Master in Digital Automation Engineering at University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Two-year English-taught LM-25 master's at Unimore's Reggio Emilia campus in digital automation, run by DISMI, with three curricula. Entry needs a suitable engineering bachelor's, a score above 70% for non-EU applicants abroad and English at B2.
Master
2 years
Modena
English
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Digital Automation Engineering is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-25) taught in English at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, on its Reggio Emilia campus. Non-EU applicants living abroad need a suitable engineering bachelor's with a score above 70% of the maximum, plus English at B2. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Unimore's Digital Automation Engineering master asks for a suitable bachelor's-level degree with grounding in maths, physics, mechanics, automatic controls, computing and electrical engineering, a final score above 70% of the maximum for non-EU applicants living abroad, English at B2 and a positive review by an assessment board. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and grade rule
You need a bachelor's-level degree that the assessment board deems suitable. The minimum score depends on which call you apply under. [1][2]
- Non-EU applicants living abroad who need a visa: a final score (CGPA) above 70% of the maximum in your university's system. For 2026/27 the degree had to be obtained or due by 30 April 2026. [2]
- Applicants living in Italy with a foreign degree: a score above two thirds of the maximum, or a place in the top 30% of your reference group, with the degree obtained by 17 December 2026. [1]
The board checks your knowledge of mathematical analysis, geometry and algebra, rational mechanics, physics, chemistry, automatic controls, computer science, machine mechanics, electrical engineering, and electrical machines and drives. [2] For Italian degrees, the call counts credits instead: 33 CFU in maths, physics and chemistry, 6 CFU in computer science and 12 CFU in automation, electrical and mechanical engineering subjects. [1]
What this means for your transcript
For foreign degrees Unimore does not set a credit count: the board reads your exam list and course syllabi against the subject areas above. On a 10-point scale, the 70% rule means a CGPA above 7.0. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Tech or B.E. in Electrical, Electrical and Electronics, Instrumentation and Control, Mechatronics or Mechanical Engineering that includes maths, physics, chemistry, mechanics, control systems and electrical subjects.
- Check carefully: a B.Tech in Computer Science, IT or Electronics and Communication. Maths and computing are covered, and often controls, but rational mechanics, machine mechanics or electrical machines may be thin.
- Often short: a BCA or a B.Sc. in Computer Science, Physics or Maths, which usually lacks engineering subjects such as automatic controls, machine mechanics and electrical machines. A B.Com, BBA or BA does not cover the listed areas.
If your degree does not fully match, the board can set additional requirements to complete before enrolment. For 2026/27 the non-EU deadline for these was 31 July 2026. [2]
English
English at CEFR level B2 or higher, shown by one of: [1][2]
- a language certificate at B2 or above that Unimore recognises
- university English exams with B2 content, with a declaration from your university on official letterhead
- a bachelor's degree taught in English
- coming from an English mother-tongue country
The calls do not list specific test scores. Without suitable proof, you can take a remote B2 English test with Unimore's Language Centre, but only after you submit your application for evaluation. [1][2]
Selection
There is no entrance test. An assessment board reviews your academic record from the documents you upload and may hold an interview. It assesses applications in order of submission and meets about every three weeks. [2]
Each application ends as pass, additional requirements (gaps to fill before enrolment) or fail. Under the call for applicants living in Italy, a score below the threshold leads to an interview on basic engineering knowledge, and a positive result allows enrolment. [1][2]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad who need a visa had to submit the application for evaluation by 30 April 2026. Additional requirements had to be met by 31 July 2026, and enrolment runs from 8 July to 22 December 2026. [2]
Italian and EU citizens, and non-EU citizens legally living in Italy, can apply under a separate call until 17 December 2026 and enrol by 22 December 2026. [1] The 2027/28 calls are not yet published and will set the new dates.
Documents and non-EU steps
The application for evaluation on Esse3 needs: [2]
- your degree certificate and final mark, or your expected graduation date
- a list of exams passed, with dates, grades and course length, in Italian or English, and any exams still to take
- a certificate of the maximum possible score at your university
- a detailed syllabus for each exam
- proof of English at B2
- other relevant skills, such as IT skills or work experience
You can self-certify these details at this stage, but originals are needed to enrol. After a pass, you pre-enrol on Universitaly with your passport and a photo, and Unimore tells the Italian consulate if you are admitted. [2]
To enrol, you submit your degree translated and legalised by the Italian embassy or consulate, a declaration of value or CIMEA certificates (correspondence or comparability, plus verification), your degree certificate, your residence permit or its post office receipt, ID, a photo and your study visa. [2]
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 Modena and Reggio Emilia (Unimore), Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering. Call for admission to the Master's degree in Digital Automation Engineering (LM-25), Reggio Emilia campus, for Italian, EU and non-EU applicants legally resident in Italy, academic year 2026/2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Unimore), Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering. Call for applications, Master's degree in Digital Automation Engineering (LM-25), reserved to non-EU applicants residing abroad and applying for a visa, academic year 2026/2027. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
The Master in Digital Automation Engineering is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale, class LM-25) taught in English by the Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering (DISMI) of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Unimore). It is based at the Reggio Emilia campus, and access is not limited by a national quota, although non-EU applicants needing a visa apply for a small reserved group of places.
The degree sits between automation, digital technologies and industrial production. It suits engineering graduates who want to work on how factories, machines and infrastructure are designed, connected and run with digital tools.
What you will study
The course is organised in three curricula, each looking at digital automation from a different angle, from the infrastructure behind connected plants to the design of automated systems and their use in production. You choose one when you build your study plan:
- Digital Infrastructure
- Digital Design
- Digital Manufacturing
All three curricula share the department's engineering base and end with a final thesis (prova finale). The full list of course units for each curriculum is published in Unimore's online course catalogue.
How the programme is taught
DISMI supports internships and work placements with companies, Erasmus+ exchanges abroad and academic tutoring. Local companies have funded scholarships for students of the degree: the department lists two from E80 Group for 2024/25, and earlier ones from Credito Emiliano (Credem) and AND EMILI. For 2026/27, one of the 10 non-EU places was reserved for the winner of the UNICORE 8.0 University Corridors for Refugees call. [2]
Career paths
The department runs career guidance (Orientamento al Lavoro) for its students and a career day, REworkING, where DISMI students meet employers. The company scholarships and internships described above connect students with automation and manufacturing firms.
Fees and scholarships
Unimore sets tuition by family income (ISEE): there is a no-tax area below a threshold set by the university, and fees rise progressively above it. [1] Non-EU students living abroad apply online to ER.GO, with translated and legalised documents on their family's finances, before they enrol; for 2026/27 the deadline was the end of August 2026. [2] Non-EU students whose family income and assets are exclusively abroad receive a Country ISEE based on per-capita income at purchasing power parity. ER.GO handles regional scholarships and decides awards. Students who meet its requirements are exempt from the all-inclusive fee, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students.
How to apply from outside the EU
For 2026/27 Unimore reserved 10 places for non-EU applicants living abroad who need a visa, one of them for the UNICORE 8.0 refugee corridors call. The application for evaluation was open on Esse3 until 30 April 2026. The assessment board met about every three weeks and assessed applications in order of submission. You needed a bachelor's score above 70% of the maximum and English at B2, and an interview may be required. [2]
Outcomes are published as pass, additional requirements or fail; for 2026/27, additional requirements had to be met by 31 July 2026. Admitted students pre-enrol on Universitaly for a type D study visa, then enrol by 22 December 2026 with their degree translated and legalised, plus a declaration of value or CIMEA certificates. [2] The 2027/28 call is not yet published and will set the new dates.
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 Unimore's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your application for evaluation with your exam list and syllabi, and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ER.GO Emilia-Romagna 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 Digital Automation Engineering at Unimore?
A bachelor's-level degree the assessment board deems suitable, with knowledge of maths, physics, chemistry, mechanics, automatic controls, computer science, electrical engineering and electrical machines. Non-EU applicants living abroad also need a final score above 70% of the maximum. [2]
What CGPA do I need?
Non-EU applicants living abroad need a final score above 70% of the maximum in their university's system, which on a 10-point scale means a CGPA above 7.0. You certify your score and the maximum possible score when you apply. [2]
Is there an entrance exam?
No. An assessment board reviews your academic record, exam list and course syllabi, and may hold an interview. It can pass you, set additional requirements to complete before enrolment, or fail the application. [2]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at CEFR B2. A recognised B2 certificate works, as do university English exams at B2 level, an English-taught bachelor's or English as a mother tongue. The calls do not list IELTS scores, and a remote Unimore B2 test is available after you apply. [1][2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad who needed a visa had until 30 April 2026 to apply, for 10 reserved places. The 2027/28 call is not yet published and will set the new dates. [2]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes, you can apply with your expected graduation date. For 2026/27, though, non-EU applicants living abroad had to be awarded their degree by 30 April 2026, the same day the application window closed. [2]
I have a B.Tech in Computer Science or a BCA. Can I apply?
Possibly with a B.Tech in Computer Science, since maths and computing are covered, but the board also looks for controls, mechanics and electrical subjects and may set additional requirements. A BCA usually lacks these engineering subjects, so it is often short. [2]
Where is the degree taught?
At Unimore's Reggio Emilia campus, in the Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering (DISMI), and it is taught entirely in English. [1] It has three curricula: Digital Infrastructure, Digital Design and Digital Manufacturing.
Can someone handle my whole application to Digital Automation Engineering at Unimore?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Unimore's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ER.GO Emilia-Romagna 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 Digital Automation Engineering?
A recognised Indian bachelor's in engineering, such as a B.Tech or B.E. in Electrical, Instrumentation and Control or Mechanical Engineering, can fit if it covers maths, physics, mechanics, automatic controls and electrical subjects, with a CGPA above 7.0 out of 10, plus English at B2. The steps are the application for evaluation, the board's review of your record and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [2] 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 Digital Automation Engineering are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application for evaluation, the board's review of your record 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 Digital Automation Engineering are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application for evaluation, the board's review of your record 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 Digital 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 for evaluation, the board's review of your record 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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