Master in Yacht Design at University of Genoa
Two-year English-taught LM-34 master's at the University of Genoa's La Spezia campus on the design, hydrodynamics, structures and construction of yachts, with a shipyard internship. Entry needs naval and industrial engineering credits and English at B2.
Master
2 years
La Spezia
English
University of Genoa
Yacht Design is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-34) taught in English at the University of Genoa's La Spezia campus. Entry needs a bachelor's with 40 credits in basic industrial engineering and 45 in naval subjects, a final mark of at least 7.5/10 for foreign graduates, and English at B2. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Genoa's Yacht Design master asks for a bachelor's degree with at least 40 credits in basic industrial engineering subjects and 45 in naval architecture and marine engineering subjects, a final mark of at least 7.5/10 for foreign graduates, English at B2 and a pass in a personal preparation check. For 2026/27, the non-EU pre-selection accepted engineering bachelors only. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and credit rule
Your knowledge must match the general learning goals of an Italian industrial engineering bachelor's (class L-9). The regulations require all of the following: [1]
- A bachelor's or master's degree from an Italian university, or an equivalent foreign qualification.
- At least 40 CFU, or equivalent knowledge, in the subject areas set for basic activities in Italian industrial engineering bachelor's degrees (class L-9).
- At least 45 CFU, or equivalent knowledge, in the subject areas that characterise naval architecture and marine engineering degrees.
- English at B2 or higher.
These credits can come from any university course in Italy or abroad. Genoa's own bachelor's degrees in Naval Architecture for Recreational Craft and in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering meet the rule. Foreign students with other degrees are admitted only if their final mark is at least 7.5/10 of the maximum for their degree. [1]
The degree board checks your exams, the ranking of the university that awarded your degree, and any extra exams, internships and work experience. [1] For 2026/27, the non-EU pre-selection accepted engineering bachelors only and set a minimum CGPA of 75%. [2]
What this means for your transcript
Italian CFU and the credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit, and Genoa compares your subjects, not just your total. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a B.Tech or B.E. in Naval Architecture, Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering or Marine Engineering, the fields closest to the two Genoa degrees that meet the rule.
- Check carefully: a B.Tech or B.E. in Mechanical Engineering. It usually builds the basic industrial engineering block, but the 45 naval architecture and marine engineering credits depend on your electives and projects.
- Often short: Aeronautical, Civil, Production or Automobile Engineering degrees, which rarely include naval subjects. A B.Sc., BCA, B.Com, BBA or BA does not fit the 2026/27 pre-selection, which accepted engineering bachelors only.
Whatever your degree, your final mark must be at least 7.5/10 of the maximum, for example a CGPA of 7.5 on a 10-point scale or 75%. [1][2]
English
English at CEFR level B2 or higher, shown in one of these ways: [1]
- A certificate at B2 or higher.
- A bachelor's taught in English, shown by an official document or a letter from your university.
- Passing the B2 test run by Genoa's bachelor's degree in Nautical Engineering.
If none of these applies, the committee assesses your English during the personal preparation check. The regulations do not list specific test scores. [1] The 2026/27 pre-selection accepted a B2 certificate or a medium of instruction certificate, and Italian was not required. [2]
Selection
Non-EU applicants living abroad apply through the UniGeApply portal. Genoa first checks that your documents are complete, that you meet the credit rule and that your English is sufficient. Applicants who pass then go through an evaluation of their qualifications and of their personal preparation, and are judged admissible or ineligible. [1]
The personal preparation check is a public interview before a committee of the degree board. It covers the basic engineering subjects of naval architecture and of industrial design applied to pleasure craft, and the result is passed or not passed. Graduates of a non-Italian bachelor's must take it. [1]
For 2026/27, the UniGeApply pre-selection listed no remote interview or test for this course. [2] The degree board sets the maximum number of non-EU students each year, and the number is published on Universitaly. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, visa applicants applied on UniGeApply from 26 November 2025 to 20 March 2026, and outcomes were due by 22 May 2026. [3] Applicants still finishing their bachelor's had to graduate by 15 August 2026. [2]
These dates come from the 2026/27 cycle. The 2027/28 dates are not yet published, and the next call sets them.
Documents and non-EU steps
The UniGeApply pre-evaluation asks for: [2]
- Your CV, covering education, extra courses and work.
- Your bachelor's degree certificate, final or provisional.
- Your transcript of records, with exams, credits and grades.
- If you have not graduated yet, a letter from your university with your expected degree date and your CGPA up to the latest semester.
Documents in languages other than Italian, English, French, Spanish or Portuguese need a translation. You can apply for up to two courses. [2]
After a positive or conditional outcome, you apply on Universitaly for one university and one course and upload your qualification and language certificates again. After Universitaly approval, you pre-enrol at UniGe for the same course and apply for your study visa. [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, Polytechnic School, Department of Naval, Electrical, Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering (DITEN). Teaching regulations, Master's degree in Yacht Design (LM-34), intake 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Genoa. UniGeApply pre-evaluation for master's degrees taught in English, non-EU students living abroad, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Genoa. UniGeApply: application windows, fees and next steps for international applicants, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Genoa, Yacht Design programme page, course 11958, academic year 2025/26 (language, campus, labs and career outlets). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Yacht Design is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale, class LM-34, naval engineering) worth 120 ECTS and offered in English by the University of Genoa. It is run by DITEN, the Department of Naval, Electrical, Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering, and taught in person at the university's La Spezia campus, the Polo G. Marconi. [1][4]
The university describes it as unique in Italy and, as configured, in Europe. [4] It suits engineering graduates who want to combine naval engineering with architectural and design skills applied to pleasure craft, from understanding and verifying a yacht to designing large yachts with new technologies and directing their construction, testing, maintenance and repair.
What you will study
The course covers pleasure craft design from a scientific, technological and aesthetic point of view. Units in the 2026/27 study plan include: [1]
- Yacht Stability: stability and buoyancy standards, leaks, rolling and stabilisation, speed effects
- Yacht Dynamics: manoeuvrability, seakeeping and dynamic stability
- Ship Structures: the finite element method for structural problems
- Numerical Marine Hydrodynamics: advanced numerical methods for naval architecture
- Motor Yacht Design: advanced topics in preliminary design
- Yacht Rigging: scantling of sailing systems and structural sail design
- Sailing Yacht Aero Hydro Dynamics: sail aerodynamics and hull interaction
- Yacht Design Studio Workshop: interior and exterior design of sailing and motor yachts
How the programme is taught
Lectures are supported by design and nautical testing labs, internships at shipyards, design studios, classification registers and surveying bodies, nautical conferences and workshops, university regattas, and research theses on topics proposed by companies. Students can join workshops and the building or refit of boats designed by students at the La Spezia campus. [4]
The 2026/27 study plan has no separate curricula. The second year includes a 6 CFU internship in a shipyard and a 12 CFU thesis, written in English. If your bachelor's thesis was not on the preliminary design of a ship or pleasure craft, your master's thesis must be. [1]
Career paths
Graduates work in construction shipyards, repair and refit yards, classification registers and surveying bodies, design and consultancy studios, and research institutes in the yacht and mega yacht sector. The course reports that more than 90% of its graduates find work at major shipyards and consultancy studios in the field. [4]
Fees and scholarships
UniGe charges by family income through the ISEE-U, or the ISEE-U parificato for students whose families live abroad. Eligible students can also apply for the ALiSEO Liguria regional scholarship, and the region decides awards, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students.
How to apply from outside the EU
For 2026/27, the non-EU pre-selection accepted engineering bachelors only, with a minimum CGPA of 75%, no remote interview or test and no extra documents beyond the CV, degree certificate and transcript. [2] The regulations add that graduates of a non-Italian bachelor's must pass a preparation check, held as an interview. [1]
The first step is UniGeApply, the university's pre-evaluation of foreign qualifications. The 2026/27 visa applicants' session ran from 26 November 2025 to 20 March 2026, with one application covering up to two courses. Outcomes were due by 22 May 2026. Accepted students then applied on Universitaly, choosing one university and one course, pre-enrolled at UniGe for the same course and applied for a type D study visa. [3] The 2027/28 calendar is not yet published.
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 Genoa's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your UniGeApply pre-evaluation, Universitaly application and UniGe 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 Yacht Design at Genoa?
A bachelor's with at least 40 credits in basic industrial engineering subjects and 45 in naval architecture and marine engineering subjects. Foreign graduates need a final mark of at least 7.5/10, and the 2026/27 non-EU pre-selection accepted engineering bachelors only. [1][2]
Is there an entrance test or interview?
The regulations require graduates of a non-Italian bachelor's to pass a personal preparation check, held as a public interview and marked passed or not passed. For 2026/27, the UniGeApply pre-selection itself listed no remote interview or test for this course. [1][2]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2 or higher. A B2 certificate, an English-taught bachelor's shown by a university letter, or Genoa's own B2 test all count. The regulations do not list specific scores, so we check which proof your file can use. [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 2027/28 dates are not yet published. [3]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. For 2026/27, you could apply with a letter from your university giving your expected degree date and your CGPA so far, but you had to graduate by 15 August 2026. [2]
I have a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering. Can I apply?
Possibly. Mechanical degrees usually cover the basic industrial engineering credits, but the rule also asks for 45 credits in naval architecture and marine engineering subjects. The board checks your exams, internships and work experience, and your mark must reach 7.5/10. [1]
Where is Yacht Design taught?
At the University of Genoa's La Spezia campus, the Polo G. Marconi. Teaching and the thesis are in English. [1][4]
What jobs do graduates get?
Roles in construction shipyards, refit yards, classification registers, design studios and research institutes in the yacht sector. The course reports that more than 90% of its graduates find work at major shipyards and consultancy studios. [4]
Can someone handle my whole application to Yacht Design at Genoa?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Genoa'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 Yacht Design?
A B.Tech or B.E. in naval architecture or marine engineering is the closest fit. Your degree needs 40 credits in basic industrial engineering subjects, 45 in naval architecture and marine engineering subjects, a final mark of at least 7.5/10 and English at B2. The steps are UniGeApply pre-evaluation, the Universitaly application and UniGe 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 Yacht Design are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: UniGeApply pre-evaluation, Universitaly application and UniGe 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 Yacht Design are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: UniGeApply pre-evaluation, Universitaly application and UniGe 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 Yacht Design 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, Universitaly application and UniGe 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.
More English-taught programmes at this university
Other public universities in this city
They began right where you are
