Master in Health Biotechnology at University of Calabria
Two-year English-taught LM-9 master's at the University of Calabria in human biochemistry, genetics, molecular diagnostics and biotechnology applied to neurotoxicology, with an internship and a research thesis. Entry needs biology and chemistry credits and English at B2.
Master
2 years
Rende
English
University of Calabria
Health Biotechnology is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-9) taught in English at the University of Calabria in Rende. Entry needs a biotechnology bachelor's or a degree with set credits in maths, chemistry and biology, plus English at B2 checked in an online interview. For 2026/27, 10 of the 21 non-EU places came with a scholarship covering fees, housing and meals.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
UniCal's Health Biotechnology master has limited places. You need a bachelor's in biotechnology, or another degree with set credits in maths, physics, computing, chemistry and biology, that gives access to master's study where it was awarded, plus English at B2, a positive CV and qualifications review and a remote oral exam. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree requirement
You need a bachelor's degree in biotechnology (Italian class L-2) or an equivalent qualification. Graduates in other fields need at least these credits: [2]
- Maths, physics and computing: 10 CFU
- Chemistry: 10 CFU
- Physiology (BIO/09): 6 CFU
- Biochemistry, molecular biology and clinical biochemistry (BIO/10 to BIO/12): 15 CFU, at least 6 of them in biochemistry (BIO/10)
- Genetics and microbiology (BIO/18 and BIO/19): 6 CFU
- Other biology subjects: 6 CFU
A degree from outside Italy must give access to second-cycle study in the country where it was awarded, and its learning outcomes must match the entry requirements. The admission committee judges whether it fits by reviewing the courses you studied, based on the documents you submit. [1][2]
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. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Tech or B.Sc. in Biotechnology, or a B.Sc. that covers biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, microbiology and physiology alongside chemistry and maths.
- Check carefully: a B.Sc. in Microbiology, Biochemistry, Zoology, Botany or Life Sciences, or a B.Pharm. These often cover chemistry and several biology blocks but can fall short on physiology, genetics or the 10 credits in maths, physics and computing.
- Often short: a B.E. or B.Tech outside biotechnology, a BCA, B.Com, BBA or BA, which rarely include the 33 biology credits.
The application lets you upload the syllabus of every course, so the committee can see what each one covered. [1]
English
English at CEFR level B2. Under the 2026/27 call, language proficiency is assessed in an online interview. You can upload an English certificate if you have one, and the 2026/27 course regulations say candidates who already hold a certificate at the matching level may be exempted from the English check. Neither document lists a required test or score. [1][2]
Selection
Admission is decided by a departmental committee. [1]
- CV and qualifications: the committee scores your CV out of 100, looking at your exam average, your degree mark if you have graduated, and further university-level study in the required subjects. Under the 2026/27 regulations, a score of 60 or more makes you eligible, and a lower score leads to an online interview on the subject areas and your background. [2]
- Remote oral exam: for non-EU applicants living abroad, the 2026/27 call invites at least twice as many candidates as places to a remote oral exam in English, which is mandatory for admission. [1]
- What is assessed: maths, chemistry, physics and computing; biology (physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, microbiology and genetics); and English, especially subject vocabulary. [2]
- Rankings: two merit rankings are drawn up, one for scholarship places and one for places without a scholarship. In a tie, the younger candidate ranks higher. [1]
Places and scholarships in 2026/27
The 2026/27 call offered non-EU applicants living abroad 9 places with a scholarship and 11 without. A later decree moved one scholarship place from the Biology master to this course, making 10. [1][3]
- Scholarship places: for applicants whose household income is below €26,500 if independent or €41,500 for a two-person family. For a family of three or more, the income limit is €54,000. Winners show this with an ISEE parificato by 30 October 2026. Students from particularly poor countries use a certificate from the Italian mission instead.
- Places without a scholarship: for applicants whose household income is above those limits.
- What the scholarship covers: the enrolment fee, free accommodation, campus canteen meals and pocket money of about €3,600.
- Keeping it: winners who earn fewer than 20 ECTS by 30 November 2027 must repay what they received, and renewal for 2027/28 needs at least 30 ECTS by 10 August 2027.
2026/27 deadlines
Applications closed at 11:59 pm Italian time on 30 March 2026. The deadline for conditional enrolment was 10 June 2026, later extended to 17 June 2026, and places left vacant were reallocated by 16 July 2026, with enrolment by 31 July 2026. Enrolment is finalised in person at UniCal's Welcome Office, by 30 October 2026 for this intake. [1][3]
UniCal expects to publish the 2027/28 call around January 2027. [4]
Documents and non-EU steps
You apply on UniCal's Esse3 portal, choosing the call for extra-EU students, for one master's degree only. You can upload the first page of your passport, your CV, your bachelor's degree, your transcript of records, the syllabus of all your courses and any English certificate. [1]
Scholarship winners receive UniCal's acceptance letter through the Universitaly portal. After enrolment you hand in your foreign degree with an official Italian translation, legalised or with an Apostille, plus a declaration of value or CIMEA certificates of comparability and verification, by 28 February 2027 for the 2026/27 intake. [1]
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 Calabria, Internationalisation Area. Unicaladmission call for applications for non-EU students residing abroad, two-year master's degree programmes, academic year 2026/27, with the How to apply guide. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Calabria, Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences. Teaching regulations of the Master's degree in Health Biotechnology (LM-9), in force from the 2026/27 cohort, with the 2026/27 study plan (in Italian). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Calabria. Rector's decree reallocating scholarship places for non-EU master's applicants, academic year 2026/27 (in Italian). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Calabria, Unicaladmission page for international students, academic years 2026/27 and 2027/28. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Calabria. Health Biotechnology master's degree programme page, 2026/27 educational offer. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Health Biotechnology (Biotecnologie per la salute) is a two-year, 120 CFU master's degree (laurea magistrale, class LM-9) taught in English at the University of Calabria (UniCal) in Rende. It is run by the Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST), with teaching in person on campus. [2][5]
The degree trains graduates to use emerging biotechnologies for human health, in research and in diagnostic and therapeutic innovation. It covers the human body and its functions, in vivo and in vitro disease models, molecular diagnostics and the structure of molecules of technological interest, with links to the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors and drug discovery. [2][5]
What you will study
The 2026/27 study plan has a single curriculum and totals 120 CFU. First-year units are: [2]
- Applied Human Biochemistry (12 CFU, two modules)
- Applied Human Genetics (12 CFU, two modules)
- Molecular Models of Biological Interest (9 CFU)
- Applied Genetic Biotechnology (6 CFU)
- Applied Human Molecular Physiology (6 CFU)
- Methods of Physiological Investigation (6 CFU)
- Informatics for Biotechnologies (6 CFU)
In the second year you take Advanced Molecular Diagnostics, Molecular Biotechnologies and Applications of Biotechnology in Neurotoxicology (6 CFU each), a 6 CFU internship and 12 free-choice credits, then the 27 CFU thesis. Suggested electives are Human Brain Biochemistry and Microbiomes and Metagenomic, and you can also choose other UniCal courses that fit the programme. [2]
How the programme is taught
Teaching combines lectures, exercises and laboratory work in university facilities. Attendance is compulsory: you must attend at least half the hours of each course. The internship, open once you have 30 CFU, can take place at UniCal or at partner organisations in Italy or abroad. [2]
The thesis is written in English and rests on at least eight months of research in a university laboratory or an approved external public or private organisation. You can request a thesis once you have 57 CFU, and you present and discuss it before a committee. A part-time route spreads the degree over four years. [2]
Careers
Graduates work in basic and applied biomedical research and in developing products and services based on biotechnology. The course regulations name molecular diagnostics, prenatal diagnosis and molecular genetics (including forensic work), in vivo and in vitro disease models, the search for therapeutic targets in drug development, and bioinformatics for genomics. [2]
Typical employers include research and development laboratories in the pharmaceutical, diagnostic, biomedical and food sectors, biological analysis and quality-control laboratories, patent bodies, universities, research institutes, hospitals and biotechnology companies. The degree gives access to PhD programmes, specialisation schools and university master's courses, and to the Italian state exam for senior biologists (section A of the professional register). [2]
Fees and scholarships
For 2026/27, UniCal offered non-EU applicants living abroad 21 places on this course: 10 with a scholarship, after one place was moved from the Biology master, and 11 without. Scholarship places were for applicants with household income below the call's limits, shown with an ISEE parificato. The scholarship covers the enrolment fee and adds free accommodation, campus canteen meals and about €3,600 in pocket money, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. [1][3]
How to apply from outside the EU
Non-EU applicants living abroad apply through UniCal's Unicaladmission call on the Esse3 portal, for one master's degree only. For 2026/27, applications closed at 11:59 pm Italian time on 30 March 2026. UniCal expects to publish the 2027/28 call around January 2027. [1][4]
Selection is based on your CV and qualifications plus a remote oral exam in English. Once you are admitted, we complete your Universitaly pre-enrolment and you request a type D study visa, complete conditional enrolment online and finalise enrolment in person at UniCal's Welcome Office. [1]
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 UniCal's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your Esse3 application with your CV, transcript and course syllabus, and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your regional 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 UniCal's Health Biotechnology master?
A bachelor's in biotechnology or an equivalent degree. Other graduates need set credits: 10 in maths, physics and computing, 10 in chemistry and 33 in biology, including physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and microbiology. A foreign degree must give access to master's study where it was awarded. [1][2]
Is there an entrance exam?
No written test. A committee scores your CV and qualifications, and the 2026/27 call invited at least twice as many non-EU candidates as places to a mandatory remote oral exam in English, covering basic sciences, biology and your English. [1][2]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2. The 2026/27 call checks it in an online interview, and the course regulations allow candidates with a matching certificate to be exempted from the check. No specific test or score is listed, so we check which proof your file should include. [1][2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad had until 11:59 pm Italian time on 30 March 2026. UniCal expects to publish the 2027/28 call around January 2027. [1][4]
How many places and scholarships are there?
For 2026/27, 21 places for non-EU applicants living abroad: 10 with a scholarship covering the enrolment fee, free accommodation, canteen meals and about €3,600 pocket money, and 11 without a scholarship. [1][3]
I have a B.Sc. in Microbiology or a B.Pharm. Can I apply?
Possibly. These degrees often cover chemistry and several biology blocks, but the rule also asks for 6 credits in physiology, 15 in biochemistry and molecular biology, and 10 in maths, physics and computing. The committee reviews your syllabus course by course. [1][2]
What will I study?
Year one covers applied human biochemistry, genetics and molecular physiology, molecular models, physiological methods and informatics. Year two adds advanced molecular diagnostics, molecular biotechnologies and neurotoxicology, an internship, 12 free-choice credits and an English thesis based on at least eight months of research. [2]
What careers does Health Biotechnology lead to?
Graduates work in biomedical research, molecular diagnostics, prenatal diagnosis and molecular genetics, drug-target discovery and bioinformatics, in pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biotech companies, hospitals and research institutes. After the state exam they can join section A of the Italian biologists' register. [2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Health Biotechnology at UniCal?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against UniCal's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the regional 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 Health Biotechnology?
A recognised Indian bachelor's in biotechnology, or a B.Sc. with enough chemistry, maths and biology credits, including physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and microbiology, can fit. You also need English at B2. The steps are the Esse3 application, the CV review, the remote oral exam and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1][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 Health Biotechnology are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: the Esse3 application, the CV and qualifications review, the remote oral exam 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 Health Biotechnology are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: the Esse3 application, the CV and qualifications review, the remote oral exam 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 Health Biotechnology 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: the Esse3 application, the CV and qualifications review, the remote oral exam 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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