Master in Specialized Translation at University of Bologna
Two-year English-taught translation master on the University of Bologna's Forlì campus, class LM-94-R, restricted access, with curricula in Translation and Technology and in Specialized Translation, and double or multiple degree options.
Master
2 years
Bologna
English
University of Bologna
The Master in Specialized Translation is a two-year, 120 ECTS degree (class LM-94-R) taught entirely in English at the University of Bologna's Forlì campus, with two curricula: Translation and Technology, and Specialized Translation. Places are limited. Tuition follows family income, with a flat fee option for non-OECD citizens.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Specialized Translation has restricted admission. The programme’s published requirements distinguish academic eligibility, English proficiency and translation competence. A suitable degree alone does not secure a place, and the annual call controls the selection calendar and available places.
Accepted academic backgrounds
- The listed first-cycle Italian degree classes are L-11, Modern Languages and Cultures, and L-12, Language Mediation. The corresponding older classes 11 and 3 are also listed.
- Specified previous-system qualifications include four-year degrees in Translation and Interpreting, Translator and Interpreter programmes, and Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures.
- Applicants with another degree background are not automatically excluded solely by the degree title. Their curriculum must be examined by the responsible committee. For a foreign qualification, the university must determine whether the level and preparation are suitable.
English and translation assessment
- The programme specifies C1 English, assessed through its placement test. A generic B2 level does not meet this course-specific requirement.
- The preliminary translation assessment concerns translation between Italian and one of Chinese, French, German, Russian or Spanish. Choose the relevant language combination and prepare for that combination’s assessment.
- An English certificate waives the programme’s placement test only if the current call expressly permits it, and we confirm this for your intake. A general university certificate table is not, by itself, evidence of a selection-test exemption.
Selection and application checks
- We follow the annual Specialized Translation call for the application deadline, test arrangements, places and ranking procedure. These changing details are separate from the standing degree-background requirements.
- When a curriculum assessment is needed, the applicant should be ready to show the degree awarded or being completed, the examination record and the relevant language/translation training. The annual call determines exactly which documents and formats must be submitted.
- No universal IELTS score, minimum graduation mark or automatic-admission threshold is established by the standing requirements page reviewed here. Those figures apply only when expressly stated in the applicable call.
Sources and verification
- University of Bologna. Specialized Translation: Admission requirements, academic qualifications, C1 English and preliminary translation assessment. standing guidance; reviewed 6 October 2026.
About the programme
Specialized Translation is a two-year second cycle degree (laurea magistrale) in class LM-94-R, Interpreting and specialised translating, taught entirely in English on the University of Bologna's Forlì campus. It is run by the Department of Interpreting and Translation (DIT), is worth 120 ECTS and has restricted access, with a local cap on places. Adriano Ferraresi is the degree director.
The degree aims to train specialised translators and proofreaders for technical and commercial fields, for the publishing industry and for multimedia communication. The university sums it up as combining human intelligence and technology to meet the new challenges of global markets and societies.
What you will study
Students choose one of two curricula:
- Translation and Technology
- Specialized Translation
The course units of each curriculum, with credits and teaching periods, are published in the course structure diagram on the degree website. We check the 2027/28 structure before you apply.
How the programme is taught
The university lists this degree among its double or multiple degree programmes, which lead to a title from a partner university as well as from Bologna for the students selected. We check the partners and the selection rules on the degree website.
Career paths
The official aim points to work as a specialised translator or proofreader in technical and commercial fields, in publishing and in multimedia communication. A laurea magistrale also gives access to PhD programmes. The university's job placement service lists job offers and internships.
Fees and scholarships
Fees for Specialized Translation follow family income (ISEE), so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. Families with income abroad declare it through ER.GO, the Emilia-Romagna right-to-study body, which also decides regional scholarships.
How to apply from outside the EU
With restricted access, everything starts from the admission call on the degree website: it sets the deadlines, the selection criteria, the language requirements and the number of places reserved for non-EU citizens living abroad. We apply on Studenti Online.
If you win a place, we file the Universitaly pre-enrolment; the university validates it and the consulate then decides on your study visa. You enrol and pay the first instalment online, and in Forlì the campus student office checks your original documents before you apply for a residence permit, within eight days of arrival.
Compare related master's programmes
If you are exploring translation, compare the curriculum and entry requirements on these programme pages before choosing your shortlist.
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
Which bachelor’s classes are listed?
The listed Italian classes are L-11, Modern Languages and Cultures, and L-12, Language Mediation, with the older classes 11 and 3. Specified four-year degrees in Translation and Interpreting, Translator and Interpreter programmes, and Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures are also listed.
Can another degree be considered?
Yes, subject to the committee’s curriculum assessment. A different title does not establish eligibility automatically. For a foreign qualification, the university decides whether the level and preparation are suitable.
What English level is required?
C1 English, assessed through the programme’s own placement test. A generic B2 level does not meet this course-specific requirement.
Is there a translation assessment?
Yes. The preliminary translation assessment is between Italian and one of Chinese, French, German, Russian or Spanish, so you choose the language combination you will be assessed in.
Does a language certificate automatically waive the test?
Only if the applicable selection call expressly allows it. A general university certificate table is not, by itself, evidence of a selection-test exemption, so we confirm what the call for your intake allows.
Does meeting the requirements secure a place?
No. Admission is restricted and the annual selection procedure determines offers. A suitable degree alone does not secure a place.
Can someone handle my whole application to Specialized Translation 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 Specialized Translation?
Indian applicants need a degree the university judges suitable in level and preparation; the listed backgrounds are modern languages, language mediation and translation [1]. Other titles go to a committee curriculum assessment. You also need C1 English, assessed by the programme's placement test, and translation competence between Italian and Chinese, French, German, Russian or Spanish [1]. We handle the Studenti Online application 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 Specialized Translation are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: Studenti Online application, selection under the annual call 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 Specialized Translation are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: Studenti Online application, selection under the annual call 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 Specialized Translation 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: Studenti Online application, selection under the annual call 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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