Master in Engineering for the Energy Transition at University of Trieste
Two-year English-taught LM-30 master's at the University of Trieste covering renewables, power systems, energy in buildings, photovoltaics, hydrogen and electricity markets, with a 12-credit thesis. Entry needs an engineering bachelor's with set credits and English at B2.
Master
2 years
Trieste
English
University of Trieste
Engineering for the Energy Transition is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-30) taught in English at the University of Trieste. Entry needs an industrial or civil engineering bachelor's, or set credits in maths, physics, chemistry, electrical and energy engineering, plus English at B2, with an interview below 90/110. ARDiS scholarship winners are exempt from tuition, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Trieste's Engineering for the Energy Transition master asks for a bachelor's in industrial engineering or civil and environmental engineering, or an engineering degree with set credits in maths, physics, chemistry, electrical and energy engineering, plus English at B2. A degree grade of 90/110 or higher confirms your preparation; below that, there is an interview. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and credit requirements
You need a bachelor's in Industrial Engineering (class L-9) or Civil and Environmental Engineering (class L-7), or the matching older classes. Graduates with another engineering bachelor's are admitted if their degree includes at least: [1]
- 18 CFU in mathematics.
- 9 CFU in physics.
- 6 CFU in chemistry.
- 6 CFU in electrical engineering, or further physics credits beyond the 9 above.
- 6 CFU in energy engineering (sectors ING-IND/08, 09, 10 and 11).
With a degree from abroad, you are admitted if your degree is recognised as suitable compared with those classes, or if it meets the credit minimums once your credits are converted. A commission checks your exam grades, credits and syllabus. [1]
The programme page also lists 6 CFU in structural mechanics (ICAR/08), plus 9 CFU in further civil engineering sectors for the sustainable building design track. The 2026/27 regulations do not include these blocks, so we check which version applies to your application. [2]
What this means for your transcript
Italian CFU and the credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit: one CFU stands for 25 hours of student work, and the commission looks at your subjects and syllabus, not just your total. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Tech or B.E. in Mechanical, Electrical, Electrical and Electronics, Chemical or Civil Engineering, which usually covers the maths, physics and chemistry blocks.
- Check carefully: a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication or Computer Science usually covers maths and physics but may lack the chemistry and energy engineering credits. A B.Sc. in Physics or Chemistry is not an engineering degree, so it depends on how the commission assesses it.
- Often short: a BCA, B.Com, BBA or BA rarely meets the subject blocks.
English
Written and oral English at CEFR level B2 or higher is part of the assessment of your preparation. It can be shown through your degree record or a certificate from a language centre the university recognises. In all other cases a commission assesses it through an interview. [1]
The programme page asks for either a university statement that you reached B2 during your bachelor's or a certificate from the university's accepted list, and adds that applicants without a certificate can build the skills after enrolment through the University Language Centre. The regulations do not list minimum test scores. [2]
Assessment of your preparation
A degree grade of 90/110 or higher, converted for degrees from abroad, is enough to confirm adequate preparation. With a lower grade, you have an interview with a commission, which can be held online, on energy and electrical topics. Admission is accepted or refused based on the interview. [1]
The programme page describes this step as an oral interview and/or a written test on the fundamentals of energy and electricity. [2]
2026/27 deadlines
Visa applicants with a foreign qualification requested the qualification assessment in two windows: 15 December 2025 to 15 January 2026, and 15 February to 30 April 2026. A third round, until 2 October, was open only to EU applicants and those treated as EU. One assessment request covered up to three programmes. [3]
On the programme's own admissions page, assessment requests ran from 20 April 2026 to 29 January 2027 and enrolment closed on 31 March 2027. Applicants still finishing a degree could request the assessment and start enrolment before graduating. [2]
Non-EU applicants living abroad
Visa applicants can enrol only on programmes with places for visa applicants. The university's list of these places, which is undated, does not include Engineering for the Energy Transition, and the university states that a programme missing from the list has no places for visa applicants. The list does include other engineering master's degrees, such as Electrical Energy and Systems Engineering with 20 places. [3]
Where places exist, the steps are a positive qualification assessment, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the university's outcome through Universitaly, then enrolment and the first instalment. Foreign students not yet holding an entry visa pay only the stamp duty at enrolment. [3][4]
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 Trieste. Academic and teaching regulations, Master's degree programme in Engineering for the Energy Transition (LM-30), for students enrolled in academic year 2026/27, with the 2026/27 plan of study. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Trieste, Department of Engineering and Architecture. Engineering for the Energy Transition programme pages: overview and how to apply, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Trieste, International Students. Degree seekers pages: qualification assessment and pre-enrolment for visa applicants, academic year 2026/27; visa applicant quotas, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Trieste. Fee notice for bachelor's and master's degrees, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Engineering for the Energy Transition is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale, class LM-30) taught in English at the University of Trieste. It is run by the Department of Engineering and Architecture, and lectures are taught mainly in the classroom in Trieste. Admission is non-competitive, with an assessment of your preparation before enrolment. [2]
The degree covers renewable energy technologies, power systems and electrification, energy use in buildings, photovoltaics and batteries, hydrogen and fuel cells, sustainable materials and the electricity market, alongside the economics, law and policy of the energy transition. It suits graduates in industrial, energy, mechanical, electrical, chemical or civil engineering. [1]
What you will study
The 2026/27 plan of study totals 120 CFU: 62 in the first year and 58 in the second. Core units include: [1]
- Renewables and Energy Systems: renewable energy technologies, fluid machinery and energy systems, and wind energy (14 CFU)
- Introduction to Energy and E-Mobility, including an introduction to nuclear energy (6 CFU)
- Economics, Legislation and Evaluations for the Energy Transition: environmental economics, energy transition law and policies, and economic evaluation of industrial projects (9 CFU)
- Modern Power Systems and Electrification, including low voltage power systems (6 CFU)
- Energy Conservation in Buildings: HVAC design, load calculation and building envelopes (12 CFU)
- Materials and Systems for Photovoltaics and the Energy Transition, including photovoltaic and battery systems modelling (12 CFU)
- Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer (9 CFU) and Hydrogen and Fuel Cells (6 CFU)
- Sustainable Materials, Processes and Critical Resources (9 CFU) and Electricity Market (4 CFU)
Electives make up 15 CFU. Options include Industrial Energy Management, Battery Management Systems, Wave and Tidal Power Plants, Transport Phenomena, Control Theory, Embedded Systems, Mathematical Optimization and Entrepreneurship and Business Modelling. A few electives on the list have Italian titles. [1]
The 2026/27 regulations set out a single common plan. The programme page also names two tracks: sustainable building design and technology, and sustainable industrial systems. [1][2]
How the programme is taught
One CFU equals 25 hours of total student work, usually including 8 hours in class. Attendance is not mandatory, except for activities a course marks as compulsory. Exams are oral, written or both, as each lecturer sets out. [1]
The second year includes 6 CFU of other activities, where an approved internship of at least 75 hours earns 3 CFU, and a final thesis of 12 CFU. The thesis is original, independent work in energy engineering: an extensive literature analysis, a design project or a research project, carried out in Trieste or with other universities, research centres and companies in Italy or abroad. [1]
Careers
The university describes graduates as able to manage energy systems in line with national and EU sustainability goals, combining technical skills with an understanding of administrative, economic and social issues. [2]
Fees and scholarships
For 2026/27, students whose permanent address is abroad paid a flat tuition fee in three instalments, and the fee is higher for students who do not meet the progress rules. Students resident in Italy pay according to their ISEE Università. [4]
Winners of the ARDiS regional scholarship are exempt from tuition and regional tax and pay only the stamp duty, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. The region decides scholarship awards. [4]
How to apply from outside the EU
Applicants with a foreign qualification who need a visa first request a qualification assessment on the university's ApplyNow portal. For 2026/27 the windows were 15 December 2025 to 15 January 2026 and 15 February to 30 April 2026, and one request covered up to three programmes. After a positive assessment, students complete Universitaly pre-enrolment, then enrol and pay the first instalment. [3]
Visa applicants can enrol only on programmes with places for visa applicants. The university's list of these places, which is undated, does not include this programme, and the university states that a programme missing from the list has no places for visa applicants. We check the current list before you apply. The 2027/28 calendar is not yet published. [3]
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 Trieste's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your qualification assessment request, Universitaly pre-enrolment and enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ARDiS 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 Trieste's Engineering for the Energy Transition master?
A bachelor's in industrial engineering (L-9) or civil and environmental engineering (L-7), or a suitable foreign equivalent. Other engineering graduates need at least 18 credits in maths, 9 in physics, 6 in chemistry, 6 in electrical and 6 in energy engineering. [1]
Is there an entrance exam?
Not if your degree grade is 90/110 or higher, converted for degrees from abroad. Below that, you have an interview, which can be online, on energy and electrical topics, and admission is accepted or refused on that basis. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at CEFR B2 or higher, shown through your degree record or a certificate the university recognises, or otherwise assessed by interview. The regulations do not set IELTS scores, so we check which proof your file can use. [1][2]
Can non-EU students who need a visa apply?
Only if the programme has places for visa applicants. The university's undated quota list does not include it, and the university says a programme missing from the list has no visa places. We check the current list before you apply. [3]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, visa applicants requested the qualification assessment from 15 December 2025 to 15 January 2026 or from 15 February to 30 April 2026. The 2027/28 dates are not yet published. [3]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. The programme page lets graduating students request the assessment of their preparation and start enrolment before graduating, using a self-declaration of completed and pending exams. [2]
I have a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication or Computer Science. Can I apply?
Possibly. These degrees usually cover the maths and physics credits but may lack the 6 credits in chemistry or in energy engineering. A commission reviews your grades, credits and syllabus. [1]
How do fees work?
This programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. ARDiS scholarship winners are exempt from tuition and regional tax. Other students resident abroad pay a flat tuition fee in three instalments. [4]
Can someone handle my whole application to Engineering for the Energy Transition at Trieste?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Trieste's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ARDiS 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 Engineering for the Energy Transition?
A recognised Indian engineering degree can qualify if it is suitable compared with an Italian industrial or civil engineering bachelor's, or if it has at least 18 credits in maths, 9 in physics, 6 in chemistry, 6 in electrical and 6 in energy engineering. You need English at B2. The steps are the qualification assessment and Universitaly pre-enrolment, once we confirm places for visa applicants. [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 Engineering for the Energy Transition are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: qualification assessment on the university's ApplyNow portal 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 Engineering for the Energy Transition are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: qualification assessment on the university's ApplyNow portal 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 Engineering for the Energy Transition 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: qualification assessment on the university's ApplyNow portal 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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