Single-cycle Master in Medicine and Surgery (Harvey course) at University of Pavia
Six-year English-taught medical degree at the University of Pavia, the first in Italy, with three pre-clinical years, three clinical years of traineeships in Pavia hospitals and an 18 ECTS thesis. Entry is by the IMAT.
Master
6 years
Pavia
English
University of Pavia
The Harvey course is the University of Pavia's six-year, 360 ECTS single-cycle degree in Medicine and Surgery (class LM-41-R), taught entirely in English since 2009. Entry is by the IMAT, with 35 seats for non-EU applicants abroad in 2026/27. Fees are a flat rate by country or income-based.
Entry requirements
- A secondary school diploma or equivalent foreign qualification awarded after at least 12 years of schooling.
- Applicants with UK or US qualifications need three A-levels or three AP exams in scientific subjects.
- A place in the IMAT ranking. The minimum score for the 2026/27 ranking was 20 out of 90, and the course site warns that this is often not enough for a seat.
- For non-EU applicants abroad: Universitaly pre-enrolment, IMAT registration and evaluation of your diploma on apply.unipv.eu with the €35 fee.
- For enrolment, a CIMEA attestation or a declaration of value from the Italian diplomatic mission.
About the programme
The Harvey course is a six-year single-cycle master's degree in Medicine and Surgery, class LM-41-R, worth 360 ECTS and taught entirely in English. Set up in 2009 and named after the seventeenth-century physician William Harvey, it was the first medical course in Italy taught in English. It belongs to the Department of Molecular Medicine and the Faculty of Medicine, and is based at the Campus della Salute beside the Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia.
Access is restricted and decided by the IMAT ranking. According to the course site, more than 40% of students come from other European and non-European countries. It suits school leavers with a strong science background who want to train as doctors in an international class.
What you will study
Years 1 to 3 are pre-clinical: scientific method, molecules, the structure and functions of the body and disease processes, with laboratory work. Years 4 to 6 are clinical, organised around diagnosis, treatment, communication with patients and precision medicine, with case-based discussion. Course units in the study plan include:
- Structure of the Body and Biochemistry (year 1)
- Functions of the Body and Biology of Disease (year 2)
- Clinical Foundations and Drug Discovery and Actions (year 3)
- Cardiovascular Disease and Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases (year 4)
- General Surgery I and II, and Childhood and Woman Health (year 5)
- Clinical Medicine, Oncology and Imaging, and Public Health (year 6)
First-year electives include How to Approach an Italian Patient and Basic Life Support.
How the programme is taught
Teaching mixes lectures with themed seminars, small study groups and handouts given before class. Traineeships run in every year from the third, and years 5 and 6 add practical evaluative traineeships in medical and surgical areas and in general practice. The university names the San Matteo, Maugeri and Mondino clinics among the Pavia hospitals where students train alongside Italian and international doctors. The course ends with a degree thesis worth 18 ECTS.
Career paths
The course overview describes the aim as a rigorous scientific understanding of medicine and a solid basis for continued training, leading on to specialisation schools and medical practice. If you plan to work outside Italy, check how that country recognises Italian medical degrees before you apply.
Fees and scholarships
Medicine is in the university's science fee area. With a study visa, non-EU students can pay the 2026/27 flat rate by citizenship: €390 a year in bracket 1, which includes countries like India, Nepal and Ghana, and €1,520 or €4,550 in brackets 2 and 3. The alternative is a fee based on an equivalent ISEE, which is zero up to €32,000: zero euro tuition for eligible students, apart from the regional tax and €16 stamp duty. That route also lets you apply to EDiSU Pavia for a scholarship.
How to apply from outside the EU
Medicine has its own national procedure. For 2026/27 the call set 35 seats for non-EU applicants living abroad, 5 for the Marco Polo programme and 103 for EU and equivalent candidates. Non-EU applicants pre-enrolled on Universitaly by 31 August 2026, registered there for the IMAT from 26 August to 9 September, and uploaded their diploma for evaluation on apply.unipv.eu with a €35 fee.
The IMAT took place on 29 September 2026, with rankings due on 26 October. Admitted non-EU students need a type D study visa, which the consulate decides. The 2027/28 call was not yet published in September 2026.
How ApplyAZ helps
If this programme fits your goals, ApplyAZ can include it in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities. We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose, submit your applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your DSU scholarship application and prepare your visa file, with a named person on each stage. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
Questions and answers
Is the Harvey course taught entirely in English?
Yes. All six years are taught in English, and the IMAT entrance test is also in English. The course site says more than 40% of students come from other European and non-European countries.
What entrance test do I need?
The IMAT, a 100-minute test of 60 multiple-choice questions. For 2026/27 it was held on 29 September 2026. Seats go in ranking order, and the minimum score to be ranked was 20 out of 90.
How many seats are there for non-EU students?
For 2026/27 the call set 35 seats for non-EU applicants living abroad, 5 for the Marco Polo programme and 103 for EU and equivalent candidates. The 2027/28 figures were not yet published in September 2026.
What school qualification do I need?
A secondary school diploma after at least 12 years of schooling. Applicants with UK or US qualifications need three A-levels or three AP exams in scientific subjects.
How much are the fees?
Non-EU students with a study visa pay a flat rate by citizenship, from €390 a year for 2026/27, or an income-based fee. With an equivalent ISEE up to €32,000 the all-inclusive fee is zero, and EDiSU Pavia offers regional scholarships.
Where do students do clinical training?
Traineeships start in the third year in Pavia hospitals, including the San Matteo, Maugeri and Mondino clinics, and continue to the sixth year, which includes a practical evaluative traineeship in general practice.
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