Master in Neurobiology at University of Pavia

About the programme

Neurobiology is a two-year master's degree in the biology class, LM-6-R, offered by the Department of Biology and Biotechnology Lazzaro Spallanzani at the University of Pavia. It is taught entirely in English on campus in Pavia, carries 120 ECTS and has open access, with a limited quota of seats for non-EU applicants who need a visa.

The degree gives a solid grounding in neuroscience: how the nervous system is organised, the cellular and molecular basis of its functions, its systemic roles and the biology behind neurological and psychiatric disease. It puts weight on quantitative data acquisition and analysis, imaging and behavioural methods, and bioinformatics. It is aimed mainly at biology and biotechnology graduates.

What you will study

The first year builds the core of cellular, molecular and systems neuroscience. The second year moves to computation, behaviour and disease, with 9 ECTS of electives and the thesis. Units in the 2026/27 study plan include:

• Cellular and Advanced Systemic Neurophysiology
• Membrane Biophysics and Electrophysiology
• Human Neuroanatomy
• Neurochemistry, Neuropharmacology and Neurogenetics
• Comparative Neurodevelopment and Neural Stem Cells
• Computational Neuroscience
• Neural Basis of Behaviour and Neuropsychology
• Neurobiology of Brain Disorders
• Neuroimmunology and Molecular Neurobiology

How the programme is taught

The final exam is worth 24 ECTS and requires experimental work, in a wet lab or in silico, under the guidance of a University of Pavia teacher. You can do it in a university laboratory, in another laboratory in Italy, or partly or entirely abroad through Erasmus+ traineeships (2 to 12 months), Erasmus+ study periods or overseas exchanges (5 to 6 months). The thesis is written and discussed in English.

There is no compulsory curricular internship, but extra-curricular internships can count towards elective credits. Students with a foreign degree take a 3 ECTS Italian course unless they already know Italian.

Career paths

The university's professional profile for graduates is the neurobiologist. The settings it lists are:

• Universities and public or private research institutes
• Hospitals
• Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies
• Companies producing biomedical instruments
• Scientific publishing
• Education

Fees and scholarships

Neurobiology falls in the science fee area. For 2026/27 non-EU students can pay a flat rate fixed by citizenship: €390 a year in bracket 1, which includes countries like India, Egypt and Sri Lanka, €1,520 in bracket 2 and €4,550 in bracket 3. Or you can declare family income and assets for an equivalent ISEE: up to €32,000 the all-inclusive fee is zero, which means zero euro tuition for eligible students, while regional tax and €16 stamp duty still apply. That route is required for an EDiSU Pavia scholarship.

How to apply from outside the EU

Your application on apply.unipv.eu needs your passport, a transcript with exams, marks and credits, and proof of English, plus a €35 non-refundable fee per programme. If the committee finds your background suitable, you are invited to an online interview on physiology and pathophysiology, genetics, molecular biology, pharmacology, biochemistry, cell biology and anatomy. For 2026/27 the first call ran from 12 to 20 November 2025, and applicants abroad could use later calls only while non-EU seats lasted; 2027/28 dates were pending in September 2026.

Next come the Universitaly pre-enrolment and a type D study visa, which the consulate decides.

How ApplyAZ helps

If this programme fits your goals, ApplyAZ can include it in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities. We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose, submit your applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your DSU scholarship application and prepare your visa file, with a named person on each stage. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.