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University of Cagliari (Università degli Studi di Cagliari)
Welcome to a Mediterranean centre of learning
Many applicants search for English‑taught programs in Italy that blend research quality, personal support, and modest fees. The University of Cagliari answers that call. As one of the long‑standing public Italian universities, it offers chances to study in Italy in English while keeping costs close to those at many tuition‑free universities Italy. Established in 1626 and rebuilt after the Second World War, the institution stands today among global rankings for its scientific output, student satisfaction, and regional impact.
A brief history with modern reach
The university began as a Spanish crown college, teaching law, medicine, and philosophy to serve Sardinia. Centuries later, it has evolved into a full research hub with 15 departments and more than 25,000 students. Times Higher Education places it in the 501‑600 band worldwide, noting strong citation scores in physics, computer science, and medicine. Local companies partner with university labs to refine drug discovery, marine engineering, and renewable‑energy storage, building the school’s reputation far beyond the island.
Key academic areas
- Engineering and Architecture: civil, environmental, chemical, and computer engineering.
- Life Sciences: biotechnology, bioinformatics, and marine biology.
- Medicine and Surgery: clinical practice, neuroscience, and sports science.
- Economics, Law, and Political Science: international management, data analytics, and EU policy studies.
- Humanities and Education: archaeology, linguistics, and digital communication.
Many of these departments host English‑taught postgraduate tracks, joint doctorates, and Erasmus mobility exchange, reinforcing the university’s role within the circle of English‑taught programs in Italy.
English‑taught programs in Italy: degree map at Cagliari
The university offers more than a dozen full degrees and numerous single modules in English.
- Master of Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity stream
- Master of Electronic Engineering
- Master of International Management and Sustainability
- Master of Biosciences and Biotechnology
- Joint Doctorate in Sustainable Tourism Management (shared with Spanish and French partners)
Short specialist tracks include Deep Learning for Robotics and Big‑Data Mining for Finance. These options let you study in Italy in English while linking classroom theory to Mediterranean case studies.
Students who prefer Italian instruction can still select up to 40 ECTS in English modules, keeping language skills fresh. Tandem‑learning clubs pair locals and internationals, so everyone benefits.
Scholarships, fees, and the DSU grant
Like all public Italian universities, the University of Cagliari uses income‑based tuition. Annual fees rarely exceed €3,000 and may shrink below €500 when family income meets low‑band thresholds.
DSU grant overview
- Tuition waiver: 100 % of fees removed for eligible income brackets.
- Living stipend: up to €5,600 each academic year.
- Meal plan: two free meals per day in campus cafeterias.
- Accommodation: discounted rooms at university halls.
Regional bodies such as ERSU Sardegna handle DSU applications, yet ApplyAZ guides you through each form, translation, and deadline.
Other support
- Excellence awards: €2,000‑€4,000 for students in the top 10 %.
- Research assistantships: part‑time roles in labs for €600‑€800 per month.
- Industry fellowships: Port Authority and Tiscali sponsor final‑semester projects.
These scholarships for international students in Italy can combine with the DSU grant, lowering net costs to near zero.
Campus architecture and learning resources
Cagliari’s main hub sits on a hill overlooking the lagoon. Buildings mix Baroque façades with high‑glass labs and open makerspaces. Facilities include:
- Digital Innovation Centre: home to Sardegna Ricerche supercomputers.
- Marine Station: vessels, scuba gear, and ocean sensors for field courses.
- Biomedical Complex: simulation wards, MRI scanners, and tissue‑culture suites.
- Language Centre: free IELTS preparation, Italian A1‑C1 classes, and subtitling labs.
Each faculty offers evening help sessions led by doctoral tutors—ideal for non‑native English speakers adjusting to technical vocabulary.
The city: life, cost, and daily rhythm
Cagliari, Sardinia’s capital, hugs a gulf framed by limestone cliffs and pink‑salt lagoons. Its population of 150,000 blends island heritage with student energy.
Affordability
- Rent: €250‑€350 per month for a shared flat.
- Groceries: €150 on average, lower if you use open markets.
- Transport: €25 monthly pass covers buses, trams, and suburban trains.
Compared with mainland metros, you save 20 %‑30 % on living costs, stretching scholarship funds further.
Climate
- Winter: mild, 12 °C average, plenty of sunshine.
- Spring and autumn: perfect for hiking coastal trails.
- Summer: hot but breezy; classes mostly end by July, letting you enjoy beaches.
Public transport
Orange CTM buses run day and night, linking dorms, labs, and entertainment areas. Bike‑sharing stations and e‑scooters serve the flat lowlands. The airport sits 10 minutes by train, connecting you to Rome and Milan in one hour.
Culture and leisure
- Roman amphitheatre concerts and open‑air cinema nights.
- Sardinian folk festivals with masks, horses, and pipe music.
- Street‑art routes and indie‑music bars in the Marina district.
- Mediterranean diet celebrated in student canteens: fregola, sea urchin pasta, and pecorino cheese.
Erasmus Student Network organises wind‑surf weekends and language‑exchange aperitivos, making it easy to build friendships.
Industry scene: jobs and internships
Sardinia’s economy blends traditional and high‑tech domains.
Key sectors
- ICT: Tiscali, CRS4 research park, and start‑ups in cybersecurity and cloud computing.
- Energy transition: Enel Green Power solar projects and Wave Power pilot plants.
- Marine and aerospace: Fincantieri ship repair, Dassault Systems flight‑test outpost.
- Tourism and culture: luxury resorts, archaeological consulting, and event management.
- Agri‑food: organic wine, botanical extracts, and nutraceutical labs.
Internship offices connect students with these employers through career days and project challenges. For example, data‑science students may analyse sailing‑race telemetry, while automation engineers program robots that pack pecorino rounds. Humanities students curate VR tours of Nuragic ruins, merging culture with tech.
Innovation hubs
- Parco Tecnologico di Pula: houses biotech and AI ventures; offers summer traineeships.
- INAF‑Sardinia Radio Telescope: physics students assist in pulsar data crunching.
- Port of Cagliari Smart Logistics Cluster: engineers model container‑flow algorithms.
Local authorities run “Voucher Tirocinio” schemes giving stipends to companies that host international interns. These keep costs down for small firms and open many positions.
Relevant industries for every faculty
- Economic analysis: fintech for small islands and blue economy forecasting.
- Engineering: aerospace composites, renewable micro‑grids, and hydrogen storage.
- Life sciences: marine pharmaceutics, coral eco‑genomics, and anti‑aging compounds.
- Law and policy: EU maritime law, migration studies, and smart city governance.
- Humanities: digital archives of Phoenician artefacts and endangered dialect preservation.
This variety ensures that whatever field you choose, Cagliari provides specialised avenues for research, internships, or entrepreneurial trials.
Support services and student welfare
- Buddy programme: older internationals help new arrivals with housing and healthcare forms.
- Counselling centre: free sessions in English and Italian.
- Sports association: discounted sailing, climbing, and five‑a‑side leagues.
- Career mentoring: LinkedIn clinics, mock interviews, and start‑up incubator workshops.
These services ensure you can focus on learning rather than paperwork or stress.
Why Cagliari stands out
- Historic campus plus modern labs in one setting.
- Lower living costs than mainland capitals.
- Strong funding through DSU grant and additional aid.
- Fast air links to Europe and rich Sardinian culture at your doorstep.
- Job market that values English‑speaking graduates with technical or creative skills.
Picture your next step
Imagine coding a hydro‑meter predictor by day, watching flamingos at sunset, and enjoying pasta alla bottarga with classmates after study. Picture printing your thesis on algae‑derived paper, knowing the research fed directly into a start‑up trial. This is the rhythm that awaits at the University of Cagliari.
In two minutes we’ll confirm whether you meet the basic entry rules for tuition-free, English-taught degrees in Italy. We’ll then quickly see if we still have space for you this month. If so, you’ll get a personalised offer. Accept it, and our experts hand-craft a shortlist of majors that fit your grades, goals, and career plans. Upload your documents once; we submit every university and scholarship application, line up multiple admission letters, and guide you through the visa process—backed by our admission-and-scholarship guarantee.
Chemical and Biotechnological Process Engineering LM‑22 at University of Cagliari
A gateway to English‑taught programs in Italy
Future engineers often want rigorous science, hands‑on labs, and fair fees. This master meets those goals. It belongs to the network of public Italian universities, stands beside many tuition‑free universities Italy for affordability, and ranks high among English‑taught programs in Italy for process design and biotechnology.
Why this LM‑22 matters
The world needs safer medicines, cleaner fuels, and circular materials. Chemical and Biotechnological Process Engineering trains you to design, scale, and optimise sustainable reactions. You handle enzymes, catalysts, membranes, and data models—all taught fully in English.
Core value points
- Interdisciplinary courses merging chemistry, biology, and engineering.
- Continuous project work with industrial partners.
- Income‑linked tuition; top students often pay zero after DSU grant.
- Scholarships for international students in Italy targeting emerging‑technology topics.
- Accreditation aligned with European Qualification Framework Level 7.
Public Italian universities: quality with controlled fees
The University of Cagliari sets tuition according to verified income. Many learners pay less than €1,000 per year. Combine that with the DSU grant—Italy’s flagship aid covering fees, meals, and accommodation—and you approach the cost profile of tuition‑free universities Italy while accessing top‑tier facilities.
Programme structure at a glance
Duration and credits
- Two academic years.
- Four semesters.
- 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).
Year‑one core modules
- Advanced Transport Phenomena.
- Thermodynamics of Multiphase Systems.
- Catalytic Reactor Design.
- Bioprocess Fundamentals.
- Process Data Analysis with Python.
Year‑two specialised tracks
Choose two clusters:
- Biorefinery Engineering
- Biomass Pretreatment and Hydrolysis
- Fermentation Technology
- Green Chemical Synthesis
- Heterogeneous Catalysis for Fine Chemicals
- Life‑Cycle Assessment and Eco‑Design
- Separation and Purification
- Membrane Operations
- Chromatographic Reactors
- Process Safety and Control
- Risk Analysis and HAZOP
- Model‑Predictive Control for Continuous Plants
Each cluster carries 12 ECTS. You close the degree with a 30‑ECTS thesis, often co‑supervised by industry.
Learning methods
Lecturers use flipped classrooms. Short videos deliver theory before sessions, freeing face‑to‑face time for solving flow‑sheet problems or debugging Matlab code. Weekly quizzes keep you on pace. Labs simulate real reactors; you measure pH, monitor gas emissions, and apply machine learning to sensor data.
Assessment tools
- Written tests with open‑ended design questions.
- Group reports critiqued in peer‑review workshops.
- Oral defences using digital process simulators.
- Poster sessions judged by academic and industrial panels.
Facilities for LM‑22 students
- Pilot Plant Hall: stainless‑steel reactors from 10 L to 200 L with automatic dosing.
- Biotech Suite: fermenters, biosafety cabinets, and protein‑purification skids.
- Analytical Core: GC‑MS, HPLC, FT‑IR, and thermal analysis instruments.
- Process Simulation Room: Aspen Plus, COMSOL, and openFOAM licences on high‑performance workstations.
- Safety Training Area: augmented‑reality modules on hazard recognition and emergency drills.
Integrating research with teaching
Professors lead EU Horizon projects on green hydrogen loops, microalgae bioreactors, and plastic‑to‑fuel pyrolysis. Graduate students join these teams as paid assistants. Typical tasks:
- Calibrating Raman probes inside high‑pressure reactors.
- Coding neural‑net models to predict enzyme productivity.
- Writing literature reviews for regulatory tech briefs.
Such exposure builds a strong CV and may turn into journal co‑authorship.
Admission requirements
Academic background
- Bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS) in chemical engineering, biotechnology, environmental engineering, or related fields.
- Transcript showing at least 24 ECTS in maths and physics, 12 ECTS in basic chemistry or biology.
Language
- English level B2: IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 80, or proof of previous English‑medium degree.
Documents
- CV in Europass format.
- Motivation letter (max 700 words).
- One academic reference.
- Passport copy and photo.
Applications close in early spring for autumn intake and late autumn for February intake. Early submission raises scholarship chances.
Funding routes
DSU grant
- Tuition waiver.
- Up to €6,000 yearly stipend.
- Two free canteen meals daily.
- Priority dorm access.
Other scholarships for international students in Italy
- Excellence award: €2,500–€5,000 for top 5 % of candidates.
- Women in STEM bursary: €2,000 in first year.
- Green Chemistry thesis grant: research budget plus €1,000 travel aid.
- Erasmus+ mobility fund: monthly allowance when studying abroad in semester three.
Industry connections
- Petrochemical transition: plant retrofits for bio‑naphtha.
- Pharma biotech: enzyme scale‑up for orphan drugs.
- Food technology: extraction of flavour compounds by supercritical CO₂.
- Renewable‑energy chemicals: ammonia cracking and hydrogen storage.
Partner firms judge project weeks, host interns, and recruit graduates. Recent students now work at multinational catalysts companies, algae‑derived protein start‑ups, and carbon‑capture pilot sites.
Career outcomes
- Process engineer designing reactors and separation trains.
- Bioprocess specialist scaling microbial fermentation.
- R&D chemist synthesising biodegradable polymers.
- Environmental compliance adviser calculating plant emissions.
- Doctoral researcher developing enzyme immobilisation methods.
Surveys show 90 % placement within six months. The LM‑22 code aligns with Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework, helping with professional‑engineer registration across the EU.
Soft‑skill training
- Project management: Gantt charts, risk matrices, cost estimation.
- Scientific writing: from lab notes to peer‑reviewed articles.
- Presentation skills: slide design and confident delivery.
- Ethics and regulation: REACH, GMO rules, and data integrity.
These modules ensure you can lead interdisciplinary teams and discuss plans with non‑technical stakeholders.
Student support and community
- Buddy scheme: senior students mentor newcomers on lab safety and e‑learning portals.
- Career office: CV clinics, mock interviews, and employer matchmaking.
- Mental‑health service: counsellors fluent in several languages.
- Language centre: free Italian classes from A1 to B2 to ease daily life.
- Entrepreneurship lab: start‑up weekends and patent clinics for product ideas.
Continuous improvement
Every semester ends with anonymous surveys. A quality board, including student reps, reviews feedback. Recent updates:
- Added a module on enzymatic plastics recycling.
- Doubled lab hours for membrane separations.
- Integrated Python notebooks in thermodynamics lessons.
Typical weekly timetable
- Monday: Reactor Design (lecture) + Catalysis Lab.
- Tuesday: Transport Phenomena problem‑solving + Python workshop.
- Wednesday: Bioprocess Seminar + team project meeting.
- Thursday: Life‑Cycle Assessment studio + peer review.
- Friday: Thermodynamics quiz + career office drop‑in.
This rhythm blends theory, hands‑on practice, and professional development.
Key takeaways
- High‑impact curriculum merging chemical and biotechnological engineering.
- English delivery inside a respected public Italian university.
- Low, income‑linked fees with extra funding from DSU grant and merit awards.
- Advanced laboratories and live research projects.
- Strong career outcomes in green chemistry, biotech, and process safety.
Ready for this programme?
If you qualify and we still have a spot this month, we’ll reserve your place with ApplyAZ. Our team will tailor a set of best-fit majors—including this course—and handle every form and deadline for you. One upload, many applications, guaranteed offers, DSU grant support, and visa coaching: that’s the ApplyAZ promise. Start now and secure your spot before this month’s intake fills up.
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