Master in Product and Service Design at Sapienza University of Rome
Two-year English-taught LM-12 design master's at Sapienza in Rome, with studios and labs on smart objects, phygital prototyping, service innovation and sustainability. Entry is by ranking on your thesis, portfolio and an online oral test, with English at B2.
Master
2 years
Rome
English
Sapienza University of Rome
Product and Service Design is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-12) taught in English at Sapienza University of Rome. Entry needs a bachelor's in design, engineering, architecture, computer science or economics, English at B2, and a place in a ranking based on your thesis, portfolio and an online oral test. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Sapienza's Product and Service Design master asks for a bachelor's in design, engineering, architecture, computer science or economics, or a listed Italian degree class, plus English at B2. Places are limited and awarded by a ranking out of 60 based on your qualifications, a portfolio and an online oral test. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree requirement
You need a first-level bachelor's degree, or another Italian or foreign qualification judged to correspond to one. [1]
- Italian degrees: industrial design (L-4), industrial engineering (L-9), civil and environmental engineering (L-7), architectural sciences (L-17), construction sciences and techniques (L-23), information engineering (L-8), and economics and business management (L-18).
- Degrees from EU or non-EU countries: design, industrial engineering, computer science, architecture or economics.
Non-EU applicants living abroad need qualifications and curricular requirements declared equivalent to these. The call does not set a minimum grade or a credit count by subject. [1]
What this means for your transcript
As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Des, a B.Arch, a B.Tech or B.E. in Mechanical, Industrial, Production or Computer Science Engineering, a B.Sc. in Computer Science, or a BA or B.Sc. in Economics, since these match the fields the call lists.
- Check carefully: a BCA, a B.Tech in Civil, Electronics or IT, a BBA or a B.Com. They sit close to the listed fields, but for foreign degrees the call names the field, so your degree title and content matter.
- Often short: degrees outside these fields, such as a B.Sc. in Chemistry or Biology, a B.Pharm or a BA in Literature.
Whatever your degree, your thesis and portfolio carry 35 of the 60 points, so design project work matters. [1]
English
English at CEFR level B2 or higher, shown by a scanned language certificate or a self-certification. The call does not name specific tests or scores. [1]
Selection: qualifications, portfolio and online oral test
Places are awarded by a ranking out of 60 points, and you need at least 15 to enter it. [1]
- Bachelor's thesis: up to 15 points, based on its grade or judgement and its relevance to product and service design.
- Further training: up to 10 points for postgraduate specialisation courses, advanced professional courses and workshops.
- Prizes and output: up to 5 points for design competition prizes, exhibitions of your own projects, registered patents and models, and products in production.
- Portfolio: up to 20 points, covering work as a student, as a project collaborator and as a project author.
- Online oral test: up to 10 points, focused on your portfolio and the skills behind it.
Ties go to the younger candidate, then by the date of the final degree exam. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad who needed a student visa had to: [1]
- complete MoveIn pre-selection and download the pre-acceptance letter by 15 May 2026
- submit Universitaly pre-enrolment by 30 June 2026
- register on Infostud, pay the participation fee and apply between 16 and 30 June 2026
- sit the online oral test on 6, 8 or 9 July 2026
Rankings for this group were published by 17 July 2026, and enrolment fees were due between 1 and 30 September 2026. EU applicants and non-EU residents in Italy applied by 31 August 2026, sat the oral test on 3 or 4 September and saw rankings by 14 September 2026. The 2027/28 call is not yet published. [1]
Applying before you graduate
For 2026/27, only Sapienza students finishing a bachelor's in an accepted class by 31 December 2026 could take part conditionally, with an English certificate at B2 or a self-certification. Non-EU visa applicants had to meet every requirement by 30 June 2026. [1]
Documents and non-EU steps
The application is an online form with an ID document, the fee receipt, your English certificate or self-certification, a CV and a portfolio, all in PDF. Non-EU applicants living abroad also upload their pre-selection letter. [1]
Non-EU applicants who need a student visa must complete MoveIn pre-selection and Universitaly pre-enrolment before applying. The pre-acceptance letter does not by itself give a right to a visa or to enrolment: you still need to pass the selection. In 2026/27, ranked visa applicants who could not reach Italy by 30 September for justified reasons could be conditionally enrolled after declaring their intention to enrol. [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.
- Sapienza University of Rome, Faculty of Architecture and Faculty of Information Engineering, Computer Science and Statistics. Call for applications to the restricted-access interfaculty English-language Master's degree programme in Product and Service Design (LM-12), academic year 2026-2027, Rector's Decree no. 1130/2026. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Sapienza University of Rome, Product and Service Design programme page (degree class, teaching language, duration, faculties and department). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Product and Service Design is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale, class LM-12, design) worth 120 ECTS, taught in English in Rome. It is an interfaculty degree of Sapienza's Faculty of Architecture and Faculty of Information Engineering, Computer Science and Statistics, based in the Department of Planning, Design and Technology of Architecture. [1][2]
It prepares designers to lead innovation in products and services in a post-industrial economy shaped by the digital and ecological transitions. The class is built to mix people from design, engineering and economics, so it suits graduates from any of these fields who want to work on design-driven innovation at an international level.
What you will study
The first year combines theory with laboratories; the second year is built around design studios, electives, work experience and the thesis. The 2026/27 plan includes:
- Design-Driven Innovation Studio (9 ECTS)
- Aesthetics, Human Factors and Ergonomics, and Contemporary Design Issues (6 ECTS each)
- Laboratory of Digital Representation and Laboratory of Smart Object (9 ECTS each)
- Laboratory of Phygital Prototyping and Laboratory of Green Transition (6 ECTS each)
- A choice between the Service and Social Innovation Design Studio and the Product and Process Innovation Design Studio
- A choice between the Digital Society Design Studio and the Sustainability Design Studio
- 12 ECTS of electives and a 15 ECTS thesis
How the programme is taught
Teaching is project-based, with intense studio work. A block of 12 ECTS of further learning is carried out at companies, professional design studios and research centres that work internationally. Together with the electives and the thesis, this lets each student shape a personal path within product and service design.
Career paths
The degree prepares two professional profiles:
- Design strategist: leads design thinking across the whole cycle of a product or service, in fields such as smart objects, IoT, robotics, healthcare, design for emergency, sustainability and the sharing economy. Work settings include freelance practice and start-ups, design studios, public and private bodies, and companies of every size.
- Design researcher: works on applied research in design-driven innovation, for example digital transition, digital fabrication and Industry 4.0, or green transition, in research institutes and corporate R&D divisions.
Graduates can also continue to a PhD in design in Italy or abroad.
Fees and scholarships
The admission call has a non-refundable participation fee. Sapienza sets tuition by family income (ISEE): the lower your ISEE, the lower the fee. Students with foreign citizenship or income earned abroad who cannot produce an ISEE pay a fixed yearly amount that depends on their country of origin. [1]
The regional scholarship body for Rome is DiSCo Lazio, and the region decides scholarship awards. Because fees follow family income, this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students.
How to apply from outside the EU
This degree has its own admission call. For 2026/27 it offered 30 places for EU applicants and non-EU residents in Italy, and 40 for non-EU visa applicants, two of them for Marco Polo students. Visa applicants first cleared MoveIn pre-selection by 15 May 2026 and pre-enrolled on Universitaly by 30 June 2026, then applied under the call between 16 and 30 June 2026. Online oral tests ran on 6, 8 and 9 July 2026, rankings were published by 17 July and enrolment fees were due between 1 and 30 September 2026. Successful applicants also need a type D study visa. The 2027/28 call is not yet published. [1]
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 Sapienza's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your MoveIn pre-selection, Universitaly pre-enrolment and Sapienza application with your portfolio.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your DiSCo Lazio 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 Sapienza's Product and Service Design master?
A bachelor's in design, industrial engineering, computer science, architecture or economics, or an Italian degree in classes L-4, L-7, L-8, L-9, L-17, L-18 or L-23. Foreign qualifications must be judged equivalent, and the call does not set a minimum grade. [1]
Is there an entrance exam?
There is no written test. You are ranked out of 60: up to 50 points for qualifications, including 20 for the portfolio and 15 for your bachelor's thesis, and up to 10 for an online oral test on your portfolio. You need at least 15 points. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at CEFR B2 or higher. The call accepts a scanned language certificate or a self-certification and does not name IELTS or set test scores, so we check which proof of B2 your file can use. [1]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants needing a visa had to finish MoveIn pre-selection by 15 May 2026, then apply under the call and complete Universitaly pre-enrolment by 30 June 2026, with online oral tests on 6, 8 or 9 July. The 2027/28 calendar is not yet published. [1]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Only if you study at Sapienza. For 2026/27, Sapienza students finishing a bachelor's in an accepted class by 31 December 2026 could take part conditionally. Non-EU visa applicants had to meet every requirement by 30 June 2026. [1]
I have a BCA or a BBA. Can I still apply?
Possibly. For foreign degrees the call lists computer science and economics, so the title and content of a BCA or BBA decide whether it is judged equivalent. You then compete on your thesis, training and a design portfolio worth up to 20 points. [1]
How many places are there for non-EU students?
The 2026/27 call offered 40 places for non-EU applicants needing a visa, two of them for the Marco Polo programme, plus 30 places for EU applicants and non-EU residents in Italy. Unused non-EU places can pass to the other group. [1]
What careers does it lead to?
Sapienza names two profiles: design strategist, leading innovation in products and services, and design researcher, working in applied research and corporate research and development. A design PhD is another option.
Can someone handle my whole application to Product and Service Design at Sapienza?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Sapienza's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the DiSCo Lazio 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 Product and Service Design?
A recognised Indian bachelor's in design, architecture, mechanical or industrial engineering, computer science or economics matches the fields the call lists, and you also need English at B2 and a design portfolio. The steps are MoveIn pre-selection, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the Sapienza application and an online oral test. [1] 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 Product and Service Design are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: MoveIn pre-selection, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the Sapienza application with a portfolio and the online oral test, 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 Product and Service Design are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: MoveIn pre-selection, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the Sapienza application with a portfolio and the online oral test. 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 Product and Service Design 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: MoveIn pre-selection, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the Sapienza application with a portfolio and the online oral test, 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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