Master in Sustainable Polymer and Process Chemistry at University of Genoa
Two-year English-taught LM-71 master's in industrial chemistry at the University of Genoa, covering polymer science, catalysis, reactor technology, process optimisation and chemical data science, with a laboratory-based thesis. Entry needs 50 chemistry credits, 15 maths and physics credits and English at B2.
Master
2 years
Genoa
English
University of Genoa
Sustainable Polymer and Process Chemistry (SMART) is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-71) taught in English at the University of Genoa. Entry needs a bachelor's with at least 50 credits in chemistry or chemical engineering and 15 in maths, physics or computing, English at B2, and an interview or test for foreign applicants. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
UniGe's SMART master asks for a bachelor's degree or recognised foreign equivalent with at least 50 credits in chemistry or chemical engineering and 15 in maths, physics or computer science, some laboratory experience, English at B2, and a check of your preparation that includes an interview or test for foreign applicants. These rules come from the 2025/26 teaching regulations. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and credit requirements
You need an Italian first-cycle degree or a foreign degree judged equivalent from your transcript of records. Your studies must include: [1]
- At least 50 CFU in chemistry or chemical engineering: sectors CHIM/01 to 12 and/or ING-IND/21 to 27, which cover metallurgy, materials, chemical engineering, chemical plants and industrial chemistry, or equivalent knowledge.
- At least 15 CFU in maths, physics or computer science: sectors MAT/01 to 09, FIS/01 to 08 and INF/01, or equivalent knowledge.
- Practical experience: a sufficient level, for example from courses with laboratory exercises.
For foreign degrees, the course council assigns a subject area and a credit value to each exam on your transcript. Credits can come from more than one degree or from single courses, and credits earned more than 10 years ago may be reviewed for obsolescence. [1]
What this means for your transcript
Italian CFU and the credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit, and UniGe looks at your subjects, not just your total. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Sc. in Chemistry or Industrial Chemistry, or a B.Tech or B.E. in Chemical Engineering, Polymer Engineering or Materials Science with maths and physics in the first years.
- Check carefully: a B.Sc. with Physics, Chemistry and Maths as three main subjects, a B.Pharm, or a B.Tech in Biotechnology or Environmental Engineering, where the chemistry block may fall short of 50 credits.
- Often short: a B.Tech in Mechanical, Civil or Computer Engineering, a BCA or a B.Sc. in Computer Science, which usually lack the chemistry block.
English
English at level B2 or higher, including specialist vocabulary. You can show it with a certificate you hold, by passing the B2 test run by UniGe's language skills department, or with a degree taught entirely in English, attested by an official document or a letter from your university. If none of these applies, the examining committee assesses your English during the preparation check. The regulations do not list specific test scores. [1]
Preparation check and interview
If you meet the credit requirements, UniGe checks your preparation from your CV, your academic results and your knowledge of the subjects relevant to SMART. Italian graduates with at least 90/110 are exempt from further testing, and the regulations put this at a CGPA of about 82% for foreign degrees. Foreign students must pass a public interview, written test or video interview before a committee of at least two members of the admissions committee, and the result is recorded only as approved or rejected. [1]
In the 2026/27 pre-evaluation, SMART set a minimum CGPA of 82% and held a remote interview or test. [2]
Deadlines
The regulations leave dates to the yearly study manifesto. For 2026/27, the UniGeApply session for visa applicants ran from 26 November 2025 to 20 March 2026, with outcomes due by 22 May 2026, and applicants still studying had to obtain their degree by 15 August 2026. [2][3] The next call sets the 2027/28 dates.
Conditional enrolment for students who have not yet graduated is open only to Italian students. [1]
Documents and non-EU applicants
Non-EU students living abroad apply through UniGe's pre-evaluation procedure for English-taught master's degrees. [1] For 2026/27 this meant an application on UniGeApply with: [2][3]
- a CV
- your bachelor's certificate (final or provisional), or a letter from your university stating your expected graduation date and your CGPA to the latest semester
- your transcript of records, up to the latest semester if you have not finished
- a B2 English certificate or proof that English was the medium of instruction
SMART did not ask for a syllabus. Each file had to be 2 MB or smaller, and documents not in Italian, English, French, Spanish or Portuguese needed a translation. One application covered up to two courses. [2][3]
Sources and verification
Checked by the ApplyAZ admissions team against the university's official documents listed below. Entry rules can change with each new call, and we re-check them before every application.
- University of Genoa, School of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry. Teaching regulations, Master's degree in Sustainable Polymer and Process Chemistry (LM-71), 2025/26 cohort. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Genoa. Pre-evaluation procedure for master's degrees taught in English, non-EU students living abroad, 2026/27 intake. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Genoa. UniGeApply application sessions and fees, 2026/27 intake. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Genoa, Sustainable Polymer and Process Chemistry (SMART) programme page, academic year 2025/26. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Sustainable Polymer and Process Chemistry, known as SMART, is a two-year master's degree in class LM-71 (industrial chemistry), taught in English on campus in Genoa by the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI) in the School of Science. It is worth 120 ECTS and has open access. It started in 2024/25, replacing the department's earlier Industrial Chemistry master, and UniGe now lists it under course code 11950.
The degree trains industrial chemists to develop new polymeric materials, design sustainable processes, analyse and optimise production, and monitor environmental quality. It suits graduates with a solid base in chemistry and engineering who want laboratory depth and a clear industrial outlook.
What you will study
The study plan joins chemistry, process engineering and data skills, with laboratory practice running through both years. Subject areas named on the course page include:
- Industrial chemistry
- Catalysis
- Polymer science and technology
- Plants and reactor technology
- Process analysis and optimisation
- Environmental monitoring and control
- Chemical data science
How the programme is taught
Teaching is in person, and lectures sit alongside laboratory activities, plant visits and industrial seminars. The dissertation is an original experimental project of at least six months, carried out in the department's laboratories or, on request, at a university, laboratory, research institution or company in Italy or abroad. It is written in English with a summary in Italian and presented at a public final exam. [1] The course page also lists international exchange destinations and partners.
Career paths
The course page describes the professional profile of an industrial chemist working across research, production and quality. The roles it lists are:
- Research and development
- Production and operations
- Quality control
- Energy management
- Chemical data science
- Health, safety and environment
Fees and scholarships
Fees follow UniGe's annual fee rules, with grants and exemptions for eligible students, so this degree can be tuition-free for eligible students. We check the rules for your intake year before you enrol. [4] Separately, ALiSEO, the Liguria agency for the right to study, runs the regional scholarship, which eligible students can apply for. ALiSEO sets the income limits and decides awards.
How to apply from outside the EU
Foreign applicants must pass an interview, written test or video interview on their preparation, and for 2026/27 the SMART pre-selection asked for a minimum CGPA of 82% and held this step remotely. The curricular requirements are 50 credits in chemistry or chemical engineering and 15 in mathematics, physics and informatics. [1][2]
If you have a foreign degree, we apply on the UniGeApply portal, uploading your CV, degree certificate, transcript and proof of English. One application covers up to two courses. For 2026/27 that session ran from 26 November 2025 to 20 March 2026. [2][3] Admitted students then pre-enrol on Universitaly to request the study visa. The next call sets the 2027/28 dates.
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 UniGe's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your UniGeApply pre-evaluation application, the interview or test and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ALiSEO Liguria 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
What bachelor's degree do I need for UniGe's Sustainable Polymer and Process Chemistry master?
A first-cycle degree or recognised foreign equivalent with at least 50 CFU in chemistry or sectors ING-IND/21 to 27 (materials and chemical engineering), at least 15 CFU in maths, physics or computer science, and some practical laboratory experience. [1]
Is there an entrance test or interview?
There is no national entrance test. Foreign applicants must pass a public interview, written test or video interview with the admissions committee, which records approved or rejected. In 2026/27 the pre-evaluation held this as a remote interview or test. [1][2]
What English level do I need? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2 or higher. The regulations accept a certificate you hold, UniGe's own B2 test, or a degree taught entirely in English with a letter from your university. They do not list specific IELTS scores, so we check which proof your file can use. [1]
What CGPA do I need?
In the 2026/27 pre-evaluation, SMART set a minimum CGPA of 82%. The regulations treat about 82% as the equivalent of the 90/110 grade that exempts Italian graduates from the interview. [1][2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, visa applicants applied on UniGeApply from 26 November 2025 to 20 March 2026, with outcomes due by 22 May 2026. The next call sets the 2027/28 dates. [3]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. In 2026/27 you could apply with a letter from your university stating your expected graduation date and your CGPA so far, but the degree had to be obtained by 15 August 2026. [2]
I have a B.Sc. with Physics, Chemistry and Maths. Can I apply?
Possibly. A three-subject B.Sc. usually covers the 15 maths and physics credits, but the chemistry block must reach 50 CFU in chemistry or ING-IND/21 to 27 sectors. The course council converts each exam on your transcript, so we check your chemistry credits first. [1]
What jobs do graduates do?
The course page lists research and development in materials or processes, production and operations, inline quality control, energy management, chemical data science, and health, safety and environment roles. [4]
Can someone handle my whole application to Sustainable Polymer and Process Chemistry at UniGe?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against UniGe's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ALiSEO Liguria 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 Polymer and Process Chemistry?
A recognised Indian bachelor's, such as a B.Sc. in Chemistry or a B.Tech in Chemical or Polymer Engineering, can meet the rule if it has 50 credits in chemistry or chemical engineering and 15 in maths, physics or computing, with English at B2. The steps are the UniGeApply pre-evaluation, the interview or test 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 Sustainable Polymer and Process Chemistry are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: UniGeApply pre-evaluation, remote interview or test, admission outcome 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 Polymer and Process Chemistry are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: UniGeApply pre-evaluation, remote interview or test, admission outcome 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 Polymer and Process Chemistry 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: UniGeApply pre-evaluation, remote interview or test, admission outcome 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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