Master in Neurosciences at University of L’Aquila
Two-year English-taught LM-6 master's at the University of L'Aquila in cellular and molecular neurobiology, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology and neuroimaging, ending with a 16 ECTS research thesis.
Master
2 years
L'Aquila
English
University of L’Aquila
Neurosciences is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree in biology (class LM-6) taught entirely in English at the University of L'Aquila, covering the nervous system from molecules and cells to neuroimaging and neuropathology. Non-EU students not resident in Italy start in the lowest fee band, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Neurosciences admission depends on the prior qualification, the subject preparation specified below and the applicable language/enrolment route. The programme rules are verified against the official 2026/27 regulation. Eligibility assessment and final enrolment are separate stages.
Degree backgrounds and alternative credit route
- Applicants need a bachelor’s degree, a three-year university diploma or a recognised suitable foreign qualification. Neurosciences is an LM-6 biology master’s, delivered entirely in English under its 2026/27 regulation.
- Biological Sciences graduates in L-13 or former class 12 from an Italian university have the listed curricular access route regardless of their previous curriculum. Biotechnology graduates in L-2 undergo curriculum assessment by the CAD.
- Other degree classes need all three groups: at least 66 CFU in the specified biology sectors, 12 in mathematics/physics and 12 in chemistry. The biology fields cover BIOS-01/A-05/A and BIOS-06/A-15/A; the mathematics/physics group uses MATH-01/A-06/A and PHYS-01/A-06/B; the chemistry group uses CHEM-01/A-03/A and CHEM-05/A.
- A recognised foreign degree is assessed for suitability and equivalent preparation. A programme title containing neuroscience or health alone does not establish compliance with the required transcript distribution.
Language and selection
- English proficiency must be equivalent to at least B2. For the cohort-2026 international selection, we apply its certificate validity and permitted English-medium/native-speaker evidence rules.
- The international committee can select on qualifications alone or on qualifications plus an interview. The call provides at least five days’ notice when an interview is scheduled. It does not exempt every applicant from an interview.
- The degree-class route, English evidence and academic selection all have to be satisfied. Neither the biology access route nor meeting the 90-credit alternative distribution replaces the complete international application and enrolment process.
2026 international English-course selection and documents
- For candidates holding a qualification from outside the Italian university system, the cohort-2026 English-master’s call requires a suitable university qualification of at least three official years and English at least B2. The university committee evaluates programme-specific preparation from qualifications and may add an interview.
- The application dossier is in English: CV, transcript for the admission qualification, transcripts for any additional qualifications, relevant official course syllabuses or the prescribed course-description declaration, motivation letter, valid identity document, and English evidence. Up to two reference letters are optional in this call.
- English certificates issued more than four years earlier are not valid for this selection. Native speakers and candidates with at least one year of English-medium study at bachelor’s or secondary-school level can provide the call’s stated self-certified evidence. We reconcile this selection exemption with any separate certificate requirement for enrolment or the programme regulation.
- The call allows one submitted application covering up to two programme rankings. The completed submission/signature procedure is compulsory; a saved draft is not a submitted application. The stated handwritten-signature step is waived for the specified SPID route.
- The cohort-2026 application deadline was 25 February 2026 at 13:00 Italian time. For a pending degree, the call required qualification evidence by 15 August 2026 under its stated conditions. These dates have passed, and the next call sets new dates.
Foreign qualifications and final enrolment documents
- A foreign qualification must be recognised as suitable for second-cycle study. We prepare the final bachelor’s certificate, official transcript in English or Italian, and the qualification-recognition evidence applicable to your case: CIMEA comparability/verification statements, a Declaration of Value, or an accepted English Diploma Supplement.
- The university permits its documented direct-verification procedure in qualifying cases. This needs confirmation in the acceptance letter and communication to the student registry before recognition evidence can be left out.
- Applicants who require an Italian study visa also complete Universitaly pre-enrolment. The university’s checklist includes passport photograph, passport, motivation letter, CV, transcript, degree or permitted temporary certificate, and B2 evidence in the teaching language. The academic offer and visa decision are separate steps.
- We match language evidence to the selected curriculum. The international enrolment webpage contains some older dates alongside its 2026 application information, so we take deadlines only from the applicable annual notice and registry instructions.
Sources and verification
- University of L’Aquila. Neurosciences: official teaching regulation, academic year 2026/27, Article 5. Reviewed 6 October 2026.
- University of L’Aquila. Selection for admission to English-taught master’s degrees, cohort 2026, Articles 2-5. Reviewed 6 October 2026.
- University of L’Aquila. Enrolment of international students: academic pre-selection, language evidence, Universitaly and postgraduate enrolment documents; current webpage with separately dated entries. Reviewed 6 October 2026.
About the programme
Neurosciences is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale) in class LM-6, biology, worth 120 ECTS. It is run by the Department of Clinical Medicine, Public Health, Life and Environmental Sciences (MeSVA) of the University of L'Aquila, taught in person in L'Aquila, and the 2026/27 regulation states that it is delivered entirely in English.
The course trains biologists with advanced, hands-on knowledge of the nervous system: its cells and molecules, the methods and computing tools used to study the brain, and the environmental factors that affect how it works. It suits graduates in biological sciences or biotechnology who want a research career in neuroscience.
What you will study
The first year (65 ECTS) builds the biological and technical base; the second year (55 ECTS) moves to evolution, ageing and disease of the nervous system, plus 9 ECTS of electives and the thesis. Units in the 2026/27 plan include:
- Cellular Neurobiology and Developmental Neurobiology (9 ECTS)
- Fundamentals of Neurobiochemistry and Biomolecular Technologies (9 ECTS)
- Integrative Neurophysiology, Molecular Neurobiology and Neuropharmacology (6 ECTS each)
- Genetic Modelling in Neurobiology and Epigenetics, and Anatomic Basis for Neurosciences (6 ECTS each)
- Neuroimaging, and Advanced Techniques for Nervous System and Synaptic Plasticity (5 ECTS each)
- Vertebrate Brain Evolution, Aging Neurobiology and Neuropathology (6 ECTS each)
- Human Neurogenetics, Human Neurology and a Laboratory unit in the second year
How the programme is taught
Practical training runs through both years: 5 ECTS of professional activities in the first year and a 3 ECTS internship in the second, which can be done in a university lab, at an outside organisation under agreement, or abroad through programmes such as Erasmus+. Students may earn internship credits beyond the minimum.
The final exam carries 16 ECTS: an original research thesis prepared under a supervisor during a period in a university laboratory or an approved external centre, possibly abroad under an agreement. The defence can be held in English.
Career paths
The regulation prepares graduates for work as biologists, biochemists, pharmacologists and researchers in biology. Named outlets include:
- Basic or applied research in public and private biomedical institutes
- The pharmaceutical industry, in applied and clinical research and data management
- Innovation and technology transfer in neuroscience, cell biology and biomolecule analysis
- Professional work in health, public administration and industry
- Science teaching and outreach in neuroscience
Graduates can also move on to PhD programmes, health specialisation schools and second-level university masters.
Fees and scholarships
The University of L'Aquila links tuition to family income. Its 2026/27 fee guide charges no annual contribution in the lowest band (ISEE up to €24,000), and non-EU students not resident in Italy are assigned to that band, so the degree can be tuition-free for eligible students, provided minimum credits are earned from the second year. Regional scholarships are run by ADSU L'Aquila.
How to apply from outside the EU
Neurosciences is part of the university's call for master's degrees taught in English. Applicants need a biology-based bachelor's (or the minimum biology, maths, physics and chemistry credits) and B2 English. For 2026/27 the call ran on the PICA portal until 25 February 2026 at 1:00 pm Italian time.
We upload your CV, degree certificate and transcripts, course descriptions, a motivation letter and up to two reference letters; the committee selects on qualifications and may hold an interview. Admitted students complete Universitaly pre-enrolment, apply for a type D study visa and provide a CIMEA statement or declaration of value at 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 L'Aquila's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your PICA application, document dossier and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ADSU L'Aquila 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
Which degrees give direct access?
Italian Biological Sciences degrees in class L-13 or former class 12 have the listed curricular access route, whatever the previous curriculum. Biotechnology graduates in class L-2 have their curriculum assessed by the CAD, and a recognised foreign degree is assessed for suitability and equivalent preparation. [1]
I have a B.Sc. in zoology, biochemistry or biotechnology. Can I apply?
Your foreign degree is assessed for suitability and equivalent preparation. Outside the biology route, the rule is at least 66 CFU in the specified biology sectors, 12 CFU in mathematics or physics and 12 CFU in chemistry. A title containing neuroscience or health is not enough on its own, so we map your courses to these groups. [1]
What English level do I need?
English at B2 or above. In the 2026 international selection, certificates issued more than four years earlier were not valid, and native speakers or applicants with at least one year of English-medium study could use the call's self-certified evidence. [1][2]
Is there an entrance test or interview?
Selection is based on your qualifications. The international committee can select on qualifications alone or add an interview, and the call gives at least five days' notice when an interview is scheduled. [2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
In the 2026 international call, applications closed on 25 February 2026 at 13:00 Italian time. That window has passed, and the next call sets the new dates. [2]
Can I apply before graduating?
Yes, under the 2026 call's stated conditions. Applicants with a pending degree had to provide qualification evidence by 15 August 2026. The next call sets its own date for this evidence. [2]
Is the programme taught entirely in English?
Yes. The 2026/27 regulation states that this two-year biology master's in class LM-6 is delivered entirely in English, and the international selection asks for English at B2 or above. [1][2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Neurosciences at L'Aquila?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against L'Aquila's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ADSU L'Aquila 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 Neurosciences?
An Indian B.Sc. in a biology subject, such as zoology or biotechnology, is assessed for suitability and equivalent preparation. Other backgrounds need at least 66 CFU in the specified biology sectors, 12 in mathematics or physics and 12 in chemistry [1]. You also need B2 English, and the committee may add an interview [2]. The steps are a PICA application, the committee assessment 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 Neurosciences are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: a PICA application, the committee assessment 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 Neurosciences are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: a PICA application, the committee assessment 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 Neurosciences 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: a PICA application, the committee assessment 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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