Single-cycle Master in Medicine and Surgery at University of Milan-Bicocca
Six-year English-taught LM-41 medical degree of the University of Milano-Bicocca, based in Bergamo with Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, using problem-based learning and clinical mentoring from the second year. Entry is through the IMAT, with 20 non-EU places in 2026/27.
Master
6 years
Bergamo
English
University of Milan-Bicocca
Medicine and Surgery is a six-year, 360 ECTS single-cycle master's degree (class LM-41) taught in English by the University of Milano-Bicocca in Bergamo, with Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital. Entry needs 12 years of schooling, English at B2 and a ranked IMAT score, with 20 places for non-EU applicants living abroad in 2026/27. DSU scholarship winners are exempt from tuition, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Milano-Bicocca's Medicine and Surgery asks for a school-leaving qualification obtained after 12 years of schooling, English at B2 or higher, and a place in the ranking of the IMAT, the national admission test for medicine in English. Non-EU applicants living abroad compete for their own reserved places. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
School-leaving requirement
You need an Italian upper secondary diploma or a foreign school qualification. A foreign qualification is generally valid if it was obtained after at least 12 years of schooling and gives access to a similar degree at universities in the country that issued it. Some qualifications may need extra entry requirements, and the university assesses every foreign qualification on the Apply@unimib portal. [1]
What this means for your school results
The rule is about years of schooling and university access, not grades or subjects. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: Class 12 from CBSE, ISC or an Indian state board, Pakistan's HSSC, Bangladesh's HSC, Sri Lanka's GCE A levels and UK A levels, which come after at least 12 years of schooling.
- Check carefully: school systems with fewer than 12 years, and vocational or polytechnic diplomas, which may not give university access in the issuing country.
- Often short: Class 10, SSC or O levels on their own.
The rule sets no subjects, but the test asks 23 biology, 15 chemistry and 13 physics and mathematics questions out of 60, so a science stream with biology prepares you best. [1]
English
If English is not your first language, you need a certificate at B2 or higher from an institution the university recognises. For non-EU applicants living abroad, the certificate must be held by the admission deadline. You are exempt with official certification that your studies were completed entirely in English, or if you are a national of a country where English is the official language. [1]
The ministerial list attached to the call includes IELTS 5.5 to 6.5 and TOEFL 87 to 109 at B2, as well as Cambridge, Trinity ISE and Pearson PTE General certificates. Under that list, English is recognised automatically for students who attended a school taught in English for at least one academic year. [1]
Italian
No Italian level is required to enter the first year. You must acquire Italian during the degree to take part in clinical placements and interact safely with patients. [1]
The admission test
The IMAT is prepared by the Ministry of University and Research and has the same content at every test centre. It is a paper test. [1]
- Format: 60 multiple-choice questions with five options in 100 minutes: 4 reading skills and general knowledge, 5 logical reasoning, 23 biology, 15 chemistry and 13 physics and mathematics.
- Scoring: 1.5 points for a correct answer, minus 0.4 for a wrong one and 0 for no answer, out of 90. Ties are broken by section scores, then by holding a listed English certificate.
- Minimum score: EU candidates and non-EU candidates resident in Italy need at least 20 points. Non-EU applicants living abroad need more than zero and are ranked on Milano-Bicocca's own list within their reserved places.
For 2026/27 the test could be sat in Italy or at centres abroad, including India, Pakistan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, the UK and the USA. In Italy, your first-choice university is your test centre. [1]
2026/27 dates
For 2026/27, test registration and payment on Universitaly ran from 26 August to 3 pm Italian time on 9 September 2026. Candidates with a foreign qualification also had to upload their documents to Apply@unimib, and non-EU visa applicants had to submit Universitaly pre-enrolment, by the same date. [1]
The test was held on 29 September 2026. Scores were published by code on 8 October 2026, the named national ranking is due on 26 October 2026 and the first update on 3 November 2026. Admitted candidates have four working days to enrol. The 2027/28 call sets the next dates. [1]
Places, documents and non-EU steps
For 2026/27 there were 40 first-year places for EU citizens and non-EU citizens legally resident in Italy, and 20 reserved for non-EU applicants living abroad. [1]
- On Apply@unimib you upload your school diploma, or a certificate of attendance if you have not yet graduated, school reports for the last two years, any extra documents such as A level results or national entrance exams, and your passport.
- Visa pre-enrolments are validated after the test registration deadline for candidates sitting the test in Italy, and after the university's non-EU ranking for candidates sitting it abroad.
- For visa applicants, enrolment is finalised only when the study visa is issued. For 2026/27, a visa not obtained by 28 February 2027 ends the place.
- Enrolment is complete only once the first instalment is paid within the enrolment deadline.
These steps are set out in 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 Milano-Bicocca. Call for applications, single-cycle Master's degree in Medicine and Surgery in English (LM-41), academic year 2026/27, Italian original and English translation. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Milano-Bicocca. Call for admission to years after the first, single-cycle Master's degree in Medicine and Surgery (LM-41), academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Milano-Bicocca. Medicine and Surgery programme page, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Milano-Bicocca. Guide for university fees, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Medicine and Surgery is a six-year single-cycle master's degree (laurea magistrale a ciclo unico, class LM-41) taught in English by the School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Milano-Bicocca. It is based in Bergamo and run in partnership with the University of Bergamo and Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital. [3] Places are limited and set by a national admission test, the IMAT. For 2026/27 there were 40 places for EU citizens and non-EU citizens legally resident in Italy, and 20 for non-EU applicants living abroad. [1]
The programme aims to prepare doctors for leadership positions in healthcare. It suits students who want an English-taught medical degree with early clinical contact and a strong global health outlook.
What you will study
The curriculum combines basic science with intensive clinical mentoring from the second year onwards, and it includes coursework in bioengineering to prepare students for modern medical technologies. Much of clinical medicine is taught through problem-based learning across seven integrated physio-pathological systems, while other subjects have dedicated courses:
- Cardiovascular and Respiratory System
- Onco-Hematology
- Locomotor System
- Digestive Health
- Endocrine, Kidney and Urinary Tract
- Neuroscience
- Woman and Child (obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics)
How the programme is taught
Problem-based learning is the core method: small groups work through cases, which builds team learning and collaboration. The course is multidisciplinary and inter-professional, and it trains scientific and critical thinking alongside a caring, holistic approach to patients. Clinical training takes place with Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, and an Italian language course for international students is offered on the course platform. No Italian is required to start the first year, but you must acquire it to take part in clinical placements and interact safely with patients. [1]
Career paths
The degree leads to the medical qualification. The university notes that a wide range of specialty training pathways and research opportunities, including PhD programmes, open after graduation. The programme also prepares you to use your skills in global health, in clinical practice and in research.
- Specialty training pathways after the degree
- Research opportunities, including PhD programmes
- Global health, in clinical practice and in research
Fees and scholarships
Medicine is in Bicocca's fee area B. For 2026/27 an international student with foreign citizenship, qualification and residence paid a fixed yearly amount set by country group, and group 1 covers countries like India. [4] Winners of the university's DSU call are exempt from tuition, so the degree can be tuition-free for eligible students.
How to apply from outside the EU
Admission runs through the IMAT. We register you for the test on Universitaly, where non-EU applicants living abroad also submit the pre-enrolment request needed for the visa, and we upload your school documents to the university's Apply@unimib portal. For 2026/27 all three steps closed on 9 September 2026, and the test was held on 29 September 2026 in Italy and at test centres abroad, including India. [1]
Rankings decide the places. Admitted students have four working days to enrol, and enrolment is complete only once the first instalment is paid. For visa applicants, enrolment is finalised only when the type D study visa is issued, and a visa not obtained by 28 February 2027 ends the place. 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 Milano-Bicocca's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your IMAT registration, Apply@unimib qualification check and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your regional DSU 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 Milano-Bicocca?
An Italian upper secondary diploma or a foreign school qualification obtained after 12 years of schooling that gives access to a similar degree in your country. The university assesses foreign qualifications, and places then go by your rank in the IMAT. [1]
Is there an entrance exam?
Yes, the IMAT, prepared by the Ministry of University and Research: 60 multiple-choice questions in 100 minutes on reading, logic, biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. For 2026/27 it could be sat in Italy or at centres abroad, including India, Pakistan and Dubai. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
B2 or higher, from a certificate the university recognises, such as IELTS 5.5 to 6.5. Native speakers and students who completed their studies entirely in English are exempt, and English-taught schooling can be recognised, so we check which proof your file can use. [1]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU applicants living abroad had until 9 September 2026 to register for the test on Universitaly, upload school documents to Apply@unimib and submit visa pre-enrolment. The test was on 29 September 2026. The 2027/28 call sets the next dates. [1]
Can I apply before I finish school?
Yes. If you have not yet graduated, you upload a certificate of school attendance to Apply@unimib instead of the diploma, with your school reports for the last two years. You must still meet the 12-year rule. [1]
I did not take biology in Class 12. Can I apply?
Yes, if your qualification meets the 12-year rule, because the call sets no school subjects. But 23 of the 60 test questions are biology and 15 are chemistry, so without biology you would need to prepare it from the start. [1]
Where is Medicine and Surgery taught, and do I need Italian?
In Bergamo, with the University of Bergamo and Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, and teaching is in English. No Italian is required to start, but you must acquire it to take part in clinical placements and interact safely with patients. [1][3]
Can I transfer into a later year?
Only when places free up. For 2026/27, Milano-Bicocca offered one second-year place to non-EU applicants living abroad, open to students of an English-taught single-cycle degree. Applications ran from 16 to 30 September 2026, with a B2 English certificate required. [2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Medicine and Surgery at Milano-Bicocca?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against Milano-Bicocca's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the regional DSU 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?
Indian Class 12 results from CBSE, ISC or a state board come after 12 years of schooling, so they can meet the school rule. You also need English at B2, or recognised English-taught studies, and an IMAT score that ranks you within the 20 non-EU places. The steps are IMAT registration, the Apply@unimib qualification check and Universitaly pre-enrolment, and the test can be sat in India. [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, Apply@unimib qualification check 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, Apply@unimib qualification check 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, Apply@unimib qualification check 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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