Single-cycle Master in Medicine and Surgery at University of Cagliari
Six-year English-taught medical degree (LM-41) at the University of Cagliari, with clinical clerkships, 15 ECTS of practical traineeships for the state exam and a final thesis discussed in English. Entry is by the national admission test, with 16 non-EU places in 2026/27.
Master
6 years
Cagliari
English
University of Cagliari
Medicine and Surgery is a six-year, 360 ECTS single-cycle degree (class LM-41) taught in English at the University of Cagliari. Entry needs a school-leaving diploma after 12 years of schooling and a place in the national admission test ranking, with 16 places for non-EU applicants living abroad in 2026/27. No English certificate is needed to apply. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Cagliari's English-taught Medicine and Surgery degree asks for a school-leaving diploma after at least 12 years of schooling that gives access to this course at home, and a place in the national admission test ranking, with a separate local ranking for non-EU applicants living abroad. No English certificate is needed to apply. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
School-leaving requirement
You need a secondary school diploma. A foreign qualification counts if it was obtained after at least 12 years of schooling and gives access to university, and to this course, in the country where you earned it. [1]
Your foreign diploma must come with a declaration of value from the Italian diplomatic mission in that country or a CIMEA statement of comparability. [1]
The call sets no minimum grade or subject list: your place depends on your admission test score. Admission stays conditional until the university confirms that your diploma is valid for entry. [1]
What this means for your school results
As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: an Indian Class 12 certificate with physics, chemistry and biology from CBSE, CISCE or a state board after 12 years of schooling, a Pakistani HSSC (pre-medical), a Bangladeshi HSC in science, or Sri Lankan or Cambridge A levels in the sciences.
- Check carefully: a Class 12 or HSC without biology or chemistry, because the diploma must give access to this course in the country that issued it.
- Often short: a Class 10 certificate on its own, or any qualification after fewer than 12 years of schooling in total.
Biology, chemistry, physics and maths also make up 51 of the 60 test questions. [1]
English
The call sets no separate English requirement, and no certificate is needed to sit the test. If you hold a certificate on the ministry list, you declare it when you register, and it only counts to break a tie in scores. [1]
The study plan includes two compulsory English courses in year 2, at B1 and B2 level, worth 5 credits each. [2]
The admission test
Entry is through a single national admission test with identical content at every site. For 2026/27 it was held on 29 September 2026, starting at 1:30 pm Italian time and lasting 100 minutes. When you register you can choose a test site abroad from the ministry list. [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 only in Cagliari's local ranking 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 language certificate, then by recognised disability, then by age, with the younger candidate first.
Students admitted with fewer than 27 points receive additional learning obligations in biology, chemistry and physics, to be cleared during the first year. [1]
Places
For 2026/27 the call set 98 places: 16 for non-EU applicants living abroad, 80 for Italian, EU and equivalent applicants and 2 for Chinese students on the Marco Polo project. [1]
The local ranking for non-EU applicants abroad includes only those who pre-enrolled on Universitaly choosing Cagliari, filed the local ranking request on Cagliari's portal and scored above zero. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
- Test registration on Universitaly: 26 August to 3:00 pm Italian time on 9 September 2026, with a non-refundable participation fee. Site choices cannot be changed after that.
- Admission test: 29 September 2026.
- Scores: 8 October 2026, with test papers visible on Universitaly from 19 October 2026.
- Rankings: 26 October 2026, both the national ranking and Cagliari's local ranking for non-EU applicants living abroad.
- Foreign diploma documents: by 30 December 2026, or by 30 March 2027 at the latest if the study visa is issued late.
The 2027/28 call sets the next dates. [1]
Documents and non-EU steps
- Non-EU applicants living abroad pre-enrol on Universitaly for the study visa, naming Cagliari, within the university's deadlines.
- They also register for the test on Universitaly and file an online request to join Cagliari's local ranking.
- Once admitted, you apply to enrol online and hand in the documents for your foreign diploma at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery student office, including the declaration of value or CIMEA statement of comparability.
- Enrolment is completed only when every document is in and the university has approved your diploma. Missing or incomplete documents stop it.
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 Cagliari. Call for admission to the single-cycle master's degree in Medicine and Surgery taught in English (class LM-41), academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Cagliari, Medicine and Surgery programme page (degree class, credits, teaching language, study plan and final exam). Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Medicine and Surgery is a six-year single-cycle master's degree in class LM-41, worth 360 ECTS and taught in English at the University of Cagliari. First activated in 2024/25, it runs alongside the university's Italian-language medical degree and belongs to the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, with teaching based at the Monserrato university campus in the Cagliari metropolitan area. Access is limited by a national admission test.
The degree trains physicians and surgeons. The course page notes that studying medicine in English eases access to jobs in health systems, hospitals, universities and research centres abroad. It suits school leavers with strong biology and chemistry who want to become doctors in an international class.
What you will study
The first two years cover the basic sciences and the normal structure and function of the body. Years 3 to 6 move through pathology, clinical methods and the medical and surgical specialities. English at B1 and B2 level is taught as part of year 2. Units in the study plan include:
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Histology and Embryology (year 1)
- General Pathology and Immunology, and Human Physiology (year 2)
- Clinical Methodology, and Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (year 3)
- Diseases of the Respiratory System and Cardiovascular Apparatus, and Neurology and Neurosurgery (year 4)
- Internal Medicine I and Nephrology, and Surgery I and Urology (year 5)
- General Pediatrics and Pediatric Specialties, and Gynecology and Obstetrics (year 6)
How the programme is taught
Clinical contact starts early, with introductory clerkships and first aid courses in years 1 and 2. Elective internships in years 4 and 5, worth 8 ECTS, can take place in medical or surgical departments of partner hospitals in Italy or abroad. In year 6 you complete three practical evaluation traineeships for the state exam (TPVES) of 100 hours each, in general surgery, internal medicine and general medicine, worth 15 ECTS in total. The degree ends with a 14 ECTS thesis discussed in public in English.
Career paths
The degree leads to the profile of physician and surgeon (medico chirurgo). The university lists these outlets:
- The Italian national health service, as a general practitioner or, after specialist training, a specialist
- Public and private hospitals and clinics
- Scientific research at universities, research institutes or companies
- International humanitarian health organisations
- Health systems, hospitals and research centres abroad
Graduates can continue to medical specialisation schools, the general practice training course, a PhD or a second-level university master. If you plan to work outside Italy, that country decides how it recognises Italian medical degrees.
Fees and scholarships
Fees at Cagliari follow family income (ISEE). In 2026/27 first-year students with an ISEE up to €24,335.11 are exempt, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. Non-EU students present an ISEE parificato from a CAF by 31 December 2026; students from particularly poor countries have their ISEE set to zero. ERSU Cagliari scholarship winners and eligible students are exempt.
How to apply from outside the EU
For 2026/27 the university offered 98 places: 80 for EU and equivalent applicants, 16 for non-EU applicants living abroad and 2 for the Marco Polo programme. Non-EU applicants abroad pre-enrol on Universitaly and compete only in the local ranking of the university they chose.
For 2026/27, registration for the national test ran on Universitaly from 26 August to 9 September 2026, with a non-refundable participation fee, and the test took place on 29 September 2026 in Italy and at centres abroad. Non-EU applicants abroad also file a request on Cagliari's portal to join the local ranking, published on 26 October 2026. Admitted students hand in their diploma documents, with a declaration of value or CIMEA statement of comparability, by 30 December 2026, or by 30 March 2027 if their study visa is issued late. The 2027/28 call sets the next dates. [1]
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 Cagliari's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your IMAT registration and pre-enrolment on Universitaly, and your request to join Cagliari's local ranking.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ERSU Cagliari 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 Cagliari?
A secondary school diploma after at least 12 years of schooling that gives access to university, and to this course, in your country, with a declaration of value or CIMEA statement. 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 for medicine in English, often called 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]
Do I need IELTS or another English certificate?
No. The 2026/27 call sets no English certificate requirement to apply or sit the test. A certificate on the ministry list, declared at registration, only helps break a tie. English at B1 and B2 level is then taught in year 2. [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. Non-EU applicants abroad also needed Universitaly pre-enrolment naming Cagliari and a request to join the local ranking. The 2027/28 call sets the next dates. [1]
How many places are there for non-EU students?
For 2026/27 Cagliari offered 16 places for non-EU applicants living abroad, ranked locally, plus 80 for Italian, EU and equivalent applicants and 2 for Marco Polo students. 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 with physics, chemistry and biology after 12 years of schooling usually meets the school rule, which asks for a diploma that gives access to this course at home. Those subjects then make up most of the test. We check your documents first. [1]
When do I hand in my school documents?
After admission. For 2026/27, non-EU students had to hand in their foreign diploma documents, with a declaration of value or CIMEA statement, by 30 December 2026, or by 30 March 2027 if their visa was issued late. [1]
What can I do after graduating?
The degree qualifies you as a physician and surgeon. Graduates work in the Italian health service as general practitioners or, after specialist training, specialists, in research or in humanitarian health organisations, and can continue to specialisation schools or general practice training. [2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Medicine and Surgery at Cagliari?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against Cagliari's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ERSU Cagliari 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 if it gives access to medical studies in India. Your test score decides the place, with 16 seats for non-EU applicants living abroad in 2026/27. The steps are IMAT registration and pre-enrolment on Universitaly, the test and Cagliari's local ranking request. [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 and pre-enrolment on Universitaly, the admission test and a request to join Cagliari's local ranking, 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 and pre-enrolment on Universitaly, the admission test and a request to join Cagliari's local ranking. 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 and pre-enrolment on Universitaly, the admission test and a request to join Cagliari's local ranking, 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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