Master in Language, Society and Communication at University of Bologna
Two-year English-taught master's in Bologna (LM-38-R) on languages, society and global communication, run by the LILEC department. Open access: entry needs 48 credits in two modern languages, a 105/110 grade, English at B2 and an online interview.
Master
2 years
Bologna
English
University of Bologna
Language, Society and Communication is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-38-R) taught in English at the University of Bologna. Entry needs a degree with 48 credits in two modern languages, a final grade of 105/110 where it can be converted, English at B2 and an online interview. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Bologna's Language, Society and Communication master asks for a three-year degree with at least 48 credits in two modern languages (24 in each), English at B2, a bachelor's grade of at least 105/110 where it can be converted, and an online interview in one of your two languages other than English. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
The 48-credit language rule
You need a three-year university degree, or a foreign qualification that gives access to master's study in the country that issued it. [1]
Your degree must include at least 48 ECTS in the two modern languages you plan to continue: 24 in the first and 24 in the second. Both must fall in these subject areas: [1]
- French: language and translation (L-LIN/04)
- Spanish: Hispanic language (L-LIN/06) or Spanish language and translation (L-LIN/07)
- English: Anglo-American languages (L-LIN/11) or English language and translation (L-LIN/12)
- German: language and translation (L-LIN/14)
- Russian: within Slavic studies (L-LIN/21)
Credits in L-LIN/06 and L-LIN/11 count only for language course units, not literature, and the syllabi of those units are needed for review. If your foreign degree does not express credits and grades in ECTS terms, the committee reviews your documents to decide. If you do not meet these requirements, you cannot enrol. [1]
What this means for your transcript
Credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit as ECTS, and what counts is language study in two listed languages, not your total credits. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a BA in foreign languages with sustained language study in two of English, French, Spanish, German or Russian, such as English and French or German and Spanish.
- Check carefully: a BA in English with a second listed language taken only as a minor or short course, which may not reach 24 credits in that language.
- Often short: a BA in English Literature, Journalism or Mass Communication, where most credits are literature or media rather than language study, or a degree whose second language is not on the list, such as Japanese, Chinese or Italian.
English
English at CEFR level B2 or higher. If you hold a foreign degree, you prove it with a recognised certificate obtained on or after 1 January 2024, or by taking the Oxford Online Placement Test (OOPT) in a University of Bologna session before the deadline. Accepted certificates include: [1]
- IELTS Academic or General Training: 5.5
- TOEFL iBT: 80
- Cambridge B2 First or B2 Business Vantage: 160 (grade C)
- Cambridge C1 Advanced or C1 Business Higher: 160; C2 Proficiency: 180
- Cambridge B1 Preliminary: 160 (grade A)
- Trinity ISE II, III or IV
- IGCSE English as a Second Language or First Language English: grade C, with all four components
Citizens of an English-speaking country and holders of a degree from an institution in an English-speaking country do not need further proof. [1]
Grade and online interview
The degree has open access, with no cap on enrolments for 2026/27, but a committee checks every applicant. [1]
- Grade: your bachelor's final grade must be at least 105/110 for you to reach the interview. If your foreign qualification has no final grade, or its grade cannot be converted to this scale, the committee decides whether you meet the requirement.
- Interview: an individual interview on Microsoft Teams, held in one of your two chosen languages other than English, to confirm at least B2 in that language. It covers your previous studies, time abroad, internships, work experience and motivation.
- Outcome: if you miss the interview, you can join the next intake. If you are found ineligible, you cannot apply again in the same academic year.
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27 there were three intakes. Intake 1 was for non-EU citizens only: applications ran from 5 February to 6 March 2026, with interviews from 23 to 27 March and results from 30 March. Intake 2, open to all, ran from 1 April to 29 May 2026, with interviews from 29 June to 3 July. Intake 3 ran from 10 June to 18 September 2026, with interviews from 28 September to 2 October. Matriculation runs until 29 October 2026, or until 19 November 2026 with a late fee. [1]
You must already hold your degree by the closing date of the intake you apply to. The 2027/28 notice will set new dates. [1]
Documents and non-EU steps
You upload in PDF on Studenti Online: a valid ID, plus your passport if your ID has no English translation; your degree certificate translated into Italian or English, with your transcript and Diploma Supplement where available; the programme's application form naming your degree title and your two languages; and your English certificate. Only documents uploaded by the intake deadline are assessed, and missing mandatory documents mean exclusion. [1]
Non-EU applicants living abroad also pre-enrol on Universitaly and apply for a study visa. Before matriculation, foreign documents must be translated and their authenticity and value verified where required, and the originals are checked in Bologna after you arrive. [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 Bologna, Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (LILEC). Admission notice to the Second Cycle Degree Programme in Language, Society and Communication (class LM-38), academic year 2026/27, English version. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Bologna, Second Cycle Degree Programme in Language, Society and Communication, programme website: home page and How to enrol page. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Bologna. Tuition fees and exemptions, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Language, Society and Communication is a two-year second cycle degree (laurea magistrale) in class LM-38-R, Modern languages for communication and international cooperation. It is taught entirely in English in Bologna by the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (LILEC) and is worth 120 ECTS. Monica Perotto is the degree director. [2] Access is open, with no cap on enrolments for 2026/27, but you must meet the entry requirements and pass a committee assessment that includes an online interview. [1]
The degree sets out to help students understand the connections between languages and contemporary societies, and to prepare them for key roles in global and intercultural communication. It suits graduates in modern languages who have studied two of English, French, Spanish, German and Russian and want to use them in international settings. [1]
What you will study
The programme looks at how languages connect with contemporary societies, and at communication across languages and cultures in a global setting. Its class, LM-38-R, is the national class for modern languages applied to communication and international cooperation. The course units for each year, with their credits and teaching periods, are listed in the course structure diagram on the degree website, together with the timetable and exam dates. The two languages you name when you apply are the ones you take in your study plan, and you cannot switch to other languages later. [1] We read the 2027/28 structure before you apply.
Career paths
In the university's words, the degree trains language and culture experts for international relations and editors working in several languages, ready for key roles in global and intercultural communication. A laurea magistrale also gives access to PhD programmes. The university's job placement service lists job offers and runs career events.
Fees and scholarships
Tuition at Bologna is set by family income. The fee has a fixed part and a variable part based on your family's ISEE, up to a maximum set for each programme. Without valid income documents filed on time, you pay the full fee. [1] For 2026/27, with a family ISEE up to €27,000 this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. [3] If your family's income is outside Italy, we help you declare it to ER.GO at the right time and in the right format; ER.GO is the Emilia-Romagna right-to-study body that also runs the regional scholarship. Citizens of non-OECD countries whose family income and assets are only outside Italy can ask for a reduced flat fee instead. [3]
How to apply from outside the EU
Applications go through Studenti Online in set intakes. For 2026/27, intake 1 was reserved for non-EU citizens and ran from 5 February to 6 March 2026, with online interviews from 23 to 27 March. Intakes 2 and 3, open to all applicants, closed on 29 May and 18 September 2026. If you are found ineligible at the interview, you cannot apply again in the same academic year. The 2027/28 notice is not out yet. [1]
Non-EU applicants living abroad also complete Universitaly pre-enrolment and apply for a study visa. [1] Once you have passed the assessment and paid the first instalment by the deadline in the call, the university validates your pre-enrolment for the visa. On arrival in Bologna your original documents are checked and you apply for a residence permit within eight days. [1][2]
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 Bologna's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your Studenti Online application with your transcript, language form and B2 English proof, 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 degree do I need for Bologna's Language, Society and Communication master?
A three-year degree with at least 48 ECTS in two modern languages, 24 in each, from English, French, Spanish, German or Russian language subjects. For Hispanic and Anglo-American subjects, only language units count, not literature. Your final grade must be at least 105/110 where it can be converted. [1]
Is there an entrance exam?
No written test. The committee checks your credits, English level and grade, then holds an individual online interview on Microsoft Teams in one of your two languages other than English, to confirm at least B2 in that language. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at CEFR B2. With a foreign degree you need a certificate dated 1 January 2024 or later, such as IELTS 5.5, TOEFL iBT 80 or Cambridge B2 First at 160, or the OOPT taken at Bologna. Holders of degrees from English-speaking countries are exempt. [1]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, intake 1 was reserved for non-EU citizens and closed on 6 March 2026. Non-EU applicants could also use intake 2, which closed on 29 May 2026, or intake 3, which closed on 18 September 2026. The 2027/28 dates are not yet published. [1]
Can I apply before I graduate?
No. Under the 2026/27 notice, you must already hold your degree by the closing date of the intake you apply to. Without the qualification you cannot apply or enrol. [1]
I have a BA in English Literature. Can I apply?
Often not on that degree alone. You need 24 credits of language study, not literature, in each of two listed languages, so a single-language literature degree is usually short. A BA with language study in English and French, German, Spanish or Russian is a closer fit. [1]
Is the Master in Language, Society and Communication taught in English?
Yes. The University of Bologna lists it as delivered entirely in English, in Bologna. You also continue the two modern languages you name at admission, and you cannot switch to other languages later. [1][2]
How do the fees work?
Fees follow family income. For 2026/27, with a family ISEE up to €27,000 this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. Non-OECD citizens with family income only abroad can ask for a reduced flat fee. [1][3]
Can someone handle my whole application to Language, Society and Communication at Bologna?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Bologna'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 Language, Society and Communication?
A three-year Indian BA in foreign languages can fit if it gives at least 24 credits of language study in each of two of English, French, Spanish, German or Russian. A BA in English Literature alone is often short, as literature credits do not count. You also need English at B2. The steps are the Studenti Online application, an online interview and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1] 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 Language, Society and Communication are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: Studenti Online application in a non-EU or open intake, committee review with an online interview, 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 Language, Society and Communication are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: Studenti Online application in a non-EU or open intake, committee review with an online interview, 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 Language, Society and Communication 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: Studenti Online application in a non-EU or open intake, committee review with an online interview, 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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