Master in Medical-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at University of Genoa
Two-year English-taught LM-9 master's at the University of Genoa in medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology: molecular oncology, immunology, neuroscience and drug development, with a 20-credit experimental thesis. Entry needs set biology and chemistry credits and English at B2.
Master
2 years
Genoa
English
University of Genoa
Medical-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-9) taught in English at the University of Genoa. Entry needs a bachelor's in biotechnology or a degree with set credits in maths, physics, chemistry and biology, plus English at B2 or an MOI certificate. Non-EU applicants also need a 75% CGPA and a remote interview. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Genoa's Medical-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology master asks for a bachelor's of at least 180 CFU in biotechnology, or another degree with set credits in maths, physics, chemistry and biology, plus English at B2. Non-EU visa applicants also need a related bachelor's, a CGPA of at least 75% and a remote interview. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and subject credits
You need a bachelor's degree of at least 180 CFU in biotechnology (Italian class L-2), or a degree in another class that meets these minimum credits by subject area. The rules come from the course regulations, which are undated, and the programme's admission page lists the same blocks. [1][2]
- 6 CFU (48 hours) in mathematics and statistics
- 3 CFU (24 hours) in informatics and computer science
- 5 CFU (40 hours) in physics
- 6 CFU (48 hours) in inorganic chemistry and 6 CFU (48 hours) in organic chemistry
- 18 CFU (144 hours) in general biology, developmental biology, histology and genetics
- 18 CFU (144 hours) in biochemistry and molecular biology
- 9 CFU (72 hours) in anatomy and physiology
- 5 CFU (40 hours) in pathology and microbiology
For the 2026/27 visa applicant pre-selection, UniGe asked for a bachelor's in biology, microbiology, biological sciences or biotechnology, with a minimum CGPA of 75%. [3]
What this means for your transcript
Italian CFU and the credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit, which is why UniGe also gives each block in teaching hours. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Sc. or B.Tech in Biotechnology, or a B.Sc. in Microbiology, Biology or Biological Sciences that also includes maths or statistics, physics and chemistry.
- Check carefully: a B.Sc. in Zoology, Botany or Biochemistry, or a three-subject B.Sc. with chemistry and biology. The subjects are close, but the field must match UniGe's list and the 18-credit blocks in biology and in biochemistry and molecular biology can be thin.
- Often short: a B.Pharm, B.Sc. Nursing or a chemistry degree. These can cover chemistry, physiology or pathology credits, but they fall outside the fields UniGe listed for the visa pre-selection.
If you already hold credits for one of the programme's compulsory subjects, the course council can approve an alternative study plan that replaces it with other units. [1]
English
English at B2 level or higher. [1] For the non-EU pre-selection, UniGe accepts a B2 certificate from its list of accepted certificates, or a certificate that English was the medium of instruction (MOI) for your whole bachelor's. The pages we reviewed do not list specific test scores. Italian is not required. [3]
Selection and personal preparation
Non-EU visa applicants are pre-selected on UniGeApply from their CV, degree certificate and transcript, with a remote interview and a minimum CGPA of 75%. [3]
UniGe also verifies your personal preparation. This is automatic if your bachelor's final mark is 100/110 or higher, or equivalent. Otherwise a committee assesses your knowledge of biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and human anatomy and physiology, and the programme page adds pharmacology and bioinformatics. [1][2]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, the UniGeApply fall session for visa applicants opened on 26 November 2025 and was set to close on 20 March 2026. For this course it closed early, on 13 February 2026, because the target number of selected students was nearly reached. Outcomes were due by 22 May 2026, and the Universitaly window ran from 4 May to 19 June 2026. [4]
Applicants still finishing their bachelor's could apply if they graduated by 15 August 2026. The 2027/28 dates are not yet published. [3]
Documents and non-EU steps
- A CV covering your education, extra courses, work and internships.
- Your final or provisional degree certificate, or a letter from your university with the expected graduation date and your CGPA to the latest semester.
- A transcript of records with exams, credits and grades.
- A B2 English certificate or an MOI certificate.
- Translations for any document not in Italian, English, French, Spanish or Portuguese.
The UniGeApply fee was €30 for up to two courses. After a positive outcome, students apply on Universitaly for the visa, then complete pre-enrolment on UniGe's online services for the same course. [3][4]
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 Genoa. Teaching regulations of the Master's degree in Medical-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (LM-9), general and special parts, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Genoa, Medical-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology programme pages: admission criteria, assessment of personal preparation and enrolment deadlines, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Genoa, International Enrolments. Pre-evaluation procedure for English-taught master's degrees, non-EU students resident abroad, for 2026/27 entry. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Genoa, International Enrolments. UniGeApply application sessions, early closures and Universitaly dates, for 2026/27 entry. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Genoa. Student contribution and university benefits regulations, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Medical-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale, class LM-9, pharmaceutical, veterinary and medical biotechnologies) worth 120 ECTS and taught in English at the University of Genoa. It is run by the Department of Experimental Medicine, with its offices at the Center of Advanced Biotechnology in the Ospedale Policlinico San Martino area and classes at nearby teaching centres in Genoa.
The course gives an advanced preparation in biotechnology for medicine and pharmacology, joining biochemical, molecular and cellular skills, and adds skills for creating and managing a business. Its focus is on molecular oncology, immunology and neuroscience. It suits biotechnology and biology graduates aiming at biomedical research, the pharmaceutical industry or a PhD.
What you will study
Topics named by the course include next generation sequencing, proteomics, genomics, nanotechnology, cancer immunology, stem cells for tissue repair, molecular pathology, developmental neurobiology and diagnostic technologies. Units in the 2026/27 list include:
- Advanced Molecular Biology, Human Biochemistry, and Developmental Neurobiology, each with laboratory
- Human Genetics and Molecular Pathology, with laboratory
- Molecular Oncology and Immunology
- Gene Therapy and Molecular Bases of Therapy Design
- Computational Techniques of Drug Development and Drug Synthesis, and Drug Metabolism
- Cell Biology Applied to Biomedicine, Endocrinology and Clinical Embryology
- Introduction to AI in Life Sciences and Instrumentation for Proteomics
- Creation, Organization and Management of Company, plus internships
How the programme is taught
Practical lab work runs through both years, and students carry out their thesis internship in a laboratory. Internships can take place in university research labs, biotechnology companies and centres such as Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) and Istituto Giannina Gaslini.
Career paths
Graduates take on responsible roles in diagnostics, bioengineering, health and pharmacology. The university points to:
- The health service
- Public and private companies in biotechnology research and production
- Developing and testing new pharmacological products
- Patent work in the health field
- PhD programmes
Fees and scholarships
This degree falls in UniGe's medical, health and scientific fee class. Under the 2026/27 fee rules, the university contribution follows family income (ISEE-U), and families abroad use a separate income route. Full-time first-year students with an ISEE-U of €24,000 or less pay no university contribution, and winners or eligible applicants of the ALiSEO Liguria regional scholarship are fully exempt. [5]
Everyone pays a first instalment of stamp duty plus regional tax, €136 at the minimum rate for 2026/27. With the right income profile or a scholarship, the programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. [2][5]
How to apply from outside the EU
This course fills fast: in 2026/27 its UniGeApply session for visa applicants closed early, on 13 February 2026, instead of 20 March, because the target number of admitted students was nearly reached. Non-EU applicants needed a bachelor's in biology, microbiology, biological sciences or biotechnology, a CGPA of at least 75% and a remote interview.
The UniGeApply fee was €30 for up to two courses. After acceptance, students applied on Universitaly between 4 May and 19 June 2026, then completed UniGe pre-enrolment and applied for a type D study visa. The 2027/28 dates are pending, so plan to apply early. [4]
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 Genoa's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your UniGeApply pre-selection application, Universitaly pre-enrolment and UniGe pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ALiSEO Liguria 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 Genoa's Medical-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology master?
A bachelor's of at least 180 CFU in biotechnology, or another degree with set credits: 6 in maths and statistics, 3 in computing, 5 in physics, 12 in chemistry, 18 in general biology and genetics, 18 in biochemistry and molecular biology, 9 in anatomy and physiology and 5 in pathology and microbiology. [1][2]
Is there an entrance test or interview?
Non-EU visa applicants have a remote interview during the UniGeApply pre-selection and need a CGPA of at least 75%. Your personal preparation is then accepted automatically with a final mark of 100/110 or higher, otherwise a committee assesses your knowledge of biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, anatomy and physiology. [1][3]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2. For the non-EU pre-selection UniGe accepts a B2 certificate from its accepted list or a certificate that your bachelor's was taught in English (MOI). The pages we reviewed do not list IELTS scores, so we check which proof your file can use. Italian is not required. [1][3]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, the UniGeApply session for visa applicants was set to close on 20 March 2026, but for this course it closed early, on 13 February 2026, because places were nearly filled. The 2027/28 dates are not yet published, so plan to apply as soon as the session opens. [4]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. For 2026/27, applicants still studying could apply with a letter from their university giving the expected graduation date and their CGPA to the latest semester. They had to graduate by 15 August 2026. [3]
I have a B.Sc. in Microbiology or a B.Pharm. Can I apply?
A B.Sc. in Microbiology matches the fields UniGe listed for the visa pre-selection, if it also covers the maths, physics and chemistry credits. A B.Pharm can cover chemistry and physiology credits but falls outside that list of biology, microbiology, biological sciences and biotechnology, so we check your full transcript first. [1][3]
How does the thesis work?
The final exam is an individual experimental thesis worth 20 CFU, based on research in the labs of the course's teachers or in companies in the sector. You submit your thesis request at the start of the second year, naming the research facility and supervisor. The first year also includes an 8 CFU lab or company internship. [1]
Can someone handle my whole application to Medical-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Genoa?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Genoa's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ALiSEO Liguria 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-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology?
A recognised Indian bachelor's of at least three years in Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biology or Biological Sciences, such as a B.Sc. or B.Tech, matches the field rule if it also covers the set credits in maths, physics, chemistry, biochemistry and physiology. You need a CGPA of at least 75%, English at B2 or an MOI certificate, and a remote interview. [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 Medical-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: UniGeApply pre-selection with a remote interview, Universitaly pre-enrolment and UniGe 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-Pharmaceutical Biotechnology are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: UniGeApply pre-selection with a remote interview, Universitaly pre-enrolment and UniGe 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: UniGeApply pre-selection with a remote interview, Universitaly pre-enrolment and UniGe pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa. Read our guides for London, New York, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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