
- Your degree certificate, or an enrolment certificate with your expected graduation date.
- A transcript with exams, marks, the minimum and maximum marks and, if possible, your GPA.
- Official syllabi of all your courses, on your university's letterhead or stamped.
- A reference letter, preferably from a professor, written for this application.
- A Europass CV in English.
- Your English certificate.
- A motivation letter in English of up to 4,000 characters.
- The signed summary sheet.
Documents not in Italian or English need an official translation. After paying the confirmation fee you receive an admission letter for Universitaly pre-enrolment and the study visa. On arrival you hand in your passport with visa, tax code, an ENIC-NARIC statement of comparability or Declaration of Value, and your residence permit application. If your visa is not ready in time, you can ask to enrol in 2027/28 without applying again. [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 Catania. Public selection for the admission of non-EU students living abroad to master's degree programmes, including Automation Engineering and Control of Complex Systems (LM-25), academic year 2026/27, with the programme annex. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Catania, Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering. Automation Engineering and Control of Complex Systems programme page (course overview). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Automation Engineering and Control of Complex Systems is a two-year master's degree in automation engineering (class LM-25), run by the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering (DIEEI) of the University of Catania. It carries 120 ECTS over four semesters, is fully taught in English and is based in Catania, with open admission.
The course gives a deep grounding in the technical and scientific core of automation, together with related subjects, so that graduates can design traditional automation systems and also tackle new problems in emerging fields. [2] Unlike other information engineers, the automation engineer focuses on analysing, designing and building the control system of a process. It suits graduates in automation, electronic, computer, electrical or mechanical engineering.
What you will study
You choose between two curricula, Automation and Automation for Biotechnology, and add 9 ECTS of free electives and 3 ECTS of extra skills courses. Units in the 2026/27 plan include:
- Robust Control and Nonlinear Systems Control
- Modeling and Control of Electromechanical Systems
- Modeling and Simulation of Mechanical Systems
- Sensors and Advanced Measurement Strategies and a Laboratory of Sensors and Sensing Systems
- Robotics, Industrial Automation and Process Modeling and Control
- Complex Adaptive Systems and Biorobotics and Deep Learning
- Biotechnology units such as Bioengineering and Synthetic Biology, Bio-electricity in the Human Body, and Biotechnology and Lab-on-a-Chip
How the programme is taught
Classes and thesis work use DIEEI laboratories for robotics (including KUKA industrial manipulators, mobile robots and drones), industrial automation with Siemens and Schneider PLCs, sensors, microfluidics, biorobotics and complex systems. The thesis is worth 18 ECTS (450 hours) and can be carried out over up to six months at companies and research institutions. A double degree with the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), running since 2023/24, offers four places a year through its own call.
Career paths
The university lists these main employers for automation engineers:
- Manufacturing companies with automated or robotic plants
- Service companies that model dynamic systems, signals and images or build decision support systems
- Electromechanical, electronic, microelectronic, aerospace, automotive, railway, naval, biomedical and agri-food companies with automatic control departments
- Engineering and consulting firms designing advanced control systems
- Home automation, medical, healthcare, security, transport and civil protection companies
- Research and development bodies, and technical training organisations
Fees and scholarships
For 2026/27, the top five candidates in each ranking were offered a university scholarship of €2,000 a year for two years, with the second year confirmed for students who pass at least 30 CFU by 15 October 2027. [1] The ISEP double degree call names its own scholarships. ERSU Catania gives regional scholarships on merit and family income, so the degree can be tuition-free for eligible students.
How to apply from outside the EU
For this degree the committee judges your maths, science and engineering subjects from the ECTS credits and marks in your transcript, and your methodological skills from the projects in your degree or equivalent experience. [1] Applications go through the Smartedu portal with a CV, reference letter, motivation letter, course syllabi and English certificate; 50 out of 100 points are needed. For 2026/27 the window ran from 10 February to 17 March 2026, and rankings were due by 6 May 2026. The next call sets the 2027/28 dates. [1]
Once admitted, you confirm your place, we pre-enrol you on Universitaly, and you apply for a type D study visa.
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 Catania's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your online application, enrolment confirmation and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ERSU Catania 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 Automation Engineering at Catania?
A foreign bachelor's of at least three years with solid maths, physics and chemistry plus computer science, control and systems theory, electronics and signal theory. Preferred degrees are in automation, electronic, computer, telecommunications, electrical, mechanical or industrial engineering. [1]
Is there an entrance test?
No fixed exam. A committee scores your academic record (50 points), the relevance of your studies (40), your reference letter (5) and motivation (5). You need at least 50/100, and the committee may ask for an online interview or test. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2: IELTS 5.5, TOEFL 72 or Cambridge FCE, a certificate from your university that your degree was taught in English, or citizenship of a country whose official language is English. [1]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad applied on the Smartedu portal from 10 February to 17 March 2026, and rankings came out by 6 May 2026. The 2027/28 call is not yet published. [1]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. For 2026/27, final-year students could apply if they graduated by 31 July 2026, sending an enrolment certificate that shows the expected graduation date. [1]
I have a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering or a BCA. Can I apply?
A Mechanical B.Tech is a preferred field, but check your control, electronics and signal theory courses. A BCA is not on the preferred list and often lacks control and electronics, so the relevance score can be low. [1]
Are there scholarships?
For 2026/27, the top five in each ranking were offered a university scholarship of €2,000 a year for two years. [1] ERSU Catania gives regional scholarships on merit and family income, so the degree can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Which curricula and double degree are offered?
Two curricula: Automation, and Automation for Biotechnology. A double degree with the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto offers four places a year through a call issued in October or November.
Can someone handle my whole application to Automation Engineering at Catania?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Catania's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ERSU Catania 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 Automation Engineering?
A recognised three-year Indian bachelor's, such as a B.Tech or B.E. in Electronics, Electrical or Computer Science, fits the preferred fields if it covers maths, control, electronics and signal theory. You need English at B2, such as IELTS 5.5, and at least 50/100 in the selection. The steps are the online application, the confirmation fee 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 Automation Engineering are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application, enrolment confirmation 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 Automation Engineering are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application, enrolment confirmation 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 Automation Engineering 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, enrolment confirmation 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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