Master in Neurobiology at University of Pavia
Two-year English-taught LM-6-R master's at the University of Pavia covering neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, computational neuroscience and brain disorders, with a 24 ECTS experimental thesis. Entry needs a life science degree and English at B2.
Master
2 years
Pavia
English
University of Pavia
Neurobiology is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-6-R) taught in English at the University of Pavia. Entry needs a bachelor's of at least three years in biology, biotechnology or a related life science, a committee review and an online interview, plus English at B2 with no certificate required. Fees can follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Pavia's Neurobiology master asks for a bachelor's of at least three years in biology, biotechnology or a related life science, or at least 30 credits in five core biology sectors, English at B2, a committee review of your degree and an online admission interview. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and credit rule
You need a bachelor's degree of at least three years, or an equivalent foreign qualification recognised as suitable, in biology, biotechnology or a related life science. For life science degrees other than biology or biotechnology, a committee assesses suitability from your documents. [1][2]
Graduates of other degree classes need at least 30 CFU across five sectors: comparative anatomy and cytology, physiology, molecular biology, pharmacology and genetics (BIOS-04/A, BIOS-06/A, BIOS-08/A, BIOS-11/A and BIOS-14/A). [1]
You also need good knowledge of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, anatomy, pharmacology, physiology and pathophysiology, and you must have taken exams in these topics during your bachelor's. [2]
What this means for your transcript
Italian CFU and the credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit: one CFU stands for about 25 hours of student work, and the committee looks at your subjects, not just your total. You can show credits or study hours for each exam. [1][2] As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a three-year B.Sc. in Biotechnology or Life Sciences with exams in cell and molecular biology, genetics, physiology and some pharmacology or anatomy.
- Check carefully: a B.Sc. in Microbiology, Biochemistry or Genetics, a B.Tech in Biotechnology, or a B.Pharm. These can cover parts of the 30-credit rule, but physiology, anatomy or pharmacology are often thin or missing.
- Often short: the university lists zoology and animal biology, botany, chemistry, medicine (MBBS), dentistry (BDS), nursing, physiotherapy, medical laboratory technology, human nutrition, psychology, agriculture, veterinary, industrial engineering and computer science or IT degrees as not suitable.
If your preparation has gaps, the committee can set extra credits or exams in specific subjects, which you must pass by the enrolment deadline. [1]
English
English at CEFR level B2 or higher, in writing and speaking, including subject vocabulary. A certificate is not required for enrolment. You can support your level with a B2 certificate, a declaration from your university that your bachelor's was taught in English, or proof that you took an English course during your degree. Your English is assessed during the interview in every case. [1][2]
Committee review and online interview
An appointed committee evaluates whether your bachelor's degree is suitable. If it is, you sit the admission exam, an online interview on physiology and pathophysiology, genetics and molecular biology, pharmacology and biochemistry, and cell biology and anatomy. [2]
Italian graduates in biology or biotechnology with a final mark of 92/110 or above are exempt from this check; all other applicants are interviewed. [1]
2027/28 application windows
For 2027/28, the university's admissions portal lists these windows for applicants with a foreign degree, with studies starting on 14 September 2027: [2]
- 12 to 18 November 2026, open to EU and non-EU applicants
- 12 to 20 January 2027, open to EU and non-EU applicants
- 12 to 22 March 2027, open to non-EU applicants living abroad only if places remain
A June 2027 window is listed but marked as not applicable, and the September 2027 window is only for EU citizens and non-EU applicants living in Italy. Each deadline closes at 23:59:59 Central European Time. [2]
Documents and non-EU steps
The online application needs: [2]
- A scan of your passport or identity card
- Your bachelor's transcript listing the exams you have taken, or still have to take if you are finishing your degree, with marks and credits or study hours for each exam
- Optional proof of English at B2: a certificate, an English-medium declaration from your university or proof of an English course
Documents are accepted in English, French, Italian or Spanish. To finalise enrolment you submit scans of your original documents, and non-EU applicants living abroad then complete Universitaly pre-enrolment for the study visa. The university sets a fixed number of places for non-EU applicants. [2]
Students with a foreign qualification take a 3 CFU Italian course in the first year unless they show Italian at B1 or above. [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.
- University of Pavia, Department of Biology and Biotechnology Lazzaro Spallanzani. Course regulations, Master's degree in Neurobiology (LM-6), 2026/2027 cohort, with study plan. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia, international admissions portal. Master's degree in Neurobiology: entry requirements, documents and application calls, academic year 2027/28. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia, Neurobiology programme page (degree class, language, access, study plan and department), 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia. Fees regulation, academic year 2026/2027, including flat-rate brackets for non-EU students. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia, Neurobiology annual degree programme report, 2026/27 (professional profile and career outlets). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Pavia, Master's degree in Neurobiology course website. Thesis internship, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
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. [1][3]
It is taught in English on campus in Pavia, carries 120 ECTS and has open access, with a set number of seats for non-EU applicants living abroad. [2][3]
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. [1][6]
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). [6]
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 Language for Foreign Students course, unless they show Italian at B1 or above. [1]
Career paths
The university's professional profile for graduates is the neurobiologist. The settings it lists for 2026/27 are: [5]
- 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, across three brackets. Bracket 1 includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. [4]
Or we help you declare your family income and assets for an equivalent ISEE: up to €32,000 students are exempt from the all-inclusive fee for the normal length of the degree plus one year, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students, while the regional tax and stamp duty still apply. [4]
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 or ID card, a transcript with exams, marks and credits or study hours, and optional proof of English. [2]
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. [2]
For 2027/28, non-EU applicants living abroad can apply from 12 to 18 November 2026 or 12 to 20 January 2027, and from 12 to 22 March 2027 only if places remain. Studies start on 14 September 2027. [2]
Next come the Universitaly pre-enrolment and a type D study visa, which the consulate decides.
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 Pavia's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your online application, the committee review and online interview, and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your regional 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
What bachelor's degree do I need for Pavia's Neurobiology master?
A bachelor's of at least three years in biology, biotechnology or a related life science that the committee judges suitable. Graduates of other fields need at least 30 credits in anatomy and cytology, physiology, molecular biology, pharmacology and genetics, plus exams in the core biology topics. [1][2]
Is there an entrance exam?
Yes, an online interview. If the committee finds your degree suitable, you are interviewed on physiology and pathophysiology, genetics and molecular biology, pharmacology and biochemistry, and cell biology and anatomy. Your English is assessed in the same interview. [2]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at CEFR B2, but no certificate is required. A B2 certificate, a declaration from your university that your bachelor's was taught in English, or proof of an English course in your degree can support your level. The interview assesses your English in any case. [2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2027/28, non-EU applicants living abroad can apply from 12 to 18 November 2026 or from 12 to 20 January 2027. A third window, 12 to 22 March 2027, opens to them only if places remain. Studies start on 14 September 2027. [2]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. You upload a transcript listing the exams you have taken and those still to be taken, with marks and credits or study hours. Admission needs a completed three-year degree, and you submit your original documents to finalise enrolment. [1][2]
I have a B.Sc. in Zoology, an MBBS or a BCA. Can I apply?
Generally no. The university lists zoology and animal biology, botany, chemistry, medicine, dentistry, nursing, physiotherapy, psychology, human nutrition and computer science degrees as not suitable. A B.Sc. in Biotechnology or Life Sciences with physiology, genetics and pharmacology is closer to what the committee looks for. [2]
Can I do my thesis abroad?
Yes. The 24 ECTS experimental thesis, in a wet lab or in silico, can be done partly or entirely in a laboratory abroad, for example through an Erasmus+ traineeship of 2 to 12 months, with a University of Pavia teacher as your main supervisor. [1][6]
How do fees work for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU students can pay a flat rate set by citizenship, or an income-based fee, where the all-inclusive fee is zero up to an equivalent ISEE of €32,000. Regional tax and stamp duty are still due. [4]
Can someone handle my whole application to Neurobiology at Pavia?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Pavia's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the regional 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 Neurobiology?
A recognised three-year Indian bachelor's in biotechnology, life sciences or a related biology field can meet the rule if it includes exams in physiology, anatomy, genetics, molecular biology and pharmacology. You also need English at B2, and a medium of instruction letter from your university can support it. The steps are the online application, the committee review and online 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 Neurobiology are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application, the committee's review and online 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 Neurobiology are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application, the committee's review and online interview, 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 Neurobiology 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, the committee's review and online interview, 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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