Master in Control Systems Engineering at University of Padua
English-taught master in automatic control and robotics at Padua's Department of Information Engineering, with five paths from artificial intelligence to complex systems. Entry needs credits in maths and physics, computing and automatic control, plus English at B2.
Master
2 years
Padua
English
University of Padua
Control Systems Engineering is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-25) taught in English at the University of Padua. Entry needs a degree of at least three years in engineering or a related field, with credits in maths and physics, computing and automatic control, a grade that meets your country's minimum, and English at B2. Regional scholarship winners are exempt from fees, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Padua's Control Systems Engineering master asks for a degree of at least three years in engineering or a related field, with set credits in maths and physics, computing and automatic control, a final grade that meets your country's minimum, and English at B2. The 2027/28 application page lists no entrance test. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and credit requirements
You need a degree of at least three years, or a recognised equivalent, in engineering or a related field such as mathematics, with proven skills in information engineering, physics and mathematics. [2]
The course regulations, which apply from the 2025/26 cohort, set these minimum credits: [1]
- 20 CFU in mathematics and physics: experimental physics, algebra, geometry, mathematical analysis, and probability and statistics (sectors FIS/01, MAT/02, MAT/03, MAT/05 and MAT/06).
- 12 CFU in computing and information engineering: computer science, electronics, electromagnetic fields, telecommunications, information processing, bioengineering, electrical and electronic measurement, applied mechanics, or electrical machines and drives (sectors INF/01, ING-INF/01, 02, 03, 05, 06 and 07, ING-IND/13 and ING-IND/32).
- 12 CFU in automatic control (sector ING-INF/04).
The programme assumes you already know calculus in one and several variables, linear algebra and geometry, differential equations, Fourier, Laplace and Z transforms, linear time-invariant signals and systems, probability and statistics, the basics of random processes, computer architecture, and structured or object-oriented programming, plus the basics of automatic control and systems theory. [1]
Minimum grade by country
The regulations set a minimum final grade of 84/110 or equivalent, and for foreign degrees the degree council sets the assessment criteria. [1] The university's 2027/28 country table lists these entry titles and minimum grades for master's degrees: [3]
- India: a 3 or 4-year Honours bachelor's, a professional bachelor's of 4, 5 or 5.5 years, or a 3-year pass or general bachelor's plus a postgraduate bachelor's or a master's of at least one year. Minimum GPA 70/100, 7.0/10, 5.6/8 or 2.8/4.
- Pakistan: a 3-year bachelor's (Honours), a 4 or 5-year professional bachelor's, or a 2-year pass bachelor's plus a 2-year master's, an LL.B. or a B.Ed. Minimum GPA 3.3/4.0.
- Bangladesh: a 4-year Honours bachelor's or a 4 or 5-year professional bachelor's. Minimum GPA 3.3/4.0.
- Sri Lanka: a 4-year bachelor's or a Special Degree. Minimum GPA 3.0/4.0.
What this means for your transcript
Italian CFU and the credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit, and the committee looks at the subjects you studied, not just your total. As a guide, based on the rules above:
- Usually a fit: a four-year B.Tech or B.E. in Electrical, Electronics, Electronics and Communication, or Instrumentation and Control Engineering whose transcript shows engineering maths, signals and systems, and control systems, with a grade above your country's minimum.
- Check carefully: a B.Tech or B.E. in Computer Science, IT or Mechanical Engineering. Maths, physics and computing are usually covered, but the 12 credits in automatic control are often limited to one course or missing.
- Often short: a BCA or a B.Sc. in Computer Science, Mathematics or Physics, which rarely includes automatic control or signals and systems. From India, a three-year pass or general bachelor's also needs a postgraduate qualification to meet the country rule. A B.Com, BBA or BA is usually far from the credit rule.
For foreign degrees, the admission committee checks the curricular requirements. If your record is strong but your degree does not match the credit rule exactly, the regulations allow a different starting path or specific admission tests. [1]
English
English at CEFR level B2. [2] The course regulations describe the level as receptive B2. [1] For 2027/28, accepted B2 scores include IELTS Academic or General Training 6.0, TOEFL iBT 86 for tests taken until 20 January 2026 or 4.5 for tests taken from 21 January 2026, PTE Academic 65, Cambridge B2 First 173, Trinity ISE II, Oxford Test of English 126 and Duolingo English Test 115. [4]
A certificate must still be valid or, where it has no expiry date, have been obtained within the two years before 15 September 2026. You can upload it after applying, up to 31 July 2027. [4]
You are exempt if you are a native speaker from a listed English-speaking country, such as the United Kingdom or the United States, or if you completed your qualification entirely in English in one of those countries or in the EU or Schengen area. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are not on that list. [4]
Selection
The programme has open admission with requirements, and the 2027/28 application page does not list an entrance test. [2][7] An admission committee checks a foreign degree against the credit rule, and your final grade and English are assessed under criteria set by the degree council. [1]
2027/28 deadlines
Non-EU applicants living abroad can apply in Call One, from 15 September to 15 November 2026, or Call Two, from 1 December 2026 to 1 March 2027. Call Three, from 1 April to 1 June 2027, is only for EU citizens and non-EU citizens living in Italy. You can apply to a programme only once per academic year, and studies start on 1 October 2027. [2]
You can apply before graduating, but you must complete your degree by 31 July 2027. [3]
Documents and non-EU steps
Your entry qualification documents must be in English or Italian, or come with official translations and verified copies of the originals. No legalised documents are needed when you apply. [2]
- If admitted, you must formally accept your place to secure it. [2]
- Non-EU citizens living outside Italy complete Universitaly pre-enrolment by 15 July and apply for a type D study visa. [5]
- At enrolment, your qualifications need an official translation and legalisation or an apostille, or a CIMEA certificate of verification instead. You bring the original documents with you to the university. [2][5]
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 Padua, Department of Information Engineering. Course regulations, Master's degree in Control Systems Engineering (class LM-25), applying from the 2025/26 cohort. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Padua, international application portal. Master's degree in Control Systems Engineering: entry qualification, language requirement, fees and application calls, academic year 2027/28. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Padua, Global Engagement Office. Specific entry requirements for qualifications awarded by non-Italian education systems, updated 15 September 2026 and valid for academic year 2027/28. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Padua, Global Engagement Office. Language requirement for admission, with the list of accepted English certificates and exemptions, academic year 2027/28. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Padua. Study in English: how to enrol with a foreign qualification, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Padua, Student Service Office. Call for student fees and exemptions, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Padua, Control Systems Engineering programme page (degree class, teaching language, school and admission type). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Control Systems Engineering is a master's degree in class LM-25, the Italian class for automation engineering, taught completely in English in Padua by the School of Engineering and the Department of Information Engineering. It lasts two years, carries 120 ECTS and has open admission with requirements.
The degree trains specialists in automatic control and robotics who can model, analyse and control the behaviour of robotic, industrial, financial, biological and information systems and networks. It combines industrial and information engineering on a solid base of physics and mathematics, with a strong emphasis on data analysis, artificial intelligence and optimisation. It suits engineering or mathematics graduates who want to design and run automated, networked systems.
What you will study
The 2027/28 admissions portal lists five paths, each covering a different side of contemporary control systems engineering, and you can also put together a path of your own. The paths are:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Robotic Systems
- Industrial Automation
- Systems and Control
- Complex Systems
How the programme is taught
The degree is part of the AI cross-programme track of the Department of Information Engineering, shared with Computer Engineering, ICT for Internet and Multimedia, Bioengineering and Electronic Engineering. Through it you can take artificial intelligence courses from the other master's degrees in the pathway and earn micro-credentials, academic certificates for targeted AI skills, on top of the 120 ECTS needed to graduate.
Teaching is organised in semesters and attendance is not compulsory. The degree ends with an original thesis, written and defended in English, on a design, development or research project that can be carried out at a company, research body or public administration. Part-time enrolment is available for students who qualify. [1]
Career paths
The university expects graduates to work in industries with a highly technological profile, or wherever modelling, analysing and governing complex and networked systems is needed, and to handle innovation in production, advanced design, programming and the management of complex systems. It stresses that the skills are portable and adapt easily to a fast-changing job market. Settings it names include:
- High-technology manufacturing and service companies
- Consulting companies
- Research centres
- Public administration
Fees and scholarships
As an engineering degree, Control Systems Engineering is in fee Group B. For 2026/27, non-EU students whose household lives outside Italy pay a fixed annual amount that is not recalculated by income, reduced for citizens of countries on the ministry's list of particularly poor countries; an ISEE parificato only lowers the regional tax. Students eligible for the Veneto regional scholarship are exempt from the fee, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. In 2026/27 the university also offered up to 100 merit-based fee exemptions to international students on programmes taught entirely in English, with no separate application needed. [6] See the fees page.
How to apply from outside the EU
We apply on apply.unipd.it with your transcript and English certificate; no legalised documents are needed at this stage. [2] For 2027/28, non-EU applicants living abroad can use Call One (15 September to 15 November 2026) or Call Two (1 December 2026 to 1 March 2027), and you can apply to a programme only once a year.
Once admitted, you accept your place, we complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment by 15 July, and you apply for a type D study visa. You must graduate by 31 July 2027, and at enrolment your degree and transcript need an official translation and legalisation or an apostille, or a CIMEA certificate of verification. [2][3][5]
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 Padua's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your application on the university portal, place acceptance and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your University of Padua 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 bachelor's degree do I need for Control Systems Engineering at Padua?
A degree of at least three years in engineering or a related field such as mathematics. The regulations ask for at least 20 CFU in maths and physics, 12 in computing or information engineering and 12 in automatic control, plus a grade that meets your country's minimum, such as 70/100 or 7.0/10 for India. [1][3]
Is there an entrance test?
The 2027/28 application page lists no entrance test. An admission committee checks your degree against the credit rule, your grade and your English. If your record is strong but does not match the credit rule exactly, the regulations allow a different starting path or specific admission tests. [1][2]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2. For 2027/28, accepted B2 scores include IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 86 for tests until 20 January 2026 or 4.5 from 21 January 2026, PTE Academic 65, Cambridge B2 First 173 and Duolingo 115. A degree taught in English in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka does not exempt you. [4]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2027/28, non-EU applicants living abroad can apply in Call One, 15 September to 15 November 2026, or Call Two, 1 December 2026 to 1 March 2027. Call Three is only for EU citizens and non-EU citizens living in Italy. Studies start on 1 October 2027. [2]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes, as long as you finish in time. For the 2027/28 intake, you must complete your degree by 31 July 2027, and you can upload your English certificate after applying, up to the same date. [3][4]
I have a B.Tech in Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering. Can I apply?
Possibly. Both usually cover the maths and physics credits. The regulations also ask for 12 CFU in automatic control, a subject many computer science and mechanical programmes cover in one course or not at all, so that block is where files often fall short. We check your transcript course by course. [1]
Which paths can I choose?
For 2027/28 the application page lists five paths: Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Systems, Industrial Automation, Systems and Control, and Complex Systems. You can also put together a path of your own. [2]
How are the fees set?
For 2026/27, non-EU students whose household lives outside Italy paid a fixed annual amount for this fee group, reduced for citizens of countries on the ministry's list of particularly poor countries. Students eligible for the regional scholarship are exempt, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. [6]
Can someone handle my whole application to Control Systems Engineering at Padua?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Padua's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the University of Padua 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 Control Systems Engineering?
Padua's 2027/28 country table lists Indian 3 or 4-year Honours bachelor's degrees and professional bachelor's degrees of 4 years or more, such as a B.Tech or B.E., with a minimum of 70/100 or 7.0/10. Your transcript should show maths and physics, computing and automatic control, and you need English at B2. The steps are the online application, place acceptance and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1][3] 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 Control Systems Engineering are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application in Call One or Call Two, admission decision, place acceptance 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 Control Systems Engineering are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application in Call One or Call Two, admission decision, place acceptance 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 Control Systems 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 in Call One or Call Two, admission decision, place acceptance 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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