Master in Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability at University of Florence

Detailed entry requirements

Florence's Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability master asks for a bachelor's degree in class L-7, L-8 or L-9 or a recognised foreign equivalent, a check of your preparation in core mechanical subjects and English at B2. For degrees from outside the EU, the check uses your final grade against a threshold the programme publishes each year. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]

Degree requirement

You need a bachelor's degree in one of three Italian degree classes, or a qualification obtained abroad and recognised as suitable: [1]

• L-7: civil and environmental engineering
• L-8: information engineering
• L-9: industrial engineering

A commission appointed by the council of the industrial engineering degree programmes checks these curricular requirements. [1]

Personal preparation and grade threshold

The commission also checks your preparation in the core subjects of mechanical engineering: mechanical design, applied mechanics, industrial design, machines and energy systems. [1]

• Degree from outside the EU: your preparation is assessed from the final grade on your degree or, if it shows none, from your weighted exam average. It must be above a threshold that the programme publishes each year. You also need an adequate number of exams in the core subjects. [1][2]
• Degree from the EU or an affiliated country: an oral examination, waived for L-9 graduates with at least 102/110 on time or 105/110 one year late, or for applicants whose studies include enough credits in the core subjects. [1]

There is no written entrance test. [1] Access is open, not capped by a fixed number of places. [4]

What this means for your transcript

As a guide, based on the rule above:

• Usually a fit: a B.E. or B.Tech in Mechanical, Production, Industrial or Automobile Engineering with exams in machine design, mechanics of machines and thermal or energy systems.
• Check carefully: a B.E. or B.Tech in Civil, Electrical, Electronics or Computer Engineering. These sit close to the L-7, L-8 and L-9 classes, but often have few exams in mechanical design, applied mechanics or energy systems.
• Often short: a B.Sc., BCA, B.Com, BBA or BA, as these degrees fall outside the engineering classes the rule names.

Your final grade, as a percentage or CGPA, also has to clear the published threshold, so we compare it with the current value before you apply. [1][2]

English

English at CEFR level B2 or higher, shown by a certificate from the University of Florence Language Centre or another internationally recognised body and obtained within the five years before enrolment. [1]

The programme's enrolment page asks for B2 in reading and listening. A previous degree taught in English, or being a native speaker, exempts you. Specific test scores are not listed. [2]

Deadlines

These dates come from the 2026/27 intake. Non-EU applicants living abroad had two rounds on Apply Unifi: 10 December 2025 to 6 February 2026, and 16 February to 17 April 2026. The third round, from 15 June to 31 August 2026, was not open to non-EU citizens living abroad. The next intake notice sets the 2027/28 dates. [3]

Documents and non-EU steps

Non-EU applicants, and EU citizens with a foreign bachelor's, apply through the Apply Unifi portal. The upload includes your passport, bachelor's degree certificate (official provisional certificates may be accepted), transcript, syllabus if available and any language certificate. [2][3]

Your qualification is verified through a declaration of value or a CIMEA statement. Applicants who receive the Admission Document then complete Universitaly pre-enrolment and the study visa application by 31 July. [3]

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.

1. University of Florence, School of Engineering. Course regulations, Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability (LM-33), academic year 2024/25. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
2. University of Florence, Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability programme website. Enrolment and admission requirements, undated (threshold values referenced for 2025/26). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
3. University of Florence, Apply Unifi. Admission Document for master's degrees, 2026/27 intake rounds, application fee guide and list of required documents. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
4. University of Florence, Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability programme page (degree class, language, access mode, blended delivery and curricula), 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.

What bachelor's degree do I need for Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability at Florence?

A bachelor's in civil and environmental engineering (L-7), information engineering (L-8) or industrial engineering (L-9), or a foreign qualification recognised as suitable. With a degree from outside the EU you also need a final grade above the published threshold and enough exams in mechanical design, applied mechanics, industrial design, machines and energy systems. [1][2]

Is there an entrance exam?

No written test. For degrees from outside the EU, the commission assesses your final grade or weighted exam average against a threshold published each year, plus your exams in the core subjects. Graduates from EU institutions take an oral exam unless they meet the exemption rules. [1][2]

What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?

English at CEFR B2, certified within five years of enrolment by the university's Language Centre or another internationally recognised body. The enrolment page asks for B2 in reading and listening and lists no specific test scores, so we check which certificate your file can use. A previous degree taught in English exempts you. [1][2]

When is the deadline for non-EU students?

For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad had two rounds on Apply Unifi: 10 December 2025 to 6 February 2026, and 16 February to 17 April 2026. The summer round was closed to them. The 2027/28 rounds are not yet published. [3]

I have a B.Tech in Civil or Electrical Engineering. Can I apply?

Possibly. Civil, electrical and information engineering degrees sit close to the L-7, L-8 and L-9 classes the rules name, but the commission also looks for enough exams in mechanical design, applied mechanics, industrial design, machines and energy systems. We check your transcript against these subjects first. [1][2]

What are the three curricula?

After a largely common first year, you choose Design, Energy Technologies or Mobility in the second year. Each adds specialist units and team project work, and all three include a 12-credit traineeship and a 12-credit final thesis written and defended in English. [1]

Is any of the teaching online?

Partly. The programme is blended: distance learning can cover up to two thirds of project work activities and at most one third of other courses. Teaching also includes laboratory work, technical visits and traineeships with companies or research centres. [1][4]

Can someone handle my whole application to Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability at Florence?

Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Florence's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the DSU Toscana 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 Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability?

A recognised Indian B.E. or B.Tech in a civil, information or industrial engineering branch, such as mechanical, can meet the degree rule if it includes enough exams in mechanical design, applied mechanics, machines and energy systems, and your final grade clears the published threshold. You also need English at B2. The steps are the Apply Unifi application, the Admission Document 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 Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: Apply Unifi application, Admission Document 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 Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: Apply Unifi application, Admission Document 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 Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability 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: Apply Unifi application, Admission Document 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.