Master in Sustainable Food Systems at University of Naples Federico II
Two-year master (LM-70) taught in English at Federico II's Department of Agricultural Sciences in Portici. It trains sustainability managers to lead companies, organisations and institutions in the agrifood system towards a circular bio-economy.
Master
2 years
Naples
English
University of Naples Federico II
Sustainable Food Systems is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-70) taught entirely in English by the University of Naples Federico II at its Department of Agricultural Sciences in Portici, near Naples. It trains sustainability managers for the agrifood sector. Tuition is income-based, set from family ISEE under the university's yearly fee rules.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Sustainable Food Systems combines a suitable first degree, programme-specific curricular/preparation checks and English B2. The latest located programme-specific scholarship PDF is dated 27 May 2026; its selection rules are distinguished from degree admission below. [1-4]
Suitable first-cycle degree and open-access conditions
Applicants need a three-year bachelor’s, the stated pre-509/1999 qualification, a three-year university diploma or a suitable equivalent foreign degree. L-9 Industrial Engineering, L-25 Agricultural/Forestry Sciences and L-26 Food Science/Technology, with the corresponding former classes, are the named curricular routes. The committee evaluates other and foreign backgrounds against programme content and learning outcomes. Open access still requires curricular and personal-preparation approval. [1, 2]
Alternative background: 24 credits across four sectors
The detailed located regulations allow another degree background with at least 24 CFU across four different eligible scientific-disciplinary sectors. Eligible sectors are AGR/01-AGR/19; BIO/01-/05, /07, /09, /10 and /19; CHIM/03, /06, /10 and /11; ICAR/01-/03 or /06; INF/01 or ING-INF/05; ING-IND/06, /09-/11, /22, /24, /25 or /27; and IUS/03. This is a 24-credit combined minimum with subject breadth, not 24 credits in each sector or an unrestricted 24-credit science total. [2]
These detailed provisions are from regulations in effect from 2022/23; the 2026/27 guide confirms the class-based/committee route without reprinting the full sector table. We supply your complete syllabi and transcripts for the committee’s mapping under the governing admission procedure. The unavailable How to Enroll webpage was not used to invent extra current credit conditions. [1, 2]
Personal preparation: 90/110 and the foreign-degree interview
The located regulations describe preparation as adequate for a curricular-eligible qualifying graduate with a final grade of at least 90/110, or after passing the specified verification interview. Foreign-degree and other-class candidates must take the committee’s binding assessment on characteristic subjects of L-9/L-25/L-26. The grade rule is therefore not a universal foreign GPA rejection cutoff or a self-claimed interview exemption. [2]
Candidates must be graduates or have only their undergraduate final examination outstanding to participate in the assessment, with booking through the Agricultural Sciences student office. The teaching commission sets minimum knowledge and interview dates annually. A pending-degree applicant still needs the final recognised qualifying award and the relevant annual deadline for enrolment. [2]
English B2 and the distinction between degree and scholarship evidence
Written/spoken English B2, including disciplinary vocabulary, is required. Current degree guidance and the located regulations allow an assessment/placement test where B2 is not officially certified. The reviewed sources do not give universal numerical IELTS/TOEFL cutoffs or a blanket medium-of-instruction waiver. [1, 2]
The 2026 scholarship call asks for an official B2 certificate in its file. A beneficiary without that certificate can use the department’s placement exam on published dates; failure leads to a 30-hour remedial English course and final examination before the necessary successful outcome for enrolment. That call-specific alternative does not remove the B2 condition or mean that every application/visa category accepts a missing certificate. [3]
Latest located 2026 scholarship call: separate selection
The 27 May 2026 call offers ten two-year scholarships for foreign citizens with a first degree meeting SFS curricular requirements and English B2. It evaluates degree/final assessment, transcript, motivation and additional qualifications such as internships or summer schools, up to 100 points; its qualifying ranking requires at least 50, with younger candidates preferred on a tie. This is a scholarship-selection score, not the degree’s universal admissions test pass mark. [3]
Scholarship upload file and its closed deadline
For the stated 2026 call, applicants emailed one PDF containing the application form, CV, official undergraduate transcript with grades/final grade, B2 evidence, passport and a one-page motivation letter of at most 2,000 characters including spaces. Records outside Italian/English require a certified English translation. Pending graduates had to supply the specified statement and final transcript by 10 September 2026 and be graduated by that date. [3]
The scholarship deadline was 10 September 2026 at 17:00 CET as printed, and rankings were to be published from 25 September. The call explicitly keeps the 15 June 2026 Universitaly deadline for non-EU visa applicants abroad: applying for the scholarship does not replace pre-enrolment. Neither the September deadline nor the pending-degree rule is a newly published 2027 date. [3]
Scholarship acceptance and final enrolment obligations
Selected candidates must accept within ten working days following the final ranking and complete degree enrolment/visa requirements; failure can forfeit the award. The amount is €6,000 gross yearly, €12,000 gross over two years, with continuation conditional on timely second-year registration. The call requires an enrolment certificate, tax code, euro-area account details, passport/visa where applicable and DoV or CIMEA recognition evidence for the contract. It cannot be combined with another Federico II award for the same purpose. Selection does not decide the visa or remove separately payable regional/stamp charges. [3]
Complete foreign-qualification and final-registration file
The coordinator/university assesses whether a foreign qualification corresponds to the required Italian award and whether the programme’s academic conditions are met. We prepare your degree, full examination transcript, subject descriptions and grading/credit information. The university can request translations, legalisation, a Diploma Supplement, CIMEA/ENIC-NARIC records or a Declaration of Value according to the qualification and procedure. A translated diploma alone does not establish curricular suitability or authenticity. [4]
The secretariat supplies the final application/payment forms. Its general checklist includes passport/identity, application form, photograph, Italian tax code, residence-permit evidence where applicable and required qualification-recognition documents. Programme-specific assessments, language evidence and the completed degree remain separate checks. We supply the documents requested for your category. [4]
International procedures and the academic-year deadline
Visa-requiring non-EU candidates abroad use Universitaly in addition to the degree’s academic assessment/selection. The central 2026/27 deadline is 15 June 2026, with programme changes prohibited afterwards and an identified restricted-access exception requiring the applicable course procedure. The stated visa-application deadline is 30 November 2026. Eligibility, pre-enrolment validation, a visa and final university enrolment are separate outcomes. [4]
EU applicants and eligible non-EU residents who do not require a new study visa follow their applicable direct coordinator/qualification-assessment route. The 2026 dates above are not newly confirmed 2027/28 dates. We follow the programme’s current instructions for any additional or earlier deadline, since a general registration period does not replace an academic or visa deadline. [4]
Sources and verification
- University of Naples Federico II, Sustainable Food Systems, Student’s Guide, updated for 2026/27; reviewed 6 October 2026.
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Sustainable Food Systems, Didactic Regulations, in effect from 2022/23, articles 4-5; publication date not printed; reviewed 6 October 2026.
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY of TALENTS@UNINA, SFS 2026 scholarship call, 2026/27, dated 27 May 2026, articles 2-9; reviewed 6 October 2026.
- University of Naples Federico II, Admission regulation, current 2026/27 guidance; page publication date not stated; reviewed 6 October 2026.
About the programme
Sustainable Food Systems is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale, class LM-70) worth 120 ECTS and taught entirely in English.
It is run by the Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Naples Federico II, on its campus at Via Università 100 in Portici, in the Naples metropolitan area.
The course brings several disciplines together to train sustainability managers: professionals who can design and manage change in single companies, in organisations and at institutional level, and speed up the move of the agrifood system towards a circular bio-economy.
It takes a food system view that goes beyond the single supply chain. It suits graduates in agriculture, food science or industrial engineering who want to lead the ecological transition of food production.
What you will study
The first year builds the production and policy base: sustainable farming, eco-friendly crop protection, circular economy rules, energy efficiency and sustainable diets, plus a bootcamp and start-up training.
The second year turns to food processing, packaging, waste and the microbiome, and ends with a company case study and an 18 ECTS master project.
Each year has two teaching semesters, from September to December and from March to May.
- Sustainable farming (15 ECTS): modules in sustainable cropping systems, plant breeding for sustainable production and sustainable animal agriculture
- Eco-friendly crop protection (10 ECTS): sustainable insect control and sustainable pathogen control
- Circular economy, sustainability policy and regulation (8 ECTS)
- Process efficiency and alternative energy (8 ECTS) and Healthy diets and sustainable food consumption (6 ECTS)
- Sustainability BootCamp (4 ECTS) and Start-up and Innovation training (6 ECTS)
- Waste management in the food industry and Sustainable food processing and packaging (8 and 7 ECTS respectively)
- Microbiome applications for sustainability (6 ECTS)
- Company case study on sustainability (6 ECTS), 10 ECTS of free-choice courses and 3 ECTS of further language skills
How the programme is taught
There is no compulsory traineeship. The final exam is a master's thesis, written in English, built on a detailed bibliographic and research or experimental analysis of a topic covered in the course.
Through Erasmus, the department offers a study period abroad, with up to 30 ECTS per semester that can count towards core and optional exams, practical training and experimental thesis work.
Career paths
The official graduate profile is a sustainability manager able to run complex socio-economic and technical change towards ecological transition models in the agribusiness sector. Functions named by the university include:
- managing and developing innovative products and processes
- managing, monitoring and optimising sustainable technological processes
- designing plans at business and food environment level
- consulting on the planning and design of agribusiness waste disposal facilities
- managing distribution chains in line with ecological transition models
- planning energy production from renewable sources
- planning and managing sector policies in line with the European Green Deal
- managing sustainable process, product and organisational certifications
Fees and scholarships
Tuition at Federico II is income-based: the yearly amount depends on your family's ISEE, so we check the current bands in the university's student guides before you enrol. The regional DSU scholarship is run by ADISURC.
Its 2026/27 call set an ISEE limit of €25,500 and an ISPE limit of €54,000, offered off-site students up to €7,171.11 and closed on 10 September 2026; families living abroad use the ISEE universitario parificato.
Eligible students can apply, and the region decides awards.
How to apply from outside the EU
Non-EU applicants need to meet the programme’s degree/credit, personal-preparation and English requirements. The detailed section explains the alternative curricular route and distinguishes the 2026 SFS scholarship selection from Universitaly and final degree enrolment. [1-4]
Compare related master's programmes
If you are exploring food and agricultural sciences, compare the curriculum and entry requirements on these programme pages before choosing your shortlist.
- Master in Precision Livestock Farming at University of Naples Federico II
- Master in Plant Science at University of Milan
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 Federico II's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your curricular and preparation assessment request and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ADISURC Campania 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 degree backgrounds are named?
Industrial engineering (L-9), agricultural/forestry sciences (L-25) and food science/technology (L-26). Other and foreign degrees need suitable committee assessment. [1, 2]
What is the alternative credit route?
The detailed located regulations require at least 24 CFU across four different listed subject sectors for another degree background. The committee assesses the actual courses and governing procedure. [2]
Does 90/110 automatically exempt foreign graduates?
No. The regulations separately require a binding preparation assessment for foreign-degree and other-class applicants, so a converted grade does not replace that assessment. [2]
Can English be tested instead of certified?
Degree guidance permits a B2 placement assessment. The 2026 scholarship call has its own certificate/beneficiary-placement and remedial-course conditions. English B2 remains required. [1-3]
Was 10 September a new visa deadline?
No. It was the 2026 SFS scholarship deadline. The call retained 15 June 2026 Universitaly pre-enrolment for visa-requiring non-EU applicants abroad. [3]
Does a scholarship place mean admission?
No. Scholarship ranking, academic requirements, successful English assessment where needed, final degree recognition, enrolment and the visa decision remain separate. [2, 3]
Can someone handle my whole application to Sustainable Food Systems at Federico II?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Federico II's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ADISURC Campania 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 Sustainable Food Systems?
Indian graduates are assessed against the named routes in industrial engineering, agricultural and forestry sciences, and food science and technology, or need at least 24 CFU across four of the listed sectors, such as agriculture, biology, chemistry or engineering. [1, 2] Foreign-degree applicants take a binding preparation assessment and need B2 English. [2] We map your transcript and handle Universitaly pre-enrolment by the deadline. 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 Sustainable Food Systems are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: curricular assessment, preparation interview 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 Sustainable Food Systems are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: curricular assessment, preparation interview 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 Sustainable Food Systems 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: curricular assessment, preparation interview 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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