Master in Mechanical Engineering at Polytechnic University of Turin
Two-year LM-33 master's at Politecnico di Torino with an English-taught pathway in propulsion systems, machine dynamics and thermal systems design. Entry needs 105 subject credits across two groups and English at B2.
Master
2 years
Turin
Multiple
Polytechnic University of Turin
Mechanical Engineering is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-33) at Politecnico di Torino in Turin, with an English-taught pathway in energy and design. Entry needs a bachelor's with at least 45 credits in maths, physics, chemistry and computing and 60 in mechanical and industrial subjects, plus English at B2 (IELTS 5.5). Fees can be reduced based on family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
PoliTo's Mechanical Engineering master asks for a three-year bachelor's or recognised foreign degree after at least 15 years of education, with at least 45 credits in maths, physics, chemistry and computing and 60 in mechanical and industrial engineering subjects, plus English at B2, your course syllabus and a positive academic evaluation. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and the two credit groups
You need a three-year bachelor's degree or a qualification earned outside Italy and recognised as suitable for admission. A foreign degree must come from an accredited or recognised university after at least 15 years of total education, counting school and university. Your previous studies must also include: [1]
- At least 45 credits in core subjects: chemistry fundamentals (CHIM/07), physics (FIS/01 and 03), computer science (ING-INF/05) and mathematics (MAT/02, 03 and 05).
- At least 60 credits in mechanical and industrial engineering subjects: hydraulics (ICAR/01), fluid machines (ING-IND/08), applied thermodynamics (ING-IND/10), mechanical and thermal measurements (ING-IND/12), applied mechanics (ING-IND/13), mechanical design and design methods (ING-IND/14 and 15), manufacturing technologies (ING-IND/16), industrial plants (ING-IND/17), metallurgy and materials science (ING-IND/21 and 22), electrical engineering and electrical machines (ING-IND/31 and 32), management engineering (ING-IND/35) and economic sociology (SPS/09).
Credits in a subject area listed in both groups count first towards the core group, and the rest count towards the second group. For 2026/27, the recommended background is mechanical, aerospace, automotive, management, energy, biomedical or materials engineering, or another industrial engineering field. [1][2]
What this means for your transcript
Italian credits and the credits on a foreign transcript are not always the same unit, and PoliTo looks at your subjects, your course syllabus and how well your degree fits the programme, not just your total. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Tech or B.E. in Mechanical, Automobile, Aerospace, Production or Industrial Engineering, which usually carries maths, physics, chemistry and programming plus many credits in applied mechanics, design, thermal and manufacturing subjects.
- Check carefully: a B.Tech in Electrical, Energy, Metallurgical and Materials, Chemical or Biomedical Engineering. These are on the recommended list, but the 60 credits in the listed mechanical and industrial subjects need checking.
- Often short: a B.Tech in Civil Engineering, where only hydraulics counts among civil subjects, and a B.Tech in Computer Science, IT or Electronics, a BCA or a B.Sc., which can cover the core group but rarely the 60 mechanical credits.
- Often short: a B.Com, BBA or BA, which rarely carries the maths, science or engineering credits for either group.
If you lack fewer than 10 credits, the Academic Advisor can still admit you; beyond that, the programme coordinator or vice coordinator gives final approval. Missing credits must be made up before enrolment, through single courses for up to 60 credits or, above 60, by enrolling in the PoliTo bachelor's that offers them. [1]
English
English at CEFR level B2 or higher, shown by a language certificate. [1] For 2026/27, the minimum listed for the English programme is IELTS 5.5, with no Italian needed. The Italian programme, taught partly in Italian, also asks for Italian at B2. [1][2] TOEFL and TOEIC results are sent to PoliTo with code C285. [3]
You can be exempt if your degree or school-leaving qualification came from an English-taught path at an institution in one of the listed countries, which include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore, or from the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or another country on the university's list. You then upload an official medium-of-instruction statement instead. Some consulates may still ask for a language certificate for the visa, so we check what your file needs. [3]
Evaluation and selection
There is no entrance test and access is uncapped. [4] PoliTo first checks that you meet the admission requirements and have uploaded every required document. Professors from the programme then assess your academic performance and how consistent your previous degree is with the programme, using your transcript and course syllabus. The result is eligible, a conditional offer if you have not yet graduated, or not eligible. [1][2][3]
The regulations set no minimum grade for degrees earned outside Italy. A GRE General Test score, recommendation letter, motivation letter or proof of relevant training or work is optional but may support a favourable assessment. An offer is valid only for the academic year you applied for. [1][3]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, applicants with a non-Italian qualification had two calls, both extended by 15 days: [3]
- First call: 19 December 2025 to 13 February 2026, results on 15 April 2026, Universitaly pre-enrolment by 30 June 2026.
- Second call: 18 March to 20 April 2026, results on 22 June 2026, Universitaly pre-enrolment by 15 July 2026.
A third call in November 2026 is open only to EU applicants and non-EU applicants already living in Italy. The 2027/28 calendar is not yet published. [3]
Documents and non-EU steps
The Apply@PoliTO application lets you choose up to two master's programmes in order of preference, with one application per call. Compulsory documents are your passport, CV, bachelor's degree certificate or an official statement of your provisional graduation date, transcript of records and English certificate. For Mechanical Engineering the syllabus of your bachelor's courses is also required. Incomplete applications are rejected. [2][3]
Non-EU applicants living abroad then complete Universitaly pre-enrolment with PoliTo's confirmation of eligibility letter. PoliTo validates it only once you hold your bachelor's degree and have uploaded proof of it, and you then apply for a type D study visa. To enrol you need a declaration of value, a CIMEA statement of comparability, an ARDI certificate of correspondence or a Diploma Supplement, and PoliTo may also ask for a CIMEA statement of verification. [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.
- Politecnico di Torino, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Academic regulations, Master's degree programme in Mechanical Engineering, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Torino. Course-specific requirements for master's degree programmes, academic year 2026/27, updated 19 December 2025. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Torino. Admission to master's degree programmes for applicants with a non-Italian qualification, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Torino. Mechanical Engineering programme page and specialist tracks page, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Mechanical Engineering is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree in class LM-33 at Politecnico di Torino, taught on the main campus in Turin. The degree runs in Italian and English. Its English-taught programme has a single specialist pathway focused on energy and design, while the seven other tracks are taught in Italian. Access is uncapped, subject to an evaluation of your admission requirements.
The degree trains engineers to work on complex industrial design projects, to manage and run sophisticated systems such as production lines and transport infrastructure, and to carry out research and development. You learn to develop projects on your own as well as to work in, and lead, multidisciplinary teams. It suits graduates in mechanical, automotive, aerospace, energy or other industrial engineering fields.
What you will study
The first year builds a broad base across six cultural areas:
- Materials
- Modelling and numerical methods
- Functional and structural design
- Production systems
- Energetics
- Economics and finance
In the second year, the English-taught pathway turns to energy and design, with courses on propulsion systems, the design of machines with a focus on dynamics, and the numerical design of thermal systems. The seven Italian tracks, from automation and additive manufacturing to transport, are not part of the English programme.
How the programme is taught
Teaching combines lectures and practicals with student teams and challenges, and the programme includes company internships. The degree ends with an 18-credit master's thesis on complex design work or original applied research, carried out at PoliTo, another university, a research lab or a partner company, and it can be written and presented in English. [1] You can spend a semester or the whole second year abroad, and Politecnico has double degree agreements for this degree with partners such as the University of Illinois at Chicago, INSA Lyon and ITBA Buenos Aires, which usually need an extra semester to complete the thesis.
Career paths
The regulations describe three profiles: product and systems design engineer, development and management engineer for products, systems and processes, and production engineer. [1] Graduates can work as employees or as freelance consultants in design and industrial management, or go on to a second-level master's or a PhD in mechanics in Italy or abroad. The programme page lists these employers:
- Industries involved in the design, production, control and maintenance of mechanical, metallurgical or electromechanical components, equipment and systems
- Manufacturing and processing industries that use mechanical and electromechanical production systems
- Companies in the vehicle production sector
- Companies and public bodies in energy conversion
- Contractors that organise, run and maintain plant and equipment for factories, buildings, handling and transport
- Service and industrial consultancy firms, and public bodies with technical functions
Fees and scholarships
Politecnico di Torino sets tuition by citizenship or residence and offers reductions based on family income, with the exact amounts published in its yearly fee rules. EDISU Piemonte, the regional body for the right to study, runs the scholarship and university housing calls, and international students are eligible to apply. Non-EU applicants whose family lives abroad provide foreign income and asset documents, from which EDISU calculates an equivalent ISEE (ISEE parificato).
How to apply from outside the EU
For Mechanical Engineering the application needs the syllabus of your bachelor's courses. Applications go through Apply@PoliTO, with up to two master's programmes ranked by preference. For 2026/27 the first call closed on 13 February 2026, with results on 15 April, and the second on 20 April 2026, with results on 22 June. The 2027/28 calendar is not yet published. [3]
Once you are admitted, we pre-enrol you on Universitaly, which the type D study visa requires. For 2026/27 the indicative pre-enrolment dates were 30 June 2026 (first call) and 15 July 2026 (second call). To enrol you need a declaration of value, a CIMEA statement of comparability or an ARDI certificate of correspondence. [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 PoliTo's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your Apply@PoliTO application and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your EDISU Piemonte 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 PoliTo's Mechanical Engineering master?
A three-year bachelor's or recognised foreign degree after at least 15 years of education, with at least 45 credits in maths, physics, chemistry or computing and at least 60 in mechanical and industrial engineering subjects such as applied mechanics, design, thermodynamics, manufacturing and materials. [1]
Is there an entrance test?
No. Access is uncapped. Professors from the programme assess your academic performance and how well your degree fits, using your transcript and the course syllabus you must upload. A GRE score, recommendation letter or motivation letter is optional but may support a favourable assessment. [1][2][3][4]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2 or higher, and the minimum listed for 2026/27 is IELTS 5.5. A degree from an English-taught path in a listed country, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, can be exempt with an official medium-of-instruction statement. [1][2][3]
Which parts of the programme are taught in English?
The common first-year courses run in both Italian and English. In year 2, the English programme has a single pathway with courses on propulsion systems, machine design with a focus on dynamics, and numerical design of thermal systems. The seven specialist tracks belong to the Italian programme. [1][4]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, the first call ran from 19 December 2025 to 13 February 2026 and the second from 18 March to 20 April 2026, with Universitaly pre-enrolment by 30 June or 15 July 2026. The 2027/28 calendar is not yet published. [3]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. You upload an official statement of your provisional graduation date and can receive a conditional offer. PoliTo validates your Universitaly pre-enrolment only once you hold your bachelor's degree and have uploaded proof of it. [3]
I have a B.Tech in Electrical or Civil Engineering. Can I apply?
Possibly. Electrical engineering is on the recommended list and its electrical machines credits count, but the 60 mechanical and industrial credits need checking. Civil engineering is outside the recommended list, and only hydraulics counts among civil subjects, so civil graduates are often short. [1][2]
What jobs do graduates do?
The regulations describe design engineers for products and systems, development and management engineers, and production engineers. Graduates work in design and R and D departments, manufacturing, vehicle production, energy conversion, plant management and industrial consultancy, or go on to a PhD. [1][4]
Can someone handle my whole application to Mechanical Engineering at PoliTo?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against PoliTo's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the EDISU Piemonte 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?
A recognised Indian bachelor's such as a B.Tech or B.E. in Mechanical, Automobile or Aerospace Engineering can meet the rule if it carries 45 credits in maths, physics, chemistry and computing and 60 in the listed mechanical and industrial fields. An English-medium Indian degree can be exempt from IELTS. The steps are the Apply@PoliTO application with your course syllabus, the eligibility letter and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [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 Mechanical Engineering are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: Apply@PoliTO application, confirmation of eligibility letter 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 are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: Apply@PoliTO application, confirmation of eligibility letter 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 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@PoliTO application, confirmation of eligibility letter 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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