Master in Resource Economics and Sustainable Development at University of Bologna
Two-year English-taught economics master on the University of Bologna's Rimini campus, focused on applied environmental economics and strategies for climate, energy and the environment, with a double degree option.
Master
2 years
Bologna
English
University of Bologna
Resource Economics and Sustainable Development (RESD) is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-56 R) taught entirely in English at the University of Bologna's Rimini campus. It focuses on applied environmental economics and energy transition policy. Tuition follows family income, or a flat fee for non-OECD citizens, and this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Resource Economics and Sustainable Development is an open-access English master in Rimini. Open access means no overall enrolment cap, but the 2026/27 notice requires a qualifying degree/curriculum, English B2 and a scored academic/CV review. Applicants from other degree classes need 36 eligible credits, including a narrower 20-credit subset. [1, 2]
Named degree-class route
The notice accepts Italian L-18 Business Administration, L-33 Economics, L-36 Political Science/International Relations and L-41 Statistics, their former classes 17, 28, 15 and 37, and the listed former Economics faculty four-year degree or three-year university diploma/equivalent. A suitable foreign first-cycle qualification must permit comparable postgraduate study in its home system; the committee assesses correspondence and curriculum. [1]
Other degrees: 36 credits, with at least 20 in the narrower group
- The broad 36-CFU pool: MAT/01-/09 and INF/01; CHIM/01-/12; BIO/01-/19; ICAR/01-/12, /14-/16 and /20-/22; ING-IND/09; IUS/01-/10, /12-/17 and /21; SECS-P/01-/13 and SECS-S/01-/06; SPS/04-/14. [1]
- At least 20 of those 36 credits must be in mathematics/computing, the listed law sectors, economics/statistics or the listed political/social sectors. Chemistry, biology, civil/architecture and ING-IND/09 can help the broad total but do not fill this narrower 20-credit condition. [1]
- The notice considers eligible prior first/second-cycle, professional-master and discontinued/withdrawn-career credits. Foreign records are assessed by the committee for subject correspondence; missing required curricular credits prevent registration. [1]
Pending bachelor’s award and minimum completed credits
Candidates not yet graduated may apply with at least 120 completed university credits. The qualifying degree must be obtained by 31 December 2026 after conditional admission/registration; otherwise registration is cancelled. The application needs the transcript of completed examinations and the required weighted-average/grade-scale declarations. Final-year status without the prescribed completed credits is insufficient. [1]
Scored preparation assessment: 50 + 15 + 35
The committee assesses the application, requiring foundations in theoretical/applied economics, statistics/mathematics, business and law. Academic merit is worth up to 50 points; coherence of the prior curriculum with programme objectives up to 15; and the CV, relevant study/work abroad or other evidenced experiences up to 35. The notice sets a minimum of 70/100 and says a score below 70 is unsuitable. It also contains a sentence saying “higher than 70”, so for a score of exactly 70 we follow the committee’s published outcome. [1]
This is a review score, not a 70% undergraduate GPA threshold. The 80-point figure elsewhere relates to a separate programme grant, not ordinary eligibility. A rejected applicant cannot apply again in a later intake of the same notice. Meeting a named degree class and English B2 does not dispense with this preparation evaluation. [1]
English B2: four evidence routes
Meet B2 during application through a recognised certificate; documented English-medium academic qualification/prior academic language proficiency or eligible English-taught examinations; at least 6 credits in English language/translation/linguistics; the programme’s OOPT; or the prescribed native-English declaration. We upload the evidence in the correct field. The prior-study alternatives are expressly recognised for RESD; other courses’ calls may not accept them. [1, 2]
RESD’s 2026 OOPT sessions were free, required a complete RESD application and advance booking with the university account, and had limited first-come places. The latest listed date was 14 July 2026. Those dates are now past, and the next sessions follow the next call. A language-test pass addresses English only, not the degree/credit or preparation-review conditions. [2]
Mandatory application file and submission channel
Applications go through Studenti Online using SPID/CIE or the international-registration credentials. We select the exact programme and upload valid identity/passport evidence, the qualifying award or pending-degree examination record, the complete transcript and Diploma Supplement if available for foreign degrees, English evidence and a signed English CV using the official CV Form. Foreign academic documents must be translated into Italian or English. Italian records use the appropriate Bologna-generated or other-Italian-university self-declaration. [1]
Only documents uploaded through the application are assessed. Missing or partially uploaded compulsory documents by the deadline prevent consideration; emailing documents to the office is not a substitute. We enter the requested degree/average and credit declarations accurately. Foreign qualification suitability and the academic curriculum are separate checks. [1]
CV signature, optional references and actual deadlines
The call expressly excludes an unsigned CV. A residence permit if already held, Italian B1 evidence, one/two academic references and other supporting records are optional. The notice specifically says the reference letter is not evaluated, so references are neither compulsory nor a source of extra points. [1]
Intake 1 closed 10 April 2026 at noon; intake 2 closed 11 June at noon. Intake 3, restricted to EU/EU-equivalent applicants, closed 20 August at noon. All selection windows are closed as of 6 October. Results are published in Studenti Online; “application submitted” only confirms receipt, not admission. No 2027/28 intake dates are established in this notice. [1]
Final enrolment, foreign records and visa route
The notice gives final matriculation through 19 November 2026 for admitted candidates. After admission, complete registration in Studenti Online, supply the identity photograph, pay the first instalment through PagoPA and complete identification/career activation. Applicants admitted pending graduation must obtain the degree by 31 December 2026 or registration is cancelled. [1]
Foreign records require the applicable translation and authenticity/value checks, document upload under the 2026/27 international matriculation call and presentation of originals to the relevant International Student Administration Office. Non-EU applicants abroad needing a visa must also complete Universitaly pre-enrolment, study-visa and immigration steps. Academic clearance and a late registration date do not extend a closed visa selection. Transfers and simultaneous enrolments require the specified additional procedure; scholarships have their own applications and eligibility. [1]
Sources and verification
- University of Bologna, RESD admission notice, academic year 2026/27, sections 2-7; publication date not stated in notice text; reviewed 6 October 2026.
- University of Bologna RESD, English language requirements and OOPT schedule 2026; publication date not stated; reviewed 6 October 2026.
About the programme
Resource Economics and Sustainable Development (RESD) is a two-year laurea magistrale in class LM-56 R, Economics, run by the Department of Economics (DSE) on the University of Bologna's Rimini campus. It is worth 120 ECTS, is delivered entirely in English and has open access. Elettra Agliardi is the degree programme director.
The university presents RESD as excellent preparation in applied environmental economics, summed up in the line "From economic analysis to strategies for climate, energy and the environment". It suits students who want to apply economics to the energy transition and to environmental policy.
What you will study
Students learn to design solutions and policies for the energy transition, bringing together sustainability, resource efficiency and strategic decision-making for businesses and institutions. The approach starts from economic analysis and moves to strategy on climate, energy and the environment.
The academic year opens with an inaugural lecture; for 2026/27 its title is "Climate change policies in practice: are we succeeding?". The degree also hosted an international workshop, New Trends in Environmental Economics and Policy, on 8 and 9 October 2026. Course units, credits and teaching periods are in the course structure diagram on the degree website; we check the 2027/28 version before you apply.
How the programme is taught
RESD is one of the university's international programmes, with a double or multiple degree option that lets selected students also earn a degree from a partner university. The partners and the selection rules are set out on the degree website.
Career paths
The degree prepares graduates to turn economic analysis into strategies and policies on climate, energy and the environment, for businesses as well as public institutions. Graduates can also go on to doctoral study. The degree website's Opportunities section and the university's job placement service list internships and job offers.
Fees and scholarships
RESD does not appear among the higher-fee degrees in the 2026/27 table, so the maximum contribution is the standard €2,550 a year for second-cycle degrees, plus the fixed €157.04. A family ISEE of €27,000 or less brings the bill down to the fixed part alone, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. Income abroad is declared to ER.GO, the regional right-to-study body that awards scholarships. Non-OECD citizens, for example students from countries like India, whose family income is only abroad can opt for a reduced flat fee of €1,200 plus €157.04.
How to apply from outside the EU
Applications go through Studenti Online under the RESD notice, which sets the named degree/credit route, preparation scoring, signed CV and English evidence. The 2026/27 international selection dates have passed, and the next notice sets the new dates. Academic admission, foreign-document validation, Universitaly and visa requirements are separate; final registration does not reopen selection. [1, 2]
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 Bologna's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your Studenti Online application and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ER.GO Emilia-Romagna 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
Does open access mean automatic admission?
No. The degree/credit route, English B2 and scored preparation review still apply. [1]
What credits are needed with another degree?
At least 36 in the broad specified pool, including 20 in the narrower mathematics/computing, law, economics/statistics or political/social pool. [1]
Is 70/100 my required bachelor’s GPA?
No. It is the admission-review score from academic merit, curriculum coherence and CV, not an undergraduate GPA cutoff. [1]
Can I apply before graduating?
Yes, with at least 120 completed credits and degree completion by 31 December 2026 if admitted. [1]
Are recommendations compulsory?
No. They are optional, and the call says the reference letter is not evaluated. The English CV must be signed. [1]
Can an English-taught degree establish B2?
The RESD call accepts documented English-medium academic study among its alternatives. We submit the specific evidence; this rule does not automatically apply to other Bologna courses. [1][2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Resource Economics and Sustainable Development at Bologna?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Bologna's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ER.GO Emilia-Romagna 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 Resource Economics and Sustainable Development?
A three-year Indian bachelor's, such as a B.Com or B.A. in Economics, is assessed for correspondence with the named degree classes. Otherwise it needs 36 credits in the listed fields, 20 in maths and computing, law, economics and statistics or political and social subjects. You also need B2 English and a review score of at least 70/100. The steps are the Studenti Online application and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [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 Resource Economics and Sustainable Development are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: Studenti Online application, scored preparation review 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 Resource Economics and Sustainable Development are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: Studenti Online application, scored preparation review and Universitaly 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: Studenti Online application, scored preparation review and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa. Read our guides for London, New York, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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