Single-cycle Master in Medicine and Surgery at University of Bologna
Six-year English-taught medical degree (LM-41) at the University of Bologna, with clinical clerkships from year one and a global health focus. Entry is by the national admission test, with 20 places for non-EU applicants living abroad in 2026/27.
Master
6 years
Bologna
English
University of Bologna
Medicine and Surgery is a six-year, 360 ECTS single-cycle degree (class LM-41) taught in English at the University of Bologna. Entry needs a school-leaving qualification after 12 years of schooling and a place in the admission test ranking, with 20 places for non-EU applicants living abroad in 2026/27. The test also assesses English at B2. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Bologna's Medicine and Surgery degree asks for a school-leaving qualification after at least 12 years of schooling and a place in the admission test ranking, with a separate quota for non-EU applicants living abroad. The test also assesses English at B2. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
School-leaving requirement
You need a school-leaving qualification obtained after at least 12 years of schooling that gives access to university in Italy, under the Ministry of University and Research rules for international students. It counts only if you passed at least the last two years of school in the system that awarded it. You must hold it by the enrolment deadline. [1]
The call sets no minimum grade or subject list: your place depends on your admission test score. [1]
What this means for your school results
As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: an Indian Class 12 certificate from CBSE, CISCE or a state board after 12 years of schooling, a Pakistani HSSC, a Bangladeshi HSC, or Sri Lankan or Cambridge A levels.
- Check carefully: a diploma where you spent fewer than the last two years in the system that awarded it, for example after changing country or board late.
- Often short: a Class 10 certificate on its own, or any qualification after fewer than 12 years of schooling.
Biology, chemistry, physics and maths still matter, because they make up 51 of the 60 test questions. [1]
English
English at B2 or higher is required, and the admission test itself assesses it, so a language certificate is not mandatory. [2]
If you hold a certificate listed in the call, you declare it when you register for the test. It only counts to break a tie in scores. Candidates who attended a school taught in English for at least one school year are automatically treated as holding a certificate. [1]
The admission test
Entry is through a national admission test with identical content in every location. For 2026/27 it was held on 29 September 2026; in Bologna it ran for 100 minutes. You can also choose a test site abroad from the call's list when you register. [1]
- 60 multiple-choice questions with five options each: 4 on reading skills and knowledge from school studies, 5 on logical reasoning and problems, 23 on biology, 15 on chemistry and 13 on physics and mathematics.
- Scoring: 1.5 points for a correct answer, minus 0.4 for a wrong one and zero for a blank, up to 90 points.
- Non-EU applicants living abroad compete in a separate local ranking set by Bologna and qualify with any score above zero. Italian, EU and equivalent applicants need at least 20 points.
- Ties are broken by the biology, chemistry, physics and maths, logic and reading scores in turn, then by a declared English certificate.
- Candidates admitted with fewer than 40 points can enrol but receive an additional learning requirement set by the degree regulations.
Places
For 2026/27 the call set 20 places for non-EU citizens living abroad and 140 for Italian, EU and equivalent non-EU applicants. Non-EU places left unused can pass to the other quota. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
- Test registration on Universitaly: 26 August to 3:00 pm on 9 September 2026 (Italian time), with payment of the test fee.
- Extra step for all non-EU applicants: an admission request in the IMAT Non-EU citizens competition on Studenti Online, by 1:00 pm on 5 October 2026. Without it you cannot see the ranking or enrol.
- Admission test: 29 September 2026.
- Scores: 8 October 2026, with test papers visible on Universitaly from 19 October 2026.
- Ranking for non-EU applicants living abroad: 26 October 2026, with enrolment by 29 October 2026.
All deadlines are final. The 2027/28 call sets the next dates. [1]
Documents and non-EU steps
- Non-EU applicants living abroad pre-enrol on Universitaly for this course and request a study visa in time for the test, if they need a visa even for a short stay in Italy, or otherwise in time to complete enrolment.
- To enrol you register on Studenti Online, enter your details with a passport-style photo and pay the first instalment. Without payment you are excluded.
- You then upload your residence permit, or your study visa and the receipt of your permit request, and the documents for your foreign school qualification by 26 February 2027.
- The international student office in Bologna checks your qualification against the originals after you pay the first instalment. Admission and a validated pre-enrolment do not by themselves complete enrolment.
These steps come from the 2026/27 call. [1]
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 Bologna. Call for admission to the single-cycle degree programmes in Medicine and Surgery (class LM-41) and Veterinary Medicine (class LM-42) taught in English, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Bologna, Medicine and Surgery programme website. How to enrol, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Bologna. Tuition fees and exemptions, with the table of maximum contributions by degree programme, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Medicine and Surgery is a six-year single-cycle degree (laurea magistrale a ciclo unico, class LM-41) run by the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC) of the University of Bologna. It is taught entirely in English in Bologna under the motto "Medicine without borders", and it is a qualifying degree: the final evaluation clerkship leads towards practice as a physician.
The course suits students who want a full medical training in an international setting. The university stresses that English opens access to medical literature, international meetings and exchanges, and helps graduates work with foreign patients and colleagues.
What you will study
The curriculum is integrated and problem-based, with clinical clerkships from Year 1 and a strand of medical humanities. Years 1 and 2 cover the sciences and the body systems, Years 3 to 5 the clinical disciplines, and Year 6 emergency care and clinical skills. Units in the 2026/27 plan include:
- Cellular Molecular Biology and Genetics, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Medical Physics
- Humanities and Scientific Methods, with ethics, history of medicine and medical statistics
- System blocks such as Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems, and Nervous System and Sensory Organs
- Microbiology and Immunology, Basic Mechanisms of Disease and Fundamentals of Pharmacology
- Public and Global Health, and Diagnostic Medicine and Biomedical Technologies
- Clinical blocks in paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, neurology, psychiatry and geriatrics
- Emergency and Intensive Care, and Fundamental Clinical Skills such as clinical reasoning and point-of-care ultrasonography
How the programme is taught
Teaching mixes traditional lectures with innovative and problem-solving methods. Clerkships run through the whole course, from basic life support and nursing skills in the early years to elective clerkships across dozens of hospital specialties in Years 4 to 6. Year 6 includes the practical evaluation clerkship in clinical, surgical and general practice settings. The final examination and its preparation carry 13 credits, with options for a preparation internship in Bologna or abroad.
Career paths
Graduates can work as physicians and go on to further education and training. The university lists these employers:
- Public and private clinics, hospitals and specialised medical centres
- Hospices
- Universities and research centres
- National and international health and humanitarian organisations
The course's international approach and global health focus are meant to widen specialty, job and research options in other countries.
Fees and scholarships
Medicine and Surgery sits in a higher fee band. Actual fees follow family income through an ISEE or ISEE parificato filed via ER.GO, with no variable part up to an ISEE of €27,000. Students from listed non-OECD countries can instead apply for a reduced flat fee, and ER.GO scholarship winners pay only the fixed part. It can be tuition-free for eligible students.
How to apply from outside the EU
Entry is through the national IMAT test. For 2026/27, registration opened on Universitaly from 26 August to 9 September 2026, the test was held on 29 September 2026 and 20 places were set aside for non-EU citizens living abroad. If you need a visa to sit the test in Italy, we pre-enrol you on Universitaly for this course first.
Non-EU applicants also register on Studenti Online by the call's deadline (5 October 2026 for 2026/27), or they cannot see the ranking or enrol. After a successful ranking you enrol on Studenti Online and pay the first instalment: for 2026/27, the ranking for non-EU applicants living abroad was set for 26 October 2026, with enrolment by 29 October 2026. [1] The university then validates your Universitaly pre-enrolment so you can request a study visa, and you activate your career in Bologna on arrival. The 2027/28 call is not published yet.
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 school results against Bologna's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your IMAT registration on Universitaly, Studenti Online registration and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ER.GO Emilia-Romagna 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 school results do I need for Medicine and Surgery at Bologna?
A school-leaving qualification after at least 12 years of schooling that gives access to university, with at least the last two years passed in the system that awarded it. The call sets no minimum grade: your place depends on your admission test score. [1]
What entrance test do I need?
The national admission test, known as IMAT: 60 questions in 100 minutes on reading, logic, biology, chemistry, physics and maths. For 2026/27 it was held on 29 September 2026, and non-EU applicants living abroad qualified with any score above zero. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2 or higher, which the admission test itself assesses, so IELTS or another certificate is not mandatory. A certificate declared at registration only helps break a tie, and a year at an English-medium school counts as one. [1][2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, test registration on Universitaly closed at 3:00 pm on 9 September 2026, and non-EU applicants also had to register on Studenti Online by 5 October 2026. The 2027/28 call sets the next dates. [1]
How many places are there for non-EU students?
For 2026/27 the call set 20 places for non-EU citizens living abroad, ranked locally by Bologna, alongside 140 places for Italian, EU and equivalent applicants. We check the 2027/28 call for next year's numbers. [1]
I have Class 12 with PCB from CBSE or a state board. Can I apply?
A Class 12 certificate after 12 years of schooling that gives access to university in India usually meets the school rule. Physics, chemistry and biology then matter for the admission test, where they make up most of the questions. We check your documents first. [1]
Can I sit the test outside Italy?
Yes. When you register on Universitaly you can choose a test site abroad from the list in the call, and the addresses are published later. If you sit it in Italy and need a visa, you pre-enrol on Universitaly first. [1]
How are the fees set?
Fees depend on family income (ISEE), and this course sits in a higher fee band. First-year students with an ISEE of €27,000 or less pay only the fixed annual charges, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students. [3]
Can someone handle my whole application to Medicine and Surgery at Bologna?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against Bologna's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ER.GO Emilia-Romagna 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 Medicine and Surgery?
A Class 12 certificate after 12 years of schooling, from CBSE, CISCE or a state board, usually meets the school rule. Your rank in the admission test decides the place, with 20 seats for non-EU applicants living abroad in 2026/27. The steps are IMAT registration on Universitaly, the test, Studenti Online registration 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 Medicine and Surgery are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: IMAT registration on Universitaly, the admission test, Studenti Online registration 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 Medicine and Surgery are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: IMAT registration on Universitaly, the admission test, Studenti Online registration 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 Medicine and Surgery are the same whatever your nationality, and your school results are assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: IMAT registration on Universitaly, the admission test, Studenti Online registration 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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