Master in Structural and Construction Engineering at University of L’Aquila
Two-year LM-23 master's at the University of L'Aquila whose English study plan covers structural dynamics, timber engineering, bridges and seismic risk, with double-degree routes to Strasbourg and Georgia.
Master
2 years
L'Aquila
Multiple
University of L’Aquila
Structural and Construction Engineering is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's (class LM-23) at the University of L'Aquila, with an English study plan of the same name inside a bilingual degree. It covers structural dynamics, timber, bridges and seismic risk. For 2026/27, non-EU students not resident in Italy were assigned to the lowest income band, exempt from the annual contribution.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Structural and Construction Engineering 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.
Prior degree and 81-CFU curricular requirement
- Applicants need a bachelor’s degree, a three-year university diploma or a foreign qualification recognised as suitable. The regulation requires at least 81 CFU of specified prior preparation, divided into 36 foundational and 45 civil-engineering credits.
- The 36-CFU group covers the listed geometry, mathematical analysis, probability/statistics, mathematical physics, numerical analysis, general/inorganic chemistry, chemical technology foundations, experimental physics and matter-physics sectors. The relevant current MATH, CHEM and PHYS codes are specified in the regulation.
- The 45-CFU civil group contains six separate minima: 9 CFU in hydraulics/hydraulic structures and hydrology (CEAR-01/A-B); 6 in geomatics or drawing (CEAR-04/A or CEAR-10/A); 6 in geotechnics (CEAR-05/A); 12 in structural mechanics (CEAR-06/A); 6 in structural engineering (CEAR-07/A); and 6 in roads/railways/airports or technical architecture (CEAR-03/A or CEAR-08/A).
- The CAD may assess an equivalent distribution from recognised educational content and actual knowledge rather than reject every transcript that differs from the listed arrangement. This is an individual council decision and may lead to an individually defined study plan.
Preparation assessment, interview exemption and language
- The CAD reviews the previous academic career and may require an interview. The interview exemption requires both study duration and graduation result: degree completed within five years with at least 80/110, or more than five years with at least 90/110, or a corresponding recognised result.
- These marks decide the interview exemption, not a minimum grade for every applicant. Curricular suitability is still assessed.
- For the specified L’Aquila Civil and Environmental Engineering bachelor’s continuity route, the student registry checks the requirements administratively and enrols the candidate if the outcome is positive.
- The 2026/27 standing degree regulation requires English at least B1. The international English-master’s selection requires B2 and has separate evidence conditions. On the international English route, B1 alone does not meet that B2 requirement.
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 check this selection exemption against any separate certificate requirement for enrolment or in the programme regulation.
- The call allows one submitted application covering up to two programme rankings. The completed submission and 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 the new dates.
Foreign qualifications and final enrolment documents
- A foreign qualification must be recognised as suitable for second-cycle study. Enrolment needs the final bachelor’s certificate, official transcript in English or Italian, and the qualification-recognition evidence that applies 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. It applies only when the acceptance letter confirms it and the student registry is informed, and we confirm which route applies to your file.
- 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 the language evidence to the selected curriculum. The international enrolment webpage shows some older dates alongside its 2026 application information, so we work only from dates confirmed for your year. We follow the applicable annual notice and registry instructions.
Sources and verification
- University of L’Aquila. Structural and Construction Engineering: 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
Ingegneria delle strutture e delle costruzioni is a two-year master's degree in class LM-23 (civil engineering), run by the Department of Civil, Building, Architecture and Environmental Engineering (DICEAA) at the University of L'Aquila. The degree is bilingual: two study plans are in Italian, while the Structural and Construction Engineering plan (Piano F) and three Mechanics of Structures and Fluid/Structure Interactions plans are taught entirely in English. It carries 120 ECTS and is taught in person in L'Aquila.
The programme trains engineers to design, build, refurbish and monitor structures and civil works, with close attention to seismic and other natural risks. It suits civil and building engineering graduates who want advanced structural analysis, a region with long experience of post-earthquake reconstruction, and the option of a year abroad.
What you will study
In the English Structural and Construction Engineering plan the first year covers structural mechanics and design, with a choice between paired units and a free elective. The second year moves to bridges, numerical methods, construction management and geotechnics, and ends with a 3 ECTS internship and a 12 ECTS thesis.
- Stability and Bifurcation of Structures and Dynamics of Structures (6 ECTS each)
- Timber Engineering (9 ECTS) and Mechanics of Plates and Shells (9 ECTS)
- FE Analysis or Seismic Risk Analysis (9 ECTS)
- Mechanics and Monitoring of Bridges (9 ECTS)
- Mechanical Models and Numerical Methods (9 ECTS)
- A choice of BIM, Construction Site Management, or Rehabilitation, Repair and Redevelopment (9 ECTS)
- A choice of Slope Stability, Environmental Hydraulics or Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering (9 ECTS)
How the programme is taught
Teaching follows two semesters a year, with at least seven exam sessions for each course. The thesis may be written and defended in English. Alongside Piano F, the English Mechanics of Structures and Fluid/Structure Interactions plans lead to double degrees: one year in L'Aquila and one at the Université de Strasbourg (the top five first-year students are admitted to the Strasbourg year) or at Akaki Tsereteli State University in Georgia, and a route with Isfahan University of Technology in which partner students spend their second year in L'Aquila.
Career paths
The regulation prepares graduates to plan, design, build, manage and monitor civil and industrial structures, with particular reference to seismic protection, foundations, refurbishment and the reuse of built heritage. Practising as an engineer in Italy requires passing the state licensing exam.
- Design studios and engineering consultancies
- Construction and maintenance companies
- Public offices that plan and manage infrastructure
- State, regional and municipal technical departments
- Doctoral study in civil engineering
Fees and scholarships
Tuition at L'Aquila depends on family income. The 2026/27 fee guide assigns non-EU students not resident in Italy to the lowest band (ISEE up to €24,000), which pays no annual contribution, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students in the first year; from the second year a minimum number of credits keeps the exemption. Regional scholarships are run by ADSU L'Aquila.
How to apply from outside the EU
This degree is listed in the university's call for master's degrees taught in English. For 2026/27 applications were made 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, up to two reference letters and an English certificate; the committee ranks candidates on titles and may hold an interview.
Admitted candidates complete Universitaly pre-enrolment, apply for a type D study visa and provide a CIMEA statement or a 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 with CV, transcripts, course descriptions and motivation letter, and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your regional 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
How many specified prior credits are required?
At least 81 CFU: 36 in the listed foundational sectors and 45 in the six civil-engineering groups.
Does any total of 81 credits qualify?
No. The subject distribution matters, although the CAD may assess equivalent preparation individually.
Is 80/110 a universal admission minimum?
No. It is the interview-exemption mark for a degree completed within five years.
What if my degree took more than five years?
The regulation’s interview exemption requires at least 90/110 or a corresponding recognised result.
Is B1 enough for the international English selection?
No. That selection requires at least B2, separately from the standing degree regulation’s B1.
Does an academic offer complete enrolment?
No. Qualification recognition, final documents and any applicable visa/enrolment procedure remain necessary.
Can someone handle my whole application to Structural and Construction Engineering 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 regional 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 Structural and Construction Engineering?
A recognised Indian bachelor's of at least three years, such as a B.Tech or B.E. in Civil Engineering, can meet the rule if it covers 81 credits in the listed subjects: 36 in maths, physics and chemistry and 45 across hydraulics, surveying or drawing, geotechnics, structural mechanics, structural engineering and roads or technical architecture. You also need English at B2. The steps are the PICA application, committee assessment and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1][2] 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 Structural and Construction Engineering are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: PICA application, 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 Structural and Construction Engineering are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: PICA application, 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 Structural and Construction 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: PICA application, 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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