Program Overview

Introduction to the Sapienza Foundation Year Programme

The Sapienza University “Foundation Year” Programme is designed for international students who need to complete their basic education to pass an admission test in Italian state universities. The programme is held in Italian and addresses students who do not meet the minimum schooling requirements for enrolment at Italian universities. Candidates may apply even if they have the necessary 12 years of schooling but wish to improve their educational or linguistic competences.

Programme Details

• The programme is made up of three parts:
  • Intensive Italian language and culture classes
  • Curricular classes in either Human Sciences, Natural Sciences, or Social Sciences
  • Preparatory classes for entrance exams on four groups of subjects: Applied Sciences, Management Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Human Sciences
• Courses are entirely held in Italian; they are aimed at complete beginners, and no previous knowledge of the language is required.
• English is also used as an administrative language to facilitate communication between students and administration, not for teaching.
• Classroom activities total 400 hours, and attendance is mandatory for at least 75% of them.

Study Options and Schedule

• Introductory Italian Language and Culture Online A1-A2: October 2025
• Intensive Italian language and Culture Classroom B1-B2: November 2025 – February 2026, 200 hours
• Curricular classes: February 2026 – May 2026, 160 hours/curriculum 40 hours/class
  • Human Sciences: Art History, Contemporary History, Italian Literature, Sociology
  • Social Sciences: Contemporary History, Mathematics, Physics, Sociology
  • Natural Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics
• Preparatory classes: May 2026 – June 2026, 40 hours
  • Applied Sciences (Engineering, etc.)
  • Management Sciences (Economics, Management, etc.)
  • Clinical Sciences (Medicine, Nursing, Psychology, etc.)
  • Human Sciences (Archaeology, Art History, Classics, etc.)

Eligible Candidates

• Candidates who meet the requirements are eligible to apply for the programme:
  • Holding a secondary school diploma obtained abroad after 11 years of schooling
  • Possessing a minimum B2 English language level or equivalent
• Non-EU citizens residing abroad must request a visa for study purposes for the academic year through the UNIVERSITALY platform by 30 June 2025.

Admission Procedure

• Participation in the admission procedure is conditioned on paying a participation fee of €200.00 within 16/06/2025. The participation fee is not refundable for any reason.
• Payment of the participation fee without following the whole procedure does not guarantee inclusion in the final admission list.

Benefits

• Students who successfully complete the programme will be able to apply to Bachelors or Single-cycle degree programmes at Sapienza University without having to sit the Italian language exam for Non-EU students.