Master in Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine at University of Milan

Detailed entry requirements

Milan's Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine master asks for a bachelor's degree with at least 50 credits in set life science and medical subject areas, plus English at B2. Non-EU applicants who need a visa compete for 10 reserved places through an evaluation of their academic and personal background and an interview, while other applicants sit a written test. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]

The 50-credit rule

You need a bachelor's degree, with 180 credits required for admission, and at least 50 credits in some or all of these subject areas: [1][2]

• Biological sciences: physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, clinical biochemistry, biology, pharmacology, human anatomy, genetics and general microbiology.
• Medical sciences: medical statistics, human genetics, general pathology and immunology, clinical pathology, medical oncology, microbiology, pathology, internal medicine, mental health, neurology and laboratory medicine.
• Other areas: informatics and medical physics.

The same 50-credit rule applies to non-EU applicants living abroad. A foreign degree must be recognised as appropriate by the university under Italian rules and bilateral agreements. [1][2]

What this means for your transcript

Credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit as Italian credits, and the board looks at the subjects behind them. As a guide, based on the rule above:

• Usually a fit: a B.Sc. or B.Tech in Biotechnology, or a B.Sc. in Biochemistry, Microbiology, Genetics or Molecular Biology, where courses in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, microbiology and physiology together easily pass 50 credits.
• Check carefully: a B.Pharm, a B.Sc. in Life Sciences, Zoology, Botany or Chemistry, or a nursing or allied health degree, where only biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology, genetics or medical statistics courses count.
• Often short: a B.Tech or B.E. in Computer Science or another engineering field, a BCA, B.Com, BBA or BA, where informatics or physics alone rarely reach 50 credits in the listed areas.

English

English at CEFR level B2 or higher is required for admission. [1] For non-EU applicants, the programme rules ask for the B2 certificate when you apply. [2] Certificates must be issued no more than three years before the application date, and levels certified by the University of Milan language centre within four years also count. [1]

On the university's list, B2 corresponds to IELTS 5.5 to 6.5, TOEFL iBT 72 to 94, PTE Academic 59 to 75 or Cambridge B2 First, and certificates must cover reading, writing, listening and speaking. [4]

Applicants without a valid certificate are told during the admission procedure to take the language centre's placement test. If you do not take or pass it, you must submit an accepted certificate by the programme's deadline, or you are not admitted. [1]

Students without an Italian school-leaving diploma or degree can earn 3 credits by reaching Italian at A2, or earn those credits through other second-year activities. [2]

Selection for non-EU applicants

Non-EU applicants living abroad who need a visa do not sit the written test. The board first evaluates your academic and personal background, including your CV. If that evaluation is positive, you are invited to an interview with questions on the subject areas of the 50-credit rule. Your overall evaluation decides admission and your place in the ranking for the 10 reserved places. [1][2]

Italian, EU and equivalent applicants instead sit an online written test in English: 50 multiple-choice questions on biochemistry, biology, pharmacology, physics, genetics, immunology and pathology, with 1 point for each correct answer and minus 0.5 for each wrong one. For 2026/27 it was held on 10 September 2026, and a score below 20 out of 50 ruled applicants out. [1]

2026/27 deadlines

For 2026/27, non-EU applicants needing a visa applied between 24 March and 29 May 2026, results were communicated by 26 August 2026, and enrolment closed on 24 September 2026. Other applicants could apply until 25 August 2026. [1]

Visa applicants also had to complete Universitaly pre-enrolment by 31 July 2026, or they were excluded from the selection and from enrolment. [1]

Students still finishing a degree could apply if they had at least 156 credits by the application deadline and graduated by 31 December 2026. The 2027/28 call sets the next dates. [1]

Documents and non-EU steps

Applicants with a foreign degree apply on the university's international platform and pay a €30 fee by the deadline. You upload: [1]

• your bachelor's degree or degree-awarding certificate;
• a Diploma Supplement or a transcript with courses and marks, in English, Italian, French, German or Spanish;
• your B2 English certificate, if you have one;
• the personal details pages of your passport;
• a CV (visa applicants only).

If you have not graduated yet, you also give your total credits, average grade, exams taken and still to take, and your expected graduation date. The application cannot be changed once submitted. [1]

To finalise enrolment you provide your bachelor's degree legalised or apostilled, your high school diploma, a Statement of Comparability from an ENIC-NARIC centre such as CIMEA or a declaration of value from the Italian embassy, an Italian tax code and, for non-EU citizens, your residence permit or the receipt of its application. For 2026/27 these were due by 30 November 2026, and admission stays provisional until they are checked. [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.

1. University of Milan. Call for applications for admission to the Master's degree programme in Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine (LM-9 R), academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
2. University of Milan. Programme description (manifesto), Master's degree in Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine (LM-9 R), students enrolling in 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
3. University of Milan. Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine programme page: location, places, career outlets and admission dates, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
4. University of Milan. Accepted English language certificates, list updated June 2025. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
5. University of Milan. Fees for the current academic year 2026/27, with the annex of country groups. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
6. University of Milan. Regulations on tuition, fees and waivers, academic year 2025/26, annex listing programmes by tuition area. Reviewed 8 October 2026.

What bachelor's degree do I need for Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine at Milan?

A bachelor's with at least 50 credits in set life science and medical areas, such as biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology and pathology. Informatics, medical statistics and medical physics also count. The same rule applies to non-EU applicants. [1][2]

Is there an entrance exam for non-EU students?

No. Non-EU applicants living abroad who need a visa skip the written test. The board evaluates your academic and personal background and, if that is positive, interviews you on the core subjects. Italian and EU applicants sit a 50-question online test and need at least 20 points. [1]

What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?

English at B2 or higher. You can upload an accepted certificate issued within three years, such as IELTS 5.5 or above, or take the university language centre's placement test. Without a pass or a certificate by the programme's deadline, you are not admitted. [1][4]

When is the deadline for non-EU students?

For 2026/27, non-EU visa applicants applied between 24 March and 29 May 2026 and had to complete Universitaly pre-enrolment by 31 July 2026. Ten places were reserved for them. The 2027/28 call sets the next dates. [1]

Can I apply before I graduate?

Yes. For 2026/27, students could apply if they had at least 156 credits by the application deadline and graduated by 31 December 2026. Until you graduate, your admission is provisional. [1]

I have a B.Pharm or a B.Sc. in Zoology. Can I apply?

Possibly. Only courses in the listed areas count, such as biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, genetics, pathology and medical statistics. A B.Pharm often covers several of these, while a Zoology degree can fall short of 50 credits. We check your transcript against the list. [1]

Which curricula can I choose?

Five: Neuroscience; Medical and Experimental Oncology; Molecular Diagnostics for Personalized Medicine; Experimental Immunology and Transplantations; and Advanced Computation for Human Disease Modelling. You choose at the start, and the curriculum units run in the third term. [2]

Where are classes held?

At the Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, in Segrate, in the Milan metropolitan area. Attendance is compulsory, with up to 25% absence allowed. [2][3]

Can someone handle my whole application to Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine at Milan?

Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Milan's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the University of Milan 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 Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine?

Indian graduates with a B.Sc. or B.Tech in Biotechnology, or a B.Sc. in Biochemistry, Microbiology or Genetics, often meet the rule of at least 50 credits in set life science and medical subjects. You also need English at B2. As a visa applicant you skip the written test: the steps are the online application, a background evaluation and interview, 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 Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application, background evaluation and 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 Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application, background evaluation and interview, and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.

I'm applying from the UK, US, Canada, Singapore or Malaysia. Is anything different?

The academic rules are identical. Non-EU applicants who live abroad, including citizens of these countries, follow the same route: online application, background evaluation and interview, and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa. Read our guides for London, New York, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.