Master in Chemical Engineering at Polytechnic University of Milan
Two-year English-taught master at Politecnico di Milano covering transport phenomena, reaction engineering and process systems, with second-year tracks in energy and environment, process design, pharma and innovation.
Master
2 years
Milan
English
Polytechnic University of Milan
Chemical Engineering is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-22) taught in English at Politecnico di Milano's Milano Leonardo campus. After a common first year, students choose a track such as Environment and Energy, Process Design or Biochemical and Pharma. Tuition follows the university's yearly fee rules.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Chemical Engineering admission requires a suitable prior degree, the programme’s curricular and preparation checks, and the applicable language evidence. The course-specific details below come from its 2026/27 regulation; central foreign-degree instructions and the newer 2027/28 language table are labelled separately.
Curricular route and academic threshold
- An L-9 Industrial Engineering bachelor’s is the listed curricular route. An alternative suitable 180-credit degree must contain at least 40 CFU in designated foundational subjects, 40 CFU in chemical-engineering core subjects, 10 CFU in specified chemical/energy/materials/civil fields and 10 CFU in the additional designated fields.
- The standard 2026/27 career threshold is SC = 22 + (min(6, N) − 4), applied to the credit-weighted examination average with the defined bachelor’s duration N. The standard route also limits that duration to six years, subject to the stated higher-degree and exceptional-case conditions.
- The specified Polimi Chemical Engineering direct route requires at least 105 CFU with weighted average 25/30 by the stated second-year session and graduation within four years. A separate Polimi L-8/L-9 route with weighted average at least 28/30 is described for admission without prerequisites.
Pending qualifications and missing subjects
- Pending students may be evaluated under reserve when their graduation session is within the stated six-month horizon and the applicable enrolment deadline. Failure to obtain the qualification in time means a new admission application is necessary.
- The commission checks coherence with the Chemical Engineering bachelor’s curriculum and assigns any missing subjects. Preliminary credits must be completed before enrolment and do not count within the master’s 120 credits.
- The regulation gives 18 months to pass assigned prerequisites. A favourable initial assessment does not remove the English evidence or the prerequisite completion requirement.
- The regulation warns that the adjusted threshold may change for 2027/28 and identifies another admission-model change from 2028/29. The formula quoted here is the 2026/27 rule, not a fixed future threshold.
Foreign-degree qualification, grades and recognition
- The foreign-qualification route requires a recognised university-level bachelor’s degree giving access to second-cycle study, with subjects closely related to this master. Pending students may be evaluated, but the qualification must be obtained before final enrolment under the applicable procedure.
- The International Admissions Office applies strict country-specific qualification and CGPA requirements. Examples on the current page include India 70/100, China 80%, Bangladesh and Pakistan 3.3/4, and Iran 15.5/20. These are country-specific application thresholds, not a single score applicable to every applicant. We check the complete requirements for the country awarding your degree.
- Final recognition evidence is separate from a positive academic evaluation. The university may request a Declaration of Value or CIMEA evidence, and the applicable final-enrolment qualification checks still have to be satisfied.
English evidence and applicable academic year
- English evidence is required on the foreign-degree master’s route. The currently published certificate table is explicitly updated for 2027/28, while the course regulation cited here is for 2026/27. We match the certificate rule and deadline to the intake you are applying for.
- The current table includes IELTS Academic or General Training 6, PTE Academic 59 and LanguageCert ESOL B2 Communicator with four skills. TOEFL iBT/Home Edition requires 78 for tests through 20 January 2026 or 4.5 on the new scale for tests from 21 January 2026. Certificates expired under the issuer’s rules are not accepted.
- The stated English-medium exemption requires a bachelor’s of at least three years and university-certified evidence that at least 75% of its courses were taught in English. A general claim of fluency does not satisfy this documentary route.
- Central international guidance permits language evidence after initial application/evaluation, but requires it for the admission letter, merit-scholarship consideration, visa process and enrolment. The applicable route’s deadline remains mandatory.
- An Italian-taught or mixed Italian/English route also requires the stated B2 Italian evidence under central foreign-degree guidance, with the specified Italian-citizenship exemption. We match this condition to the programme language or track you choose.
Documents to prepare for the foreign-degree application
- The application needs the bachelor’s qualification or permitted final-year/provisional document, official transcript, official CGPA/grading-scale evidence and a CV of no more than two pages. The transcript or diploma can serve as the GPA statement if it contains all required information.
- Academic documents are accepted in Italian, English, French or Spanish. Other languages require the specified official translation. We upload legible scans of original documents with the required stamps/signatures or accepted official verification evidence.
- GRE evidence is optional in the general international engineering application and has no centrally specified minimum score. A motivation letter, recommendation and detailed course descriptions can provide additional evidence; they do not replace mandatory academic documents.
- We complete the dossier before the application fee is paid: the admissions instructions say uploaded documents cannot be changed or supplemented after payment. Incomplete or unpaid applications are not processed. A successful evaluation still needs the subsequent enrolment and recognition steps.
Sources and verification
- Politecnico di Milano. Chemical Engineering: official teaching regulation, academic year 2026/27, sections 6.1-6.3 (admission, curricular preparation and places); reviewed 6 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Master of Science admission with a foreign qualification: Requirements, degree eligibility, recognition and country-specific qualifications/CGPA; current guidance reviewed 6 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. List of documents required by the International Admissions Office, mandatory documents and language evidence; certificate table explicitly updated for 2027/28; reviewed 6 October 2026.
About the programme
Chemical Engineering is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale) in class LM-22, worth 120 ECTS and taught in English by the School of Industrial and Information Engineering at the Milano Leonardo campus.
The degree board describes the chemical engineer as someone who helps find concrete answers to the technological challenges of the new millennium: sustainable processes, environmental protection, cleaner transport and biotechnological systems. The programme combines high-quality teaching with hands-on practice in experimental and computational laboratories, and suits graduates in chemical or process engineering.
What you will study
The first year is shared and covers the scientific and design core of the discipline. In the second year you follow one of four tracks, Environment and Energy, Process Design, Biochemical and Pharma, or Innovation in Chemical Engineering, and choose from more than 50 electives. Units in the 2026/27 course list include:
- Advanced Transport Phenomena
- Chemical and Catalytic Reaction Engineering
- Process Systems Engineering
- Chemical Plants and Process Operations Management
- Electrochemical Technologies for Energy Production and Storage (Environment and Energy)
- Process Design: Principles and Methods (Process Design)
- Manufacturing of Biopharmaceuticals (Biochemical and Pharma)
- Machine Learning for Chemical Engineering (Innovation in Chemical Engineering)
How the programme is taught
Laboratory work is part of the tracks, with units such as the Process Control and Instrumentation Laboratory and the Laboratory of Green Chemistry. Every track ends with thesis work, and the degree board also offers an internship option and international mobility. A few annual electives are taught in Italian, but the tracks themselves are in English.
Career paths
According to the degree board, chemical engineers are in demand across many areas of manufacturing, not only the chemical industry, and in services. Typical responsibilities include:
- Developing processes and products
- Designing plants and machinery for the process industry
- Managing production plants, utilities and maintenance services
- Controlling and optimising plants and processes
- Safety and environmental protection
- Research and development
Fees and scholarships
What you pay depends on Politecnico di Milano's yearly fee rules, set out for 2026/27 on its tuition fees page. Students with financial need can apply for the DSU scholarship, which the Politecnico manages in place of a separate regional body; awards depend on merit and financial conditions, and the university makes the decision.
How to apply from outside the EU
International applicants with a foreign degree follow Politecnico di Milano's international admissions process. Under its requirements for foreign qualifications, your bachelor's must give access to EQF level 7, cover subjects relevant to chemical engineering and reach the minimum grade average for your country. An English certificate is required unless your bachelor's was taught in English.
Once you are admitted, we complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment, and you complete the type D study visa application. A Diploma Supplement, declaration of value or CIMEA statement is needed before enrolment.
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 PoliMi's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your online application through PoliMi's international admissions route and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your Politecnico di Milano 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 is the main degree-class route?
L-9 Industrial Engineering.
How are other degrees assessed?
Against four designated credit groups: 40, 40, 10 and 10 CFU.
Does the threshold depend on study duration?
Yes. The standard 2026/27 formula adjusts the weighted average threshold using the defined duration.
Can I apply while finishing my bachelor’s?
The regulation permits evaluation under reserve under its graduation-session and enrolment-deadline conditions.
How long is allowed for assigned prerequisites?
18 months under the 2026/27 regulation.
Will these thresholds stay the same for the next intake?
Not necessarily. The 2026/27 regulation warns that the adjusted threshold may change for 2027/28 and identifies another admission-model change from 2028/29. [1]
Can someone handle my whole application to Chemical Engineering at PoliMi?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against PoliMi's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the Politecnico di Milano 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 Chemical Engineering?
A B.Tech or B.E. in chemical engineering is closest to the listed L-9 route. Other degrees need at least 40 CFU in foundational subjects, 40 in chemical-engineering core subjects and two further 10 CFU groups. [1] PoliMi's country rules list a minimum of 70/100 for India, and you need English proof such as IELTS 6. [2][3] The steps are the online application, PoliMi's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment. 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 Chemical Engineering are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application, PoliMi's evaluation 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 Chemical Engineering are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application, PoliMi's evaluation 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 Chemical 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, PoliMi's evaluation 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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