What is the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, and is it public?
The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is a public graduate school for higher education and research, established by decree of Italy's Ministry of University and Research on 18 November 2005. It is one of Italy's seven schools with a special statute, alongside the Scuola Normale, Sant'Anna, SISSA, IUSS, GSSI and the Scuola Superiore Meridionale. Its focus is doctoral training that mixes economics, engineering, computer science, physics, neuroscience, history and cultural heritage.
Can international students study at IMT School Lucca in English?
Yes, the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca recruits doctoral students through an open international procedure and publishes its PhD calls and programme documents in English as well as Italian. Its PhD programmes cover Cultural Systems; Systems Science; Economics, Analytics and Decision Sciences; and Mind, Brain and Human Thought. IMT is centred on doctoral training, with some master's and advanced courses and no bachelor's degrees, so it suits graduates who want a funded research career.
What are the admission requirements at IMT School Lucca?
The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca admits doctoral students by competitive selection under each programme's call for applications. Each call sets the entry qualification, the documents and the selection committee, and shortlisted candidates are invited to interviews. For the 2025/26 intake, interviews ran from 7 to 11 July 2025 for Systems Science and on 14 July 2025 for Cultural Systems. IMT does not publish an acceptance rate, so assume strong competition for every funded place.
How do you apply to IMT School Lucca, step by step?
You apply to the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca online, through the application form linked from each PhD call. You register, fill in the form and upload documents, and you can edit your data until final submission, after which no changes are allowed. IMT advises applicants to submit well before the deadline. After selection, non-EU students apply for a type D study visa and a residence permit, and IMT's international students desk helps with both, plus the codice fiscale.
- Read the call for the PhD programme that fits your research interests.
- Register and complete the online application form, uploading every document.
- Submit well before the deadline, as the form locks after final submission.
- Attend the interview if you are shortlisted.
- If admitted, apply for your study visa, then your residence permit in Italy.
How much does IMT School Lucca cost for international students?
The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is built around funded study: its doctoral students receive a scholarship that includes free on-campus housing and canteen service. That removes the two biggest costs of living in Italy, rent and food, for the length of the programme. Scholarship amounts and any fee rules are set in each year's call, so read it closely. Budget separately for your visa, travel, health insurance and personal costs, which the scholarship package does not replace.
Can you study at IMT School Lucca with little or no tuition?
Yes, a funded place at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca means you study with a scholarship, free on-campus housing and free canteen service, but the condition is winning a place, not your family income. Selection is on merit and research fit through an open international competition. In your control: the quality of your research proposal, your record and your interview. Not in your control: the number of funded places and the strength of other candidates in your year.
Which scholarship covers IMT School Lucca, and what does it include?
The main funding at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is IMT's own doctoral scholarship, which includes free on-campus housing and canteen service, so you do not rely on the regional DSU Toscana grant. IMT's calls also list additional scholarships for some programmes, such as Economics, Analytics and Decision Sciences, and Mind, Brain and Human Thought. For visas, tax codes, health cover and housing questions, the international students desk answers at internationalstudents@imtlucca.it.
How good is IMT School Lucca in the rankings, and do they matter?
The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca does not appear in the overall tables we checked: QS 2027, THE 2026, ARWU 2026 and Censis 2026/27. That mainly reflects its size and model, a small school centred on doctoral training, not its research quality. IMT reports that U-Multirank ranked it among Italy's top five universities in 2021 for research, technology transfer and internationalisation. For a PhD, your supervisor, research group and funding matter far more than any league table.
- QS World University Rankings 2027: not ranked
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026: not ranked
- ShanghaiRanking ARWU 2026: not ranked
- Censis 2026/27: not included
- U-Multirank 2021: among Italy's top five for research, technology transfer and internationalisation (IMT report)
What is student life like in Lucca, and what does it cost to live there?
Student life at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is campus life inside Lucca's Renaissance walls. The campus covers more than 12,000 square metres across three sites: the San Ponziano and San Francesco complexes and the Brunero Paoli residence, with a library, labs, study rooms and a canteen open 350 days a year. Because the PhD scholarship includes free housing and canteen service, your main living costs are covered. Pisa International Airport is the nearest major airport.
How does IMT Lucca compare with other Scuole Superiori in Tuscany?
The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is Tuscany's youngest public Scuola Superiore, founded in 2005, and the one of the three centred on doctoral training. The Scuola Normale and the Sant'Anna School in Pisa also admit undergraduates by competitive exam, with free board and lodging for winners, and both appear in the THE World University Rankings 2026. IMT suits you if you already have a master's degree and want an interdisciplinary PhD in a small campus community.
Is the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca a good choice for you?
The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is a good choice if you hold a master's degree, have a clear research interest in economics, systems science, neuroscience or cultural heritage, and want a funded PhD with housing and meals on campus. It is not for you if you want a bachelor's degree, or a large university with a big student scene. Lucca is small and calm, which suits focused research, and the campus keeps you close to your group.
How can ApplyAZ help with IMT School Lucca, and when should you go alone?
ApplyAZ is honest about the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca: a PhD application is a research proposal and interview you should own yourself, so strong, organised candidates usually apply alone. ApplyAZ is built for a different stage: a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught bachelor's and master's programmes at Italian public universities, a CV and tailored SOP for each, Universitaly, DSU and visa files, with a named person owning each stage. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
