Master in Mechanical Engineering at Polytechnic University of Milan
Two-year English-taught master at Politecnico di Milano in mechanical engineering, with tracks from automotive and motorsport, railway and marine engineering to mechatronics, robotics and advanced manufacturing.
Master
2 years
Milan
English
Polytechnic University of Milan



Mechanical Engineering is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-33) taught in English at Politecnico di Milano. Most tracks run at the Milano Bovisa campus, with one track in Piacenza and a separate English course in Lecco. Tuition follows the university's yearly fee rules.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Mechanical Engineering admission requires a suitable prior degree, the programme’s curricular and preparation checks, and the applicable language evidence. The course-specific details below come from its 2026/27 regulation; central foreign-degree instructions and the newer 2027/28 language table are labelled separately.
Curricular preparation and integrations
- The programme evaluates a suitable engineering background against four minimum groups: 20 CFU in listed mathematics/statistics/computing fields; 10 CFU in listed mathematical-physics, physics/chemistry fields; 5 CFU in specified fluid/energy/thermodynamic fields; and 25 CFU in designated structural, mechanical, manufacturing, materials, electrical, automation and related engineering fields.
- Within the 25-CFU group, no more than 5 CFU from the specified IINF sectors can count. We map your foreign courses to the prescribed disciplinary groups. A total of 60 unrelated credits would not satisfy these four group requirements.
- Assigned curricular integrations must be completed before enrolment. The commission can also impose an appropriate individual study plan; admission does not automatically recognise every earlier credit.
Weighted-average threshold and track differences
- The standard base threshold S is 23 for the listed Polimi mechanical/aerospace/energy/industrial-production backgrounds, 24 for other Polimi engineering backgrounds, 25 for L-9 graduates from other Italian universities and 27 for other backgrounds.
- For tracks FA5 Mechatronics for Manufacturing, FA6 Smart and Sustainable Industry and CC6 Sports Engineering, each listed base is one point lower: 22, 23, 24 or 26 respectively.
- The corrected threshold is SC = S + 0.5 × (min(N, 8) − 3), where N is the bachelor’s duration in half-years. We apply the right track and origin category, since there is no single universal minimum.
- The commission may request an interview or review documented exceptional circumstances. Foreign-degree applicants also follow the separate country/qualification assessment, and the future 2028/29 procedures do not replace this regulation.
Foreign-degree qualification, grades and recognition
- The foreign-qualification route requires a recognised university-level bachelor’s degree giving access to second-cycle study, with subjects closely related to this master. Pending students may be evaluated, but the qualification must be obtained before final enrolment under the applicable procedure.
- The International Admissions Office applies strict country-specific qualification and CGPA requirements. Examples on the current page include India 70/100, China 80%, Bangladesh and Pakistan 3.3/4, and Iran 15.5/20. These are country-specific application thresholds, not a single score applicable to every applicant. We check the complete requirements for the country awarding your degree.
- Final recognition evidence is separate from a positive academic evaluation. The university may request a Declaration of Value or CIMEA evidence, and the applicable final-enrolment qualification checks still have to be satisfied.
English evidence and applicable academic year
- English evidence is required on the foreign-degree master’s route. The currently published certificate table is explicitly updated for 2027/28, while the course regulation cited here is for 2026/27. We match the certificate rule and deadline to the intake you are applying for.
- The current table includes IELTS Academic or General Training 6, PTE Academic 59 and LanguageCert ESOL B2 Communicator with four skills. TOEFL iBT/Home Edition requires 78 for tests through 20 January 2026 or 4.5 on the new scale for tests from 21 January 2026. Certificates expired under the issuer’s rules are not accepted.
- The stated English-medium exemption requires a bachelor’s of at least three years and university-certified evidence that at least 75% of its courses were taught in English. A general claim of fluency does not satisfy this documentary route.
- Central international guidance permits language evidence after initial application/evaluation, but requires it for the admission letter, merit-scholarship consideration, visa process and enrolment. The applicable route’s deadline remains mandatory.
- An Italian-taught or mixed Italian/English route also requires the stated B2 Italian evidence under central foreign-degree guidance, with the specified Italian-citizenship exemption. We match this condition to the programme language or track you choose.
Documents to prepare for the foreign-degree application
- Supply the bachelor’s qualification or permitted final-year/provisional document, official transcript, official CGPA/grading-scale evidence and a CV of no more than two pages. The transcript or diploma can serve as the GPA statement if it contains all required information.
- Academic documents are accepted in Italian, English, French or Spanish. Other languages require the specified official translation. Use legible scans of original documents with the required stamps/signatures or accepted official verification evidence.
- GRE evidence is optional in the general international engineering application and has no centrally specified minimum score. A motivation letter, recommendation and detailed course descriptions can provide additional evidence; they do not replace mandatory academic documents.
- We complete the dossier before the application fee is paid: the admissions instructions say uploaded documents cannot be changed or supplemented after payment. Incomplete or unpaid applications are not processed. A successful evaluation still needs the subsequent enrolment and recognition steps.
Sources and verification
- Politecnico di Milano. Mechanical Engineering: official teaching regulation, academic year 2026/27, sections 6.1-6.3 (admission, curricular preparation and places); reviewed 6 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Master of Science admission with a foreign qualification: Requirements, degree eligibility, recognition and country-specific qualifications/CGPA; current guidance reviewed 6 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. List of documents required by the International Admissions Office, mandatory documents and language evidence; certificate table explicitly updated for 2027/28; reviewed 6 October 2026.
About the programme
Mechanical Engineering is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale) in class LM-33, worth 120 ECTS, run by the School of Industrial and Information Engineering.
It is taught in English, mostly at the Milano Bovisa campus, where the large majority of tracks are based. One track, Mechatronics for Manufacturing, runs at the Piacenza campus.
A separate English-taught course in the same class runs at the Lecco campus, with two tracks: Sports Engineering, and Smart and Sustainable Industry.
The degree suits mechanical and industrial engineering graduates who want to specialise in one field of machine design, energy, transport or production.
What you will study
Each track has its own first-year units, drawn from shared subjects such as advanced machine design, dynamics of mechanical systems, manufacturing processes and control.
The Milano Bovisa tracks cover areas from propulsion and power, wind energy and defence and security to micro and nano systems and data science. Examples from the 2026/27 course list:
- Vehicle Dynamics and Control A (Automotive and Motorsport Engineering)
- Noise and Vibration Engineering (Automotive and Motorsport Engineering)
- Actuating Devices for Mechanical Systems (Mechatronics and Robotics)
- Finite Element Simulation for Mechanical Design (Computational Mechanical Design)
- Modelling of Mechanical Behaviour of Materials (Computational Mechanical Design)
- Measurements and Industrial Internet of Things (Mechatronics for Manufacturing, Piacenza)
- Sports Physiology for Engineering (Sports Engineering, Lecco)
- Sustainable Manufacturing Processes (Smart and Sustainable Industry, Lecco)
Other tracks include Railway Engineering, Marine Engineering, Bioinspired Engineering, Materials Design and Processing, Manufacturing Engineering, Production Engineering and Digital Technologies for Product Development.
How the programme is taught
First-year units in every track are taught in English, and each track closes with a thesis and final exam.
Some second-year track lists include Italian-taught units, especially in Defence and Security (for example Geopolitica per la Difesa e la Sicurezza), so we check the list for your track.
The degree website presents the MSc structure, the tracks and the master's thesis for all three campuses.
Career paths
The tracks point to work in the main areas of mechanical and industrial engineering:
- Automotive, motorsport, railway and marine vehicle engineering
- Machine design, structural simulation and product development
- Mechatronics, robotics and industrial automation
- Manufacturing and production engineering
- Energy conversion, propulsion and wind energy
- Sports equipment and technology (Lecco)
Fees and scholarships
Mechanical Engineering has no fee of its own. Tuition follows Politecnico di Milano's yearly fee rules, published on the tuition fees page for 2026/27.
The university runs the DSU right-to-study scholarship itself rather than through a separate regional agency; eligible students can apply, and awards depend on merit and financial need.
How to apply from outside the EU
We check that your bachelor's covers subjects closely related to mechanical engineering, and you choose early between the Milano Bovisa and Piacenza course and the Lecco course, since they are listed as separate courses.
Holders of a foreign degree apply through the international admissions route. The foreign-qualification requirements ask for access to EQF level 7, the minimum grade average for your country and an English certificate or an English-taught bachelor's.
After admission we complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment, and you apply for a type D study visa; a Diploma Supplement, declaration of value or CIMEA statement is needed before enrolment.
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 PoliMi's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your online application through the international admissions route with your transcript, CGPA evidence, CV and English certificate, and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your Politecnico di Milano 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
Are there separate credit groups?
Yes: 20, 10, 5 and 25 CFU in the designated groups, with an IINF sublimit in the final group.
Is the minimum grade the same for every track?
No. FA5, FA6 and CC6 have lower listed base thresholds.
Does study duration affect the threshold?
Yes. The regulation applies a half-year-based correction to the appropriate base threshold.
Can I enrol before clearing assigned integrations?
The required curricular integrations must be completed before enrolment.
Is an interview always required?
The commission can request one; the regulation does not describe it as universal.
Do 2028/29 rules apply to 2026/27?
No. The future admission model is separately dated.
Can someone handle my whole application to Mechanical Engineering at PoliMi?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against PoliMi's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the Politecnico di Milano 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 Mechanical Engineering?
PoliMi's country rules list a minimum of 70 out of 100 for India [2]. Your degree must also cover four minimum credit groups, including 20 CFU in maths, statistics and computing and 25 CFU in mechanical and related engineering [1]. You also need English proof such as IELTS 6 [3]. The steps are the online application, PoliMi's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment. 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: online application, PoliMi's academic evaluation 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: online application, PoliMi's academic evaluation 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: online application, PoliMi's academic evaluation 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.
More English-taught programmes at this university
Other public universities in this city
They began right where you are
