Master in Space Engineering at Polytechnic University of Milan
Two-year English-taught master at Politecnico di Milano in space engineering: orbital mechanics, attitude dynamics, structures, propulsion and space systems, then electives in mission design, launch systems and payloads.
Master
2 years
Milan
English
Polytechnic University of Milan
Space Engineering is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-20) taught in English at Politecnico di Milano's Bovisa campus in Milan. It covers orbital mechanics, spacecraft attitude dynamics, space structures, propulsion and systems engineering, with a wide choice of second-year electives. Tuition follows the university's yearly fee rules.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Space Engineering admission requires a suitable prior degree, the programme’s curricular and preparation checks, and the applicable language evidence. The course-specific details below come from its 2026/27 regulation; central foreign-degree instructions and the newer 2027/28 language table are labelled separately.
Required degree and subject preparation
- The normal background is an engineering bachelor’s degree. The programme requires at least 5 CFU in each of solid mechanics, theoretical/applied mechanics, numerical analysis and technical physics/energy systems. Credits must be assessed within the specific disciplinary fields in the regulation.
- The listed Polimi aerospace and preparatory mechanical/energy backgrounds, and aerospace degrees from other Italian universities, do not require curricular integrations under the listed route. Other careers are evaluated individually. A non-engineering degree is not normally admitted, although the commission examines individual preparation.
- Missing subject preparation can lead to compulsory preliminary courses. These have to be completed before matriculation and are additional to the master’s 120 credits. The regulation gives 15 months to complete communicated prerequisites, otherwise the admission right is lost.
Grade thresholds and study duration
- For specified Polimi aerospace and preparatory mechanical/energy graduates, the base weighted-average threshold is 23/30; for other Polimi bachelor’s backgrounds it is 24/30. The duration correction is SC = S + 0.5 × (min(N, 5) − 3), where N is the bachelor’s duration in half-year units.
- The regulation lists 25/30 for aerospace bachelor’s graduates from other universities and 26/30 for other backgrounds on that comparison route. A foreign qualification must also meet the International Admissions Office’s country-specific rules and individual assessment, and these Italian-scale marks are not converted informally.
- A documented exceptional case may be considered by the commission. It is not an automatic waiver. The regulation notes a future admission-model change from 2028/29, which does not affect the 2026/27 rules.
Foreign-degree qualification, grades and recognition
- The foreign-qualification route requires a recognised university-level bachelor’s degree giving access to second-cycle study, with subjects closely related to this master. Pending students may be evaluated, but the qualification must be obtained before final enrolment under the applicable procedure.
- The International Admissions Office applies strict country-specific qualification and CGPA requirements. Examples on the current page include India 70/100, China 80%, Bangladesh and Pakistan 3.3/4, and Iran 15.5/20. These are country-specific application thresholds, not a single score applicable to every applicant. We check the complete requirements for the country awarding your degree.
- Final recognition evidence is separate from a positive academic evaluation. The university may request a Declaration of Value or CIMEA evidence, and the applicable final-enrolment qualification checks still have to be satisfied.
English evidence and applicable academic year
- English evidence is required on the foreign-degree master’s route. The currently published certificate table is explicitly updated for 2027/28, while the course regulation cited here is for 2026/27. We match the certificate rule and deadline to the intake you are applying for.
- The current table includes IELTS Academic or General Training 6, PTE Academic 59 and LanguageCert ESOL B2 Communicator with four skills. TOEFL iBT/Home Edition requires 78 for tests through 20 January 2026 or 4.5 on the new scale for tests from 21 January 2026. Certificates expired under the issuer’s rules are not accepted.
- The stated English-medium exemption requires a bachelor’s of at least three years and university-certified evidence that at least 75% of its courses were taught in English. A general claim of fluency does not satisfy this documentary route.
- Central international guidance permits language evidence after initial application/evaluation, but requires it for the admission letter, merit-scholarship consideration, visa process and enrolment. The applicable route’s deadline remains mandatory.
- An Italian-taught or mixed Italian/English route also requires the stated B2 Italian evidence under central foreign-degree guidance, with the specified Italian-citizenship exemption. We match this condition to the programme language or track you choose.
Documents to prepare for the foreign-degree application
- Supply the bachelor’s qualification or permitted final-year/provisional document, official transcript, official CGPA/grading-scale evidence and a CV of no more than two pages. The transcript or diploma can serve as the GPA statement if it contains all required information.
- Academic documents are accepted in Italian, English, French or Spanish. Other languages require the specified official translation. Use legible scans of original documents with the required stamps/signatures or accepted official verification evidence.
- GRE evidence is optional in the general international engineering application and has no centrally specified minimum score. A motivation letter, recommendation and detailed course descriptions can provide additional evidence; they do not replace mandatory academic documents.
- We complete the dossier before the application fee is paid: the admissions instructions say uploaded documents cannot be changed or supplemented after payment. Incomplete or unpaid applications are not processed. A successful evaluation still needs the subsequent enrolment and recognition steps.
Sources and verification
- Politecnico di Milano. Space Engineering: official teaching regulation, academic year 2026/27, sections 6.1-6.3 (admission, curricular preparation and places); reviewed 6 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Master of Science admission with a foreign qualification: Requirements, degree eligibility, recognition and country-specific qualifications/CGPA; current guidance reviewed 6 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. List of documents required by the International Admissions Office, mandatory documents and language evidence; certificate table explicitly updated for 2027/28; reviewed 6 October 2026.
About the programme
Space Engineering is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale) in class LM-20, aerospace and astronautical engineering, worth 120 ECTS. It is run by the School of Industrial and Information Engineering at the Milano Bovisa campus and taught in English, alongside a separate master's in Aeronautical Engineering.
The degree follows a single curriculum: a shared first year on the physics and engineering of spacecraft, then a second year built largely from electives and the thesis. It suits aerospace and mechanical engineering graduates aiming at the space sector.
What you will study
First-year units in the 2026/27 course list cover how spacecraft move, how they are built and powered, and how missions are run:
- Orbital Mechanics
- Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics
- Space Structures
- Space Propulsion
- Space Systems Engineering and Operations
- Heat Transfer and Thermal Analysis
- Electromagnetics and Signal Processing for Spaceborne Applications
- Space Physics
Second-year electives include Applied Space Mission Analysis and Design, Spacecraft Guidance and Navigation, Launch Systems, Payload Design, Human Spaceflight and Operations, Remote Sensing for Earth Observation and Surveillance, and Satellite Communication and Positioning Systems.
How the programme is taught
The second year leaves room to shape a profile: besides space units, the elective list includes Space Systems Simulation, Estimation and Learning in Aerospace, Introduction to Research and High-Tech Startups: Creating and Scaling Up. The degree ends with a thesis and final exam. A few units, such as Gestione dei Progetti Aerospaziali, are taught in Italian; they appear among the annual choice units, not the semester core.
Career paths
Based on the course list, graduates are prepared for roles such as:
- Spacecraft and satellite system design
- Mission analysis and space operations
- Guidance, navigation and attitude control
- Space propulsion and launch systems
- Space structures and thermal design
- Earth observation and satellite services
- Research in space science and technology
Fees and scholarships
Space Engineering has no separate fee band: Politecnico di Milano's yearly fee rules apply, and the 2026/27 version is on the tuition fees page. The DSU right-to-study scholarship is managed by the university itself; students who meet its merit and financial-need conditions can apply, and the university decides the awards.
How to apply from outside the EU
First-year units assume solid dynamics, structures and thermofluids, so your bachelor's should be closely related to aerospace engineering; the Politecnico checks this for every foreign degree.
Foreign graduates apply through the international admissions route. Under the foreign-qualification requirements, you need a degree giving access to EQF level 7, the minimum grade average for your country and English proof. If you are admitted, we complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment, and you apply for a type D visa and provide a Diploma Supplement, declaration of value or CIMEA statement before 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 PoliMi's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your online application through the international admissions route with your transcript, CGPA evidence, CV and English certificate, and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your Politecnico di Milano 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
Is an engineering background normally required?
Yes, with the listed curricular preparation. Other backgrounds are assessed individually and are not normally admitted.
What subject credits are specified?
At least 5 CFU in each of solid mechanics, theoretical/applied mechanics, numerical analysis and technical physics/energy systems.
Can missing preparation be remedied?
The commission can assign preliminary courses that must be completed before matriculation.
How long do I have for assigned prerequisites?
The 2026/27 regulation gives 15 months from the communicated requirements.
Is GRE mandatory?
It is optional in the central international engineering application.
Does an English-medium degree remove all language evidence?
No. The permitted exemption still requires university-certified evidence meeting the stated duration and teaching-language conditions.
Can someone handle my whole application to Space Engineering at PoliMi?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against PoliMi's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the Politecnico di Milano 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 Space Engineering?
PoliMi's country rules list a minimum of 70 out of 100 for India [2]. You normally need an engineering bachelor's with at least 5 CFU in each of solid mechanics, theoretical and applied mechanics, numerical analysis and technical physics or energy systems [1]. You also need English proof such as IELTS 6 [3]. The steps are the online application, PoliMi's evaluation 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 Space Engineering are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application, PoliMi's academic evaluation 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 Space Engineering are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application, PoliMi's academic evaluation 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 Space Engineering 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, PoliMi's academic evaluation 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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