Master in Cellular and Molecular Biology at University of Cagliari
Two-year biology master at the University of Cagliari whose Advanced Cellular Studies curriculum is taught in English, with bioinformatics, genomics, virology, laboratory practice and a double degree option with Taipei Medical University.
Master
2 years
Cagliari
Multiple
University of Cagliari
The Master in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Cagliari is a two-year, 120 ECTS degree (class LM-6) whose Advanced Cellular Studies curriculum is taught fully in English; the other curriculum is in Italian. It can lead to a double degree with Taipei Medical University. Tuition is income-based, and this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Cagliari’s Cellular and Molecular Biology master is an open-access LM-6 degree with Italian Molecular Cytology and English Advanced Cellular Studies curricula. The 2026/27 regulation distinguishes the Italian curricular-credit route from content review for non-Italian applicants whose qualifications do not express equivalent Italian credits. Reviewed 6 October 2026. [1][2]
Qualification and Italian curricular-credit route
A three-year degree or university diploma, or a suitable recognised equivalent foreign qualification, is required for the Italian-applicant route described in Article 9. Curricular requirements and personal preparation are separate checks. [1]
The minimum subject-credit framework is 12 CFU in the listed mathematics, physics, computing or computer-engineering sectors; 12 in the specified chemistry sectors; and at least 48 in BIOS biological-science sectors. The regulation identifies MATH-01/A-06/A, PHYS-01/A-06/B, INFO-01/A and IINF-05/A in the first group, and CHEM-01/A, CHEM-02/A, CHEM-03/A, CHEM-05/A and CHEM-01/B in chemistry. The university determines recognised credits. [1]
All conditions must be acquired before matriculation. Graduates missing curricular credits may still sit the preparation assessment and recover the missing content through single courses, but taking the assessment does not cancel the curricular requirement. [1]
Non-Italian qualifications and required life-science content
For non-Italian EU or non-EU applicants whose qualifications do not have an equivalent in Italian CFU, Article 9 requires a three-year degree in life sciences and adequate specific preparation. This route is based on the documented subject knowledge rather than a conversion of every foreign credit into Italian CFU. [1]
Cell-biology preparation includes eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell structure, the organisation and physiological role of cellular components, biological membranes, genome structure, cell replication including mitosis and meiosis, cell-cycle regulation and photosynthesis. [1]
Biochemistry preparation includes protein structure and function, enzyme catalysis, bioenergetics, metabolic pathways, cellular redox reactions, and basic methods for protein purification and characterisation. Genetics and molecular biology include DNA/RNA structure, replication, mutation and repair, transcription, RNA processing, protein synthesis, gene regulation, recombination and inheritance. [1]
Personal-preparation assessment
Admission is subject to a preliminary curricular evaluation and an assessment of personal preparation, according to the annual General Study Manifesto and admission calendar. The standing course page describes an admission interview and identifies biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, microbiology and physiology as preparation areas. [1][2]
The Italian-applicant preparation review covers basic biological knowledge of living organisms at morphological, functional and structural levels. Molecular Cytology additionally requires biochemical, cellular and molecular mechanisms of heredity, reproduction and development. A suitable degree title alone does not replace the assessment. [1]
English B1 at entry and B2 for the English curriculum
All entering students require at least B1 English. Advanced Cellular Studies students must reach at least B2 before English-taught classes begin. The degree coordinates dedicated English instruction before those teaching activities, so the regulation distinguishes entry level from the level needed at the start of English classes. [1]
Article 16 provides a first-year language unit and final assessment worth 3 CFU to achieve B2, or recognition of an existing international certificate by the language instructor. Advanced Cellular Studies schedules its language instruction in the last two weeks of September. Language requirements may be waived for a degree from an accredited institution where English is the main teaching language, subject to the programme’s decision. [1]
Applicants using a special international call follow that call’s evidence and timing requirements, which may require B2 certification at application. The older UNICORE refugee-route attachment is not a universal rule for every applicant. [1]
Admission timing and separate double-degree selection
The standing enrolling page still contains a specifically dated May 2024 interview notice. It is not a 2026/27 appointment or deadline. We follow the current annual admission calendar and the faculty’s instructions for your assessment and matriculation. [1][2]
The regulation reserves 20 non-EU places for the degree. The Taipei Medical University double degree is a separate opportunity for at most 2 students per cohort in Advanced Cellular Studies and involves the second year at the partner institution. Admission to the master does not automatically allocate that mobility place. [1]
Source version and preparation checklist
The regulation expressly covers 2026/27 and was published on 23 July 2026. The file needs your degree and transcript, subject descriptions and laboratory background relevant to the listed biology areas, evidence of English level, and any single-course integrations. We confirm whether the Italian CFU framework or the foreign life-science content route applies to your qualification. [1]
Sources and verification
- University of Cagliari, Regolamento didattico di Biologia Cellulare e Molecolare, 2026/27, Articles 9 and 16, published 23 July 2026; reviewed 6 October 2026.
- University of Cagliari, Cellular and Molecular Biology: Iscriversi, standing interview guidance, retaining a specifically dated 2024/25 notice; reviewed 6 October 2026.
About the programme
Cellular and Molecular Biology (Biologia Cellulare e Molecolare) is a two-year master's degree in class LM-6 (biology) at the University of Cagliari, run by the Faculty of Biology and Pharmacy and worth 120 ECTS.
It has two curricula: Molecular Cytology, taught in Italian, and Advanced Cellular Studies (ACS), taught entirely in English. International applicants who need an English-taught path choose ACS.
Access is open, subject to curricular requirements and a check of your preparation.
The degree builds on a first degree in biology with advanced study of cellular, subcellular and molecular processes, bioinformatics and their uses in the pharmaceutical, chemical and biotechnology sectors.
The faculty is based at the Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, just outside Cagliari. The ACS curriculum suits biology graduates aiming at laboratory research, diagnostics or a PhD.
What you will study
In the Advanced Cellular Studies curriculum every unit is taught in English. The first year combines advanced methods, bioinformatics, biochemistry and genomics with laboratory practice; the second turns to cancer biology, nutrition and microbiology before the thesis. Units in the ACS study plan include:
- Advanced Biological Methodologies
- Bioinformatics
- Metabolic Biochemistry
- Evolutionary Genomics
- Molecular Virology
- Cellular and Molecular Bases of Cancer and Tissue Regeneration
- Cellular and Molecular Basis of Nutrition
- Molecular Microbiology
The first year also includes Basis of Scientific Methodology and a 3 ECTS English unit, and each year leaves room for elective units.
How the programme is taught
Laboratory work carries real weight in the ACS curriculum: 10 ECTS of laboratory practice in the first year and 13 ECTS in the second, in university research laboratories or in public or private facilities that have an agreement with the university, always under a faculty supervisor.
The degree ends with a 12 ECTS experimental thesis, written like a scientific paper and defended in public.
ACS students can also apply for a double degree awarded by the University of Cagliari and Taipei Medical University, with the second year spent in Taiwan.
Career paths
The professional profile is the molecular biologist. After the Italian state exam, graduates can register in section A of the national order of biologists. The university lists these outlets:
- Pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries
- Laboratories for biological, microbiological and molecular diagnostics and quality control
- Environmental and water quality analysis
- Public administration and consulting
- Science communication
- PhD programmes and other postgraduate study
Fees and scholarships
Cagliari sets tuition by income, using the ISEE.
In 2026/27 fees at the Faculty of Biology and Pharmacy follow family income (ISEE). First-year students with an ISEE of €24,335.11 or less are exempt, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students.
International students need an ISEE parificato issued by a CAF on family income and assets abroad; without it, the top band applies.
ERSU Cagliari scholarship winners and eligible students are also exempt.
How to apply from outside the EU
We choose the Advanced Cellular Studies curriculum when we apply, since the other path is taught in Italian.
Starting with 2026/27, the university handles enrolment through its UNICA DREAM APPLY portal, and a limited number of places is reserved for non-EU applicants who need a visa.
We also complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment, which the Italian consulate uses to process the type D study visa.
In 2025/26 non-EU applicants living abroad had to finish the Universitaly step by 31 August; the 2027/28 dates had not been published by September 2026. We handle the questions with the university’s foreign students office.
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 Cagliari's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your UNICA DREAM APPLY application and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ERSU Cagliari 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 prior degree is required for the foreign content route?
For non-Italian applicants whose qualifications lack equivalent Italian CFU, the regulation requires a three-year life-science degree and adequate preparation in the listed cellular, biochemical and genetic subjects. [1]
What credit minima apply in the Italian curricular framework?
12 CFU in the listed mathematics/physics/computing sectors, 12 in chemistry and at least 48 in BIOS biological-science sectors. [1]
Is a preparation assessment required?
Yes. Admission follows preliminary curricular review and a personal-preparation assessment according to the annual admission calendar. [1]
Is B2 English required at the initial entry stage?
The regulation sets at least B1 for all entering students. Advanced Cellular Studies students must reach B2 before English-taught classes begin; a special international call may set earlier evidence requirements. [1]
Can an English-medium degree support a language waiver?
The regulation permits a waiver for a degree from an accredited institution where English is the principal teaching language, subject to programme verification. [1]
Can missing curricular credits be recovered?
Graduates may take the preparation assessment and recover missing credits through single courses, but all required conditions must be completed before matriculation. [1]
Can someone handle my whole application to Cellular and Molecular Biology at Cagliari?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Cagliari's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ERSU Cagliari 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 Cellular and Molecular Biology?
A three-year Indian B.Sc. in a life-science subject, such as biology, zoology, botany or biotechnology, is assessed through the foreign content route, which looks for adequate preparation in cell biology, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology. You need at least B1 English at entry and B2 before English-taught classes begin, then a curricular evaluation and a personal-preparation assessment. [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 Cellular and Molecular Biology are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: an application through UNICA DREAM APPLY, the curricular evaluation and preparation assessment, 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 Cellular and Molecular Biology are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: an application through UNICA DREAM APPLY, the curricular evaluation and preparation assessment, 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 Cellular and Molecular Biology 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: an application through UNICA DREAM APPLY, the curricular evaluation and preparation assessment, 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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