UNIVERSITIES
MASTER INFORMATION
ERASMUS MUNDUS II
ADMISSION
APPLICATION FORMS
GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
The history of the city of Bologna and its University are inextricably interwoven. Walking down the streets teeped in history of the town centre you immediately feel this close-knit relationship. Even Bologna's architecture is said to have been influenced by the presence of the students: in fact legend has it that its famous arcades (i portici) were designed in order to extend the houses to provide another room to be let to students.
Even since the Middle Ages students from out of town and abroad have always been a significant presence at the University of Bologna. Foreign students used to have their own union (they were called "ultramontani" meaning that they came from beyond the Alps) that played an important role in establishing the independence of the University. In the last few decades the launching of many exchange programmes has brought thousands of foreign and exchange students to Bologna, and they have enormously enriched the city's cultural and social status.
Recently, a great deal has been done to improve the organisation of the incoming exchange students at the University of Bologna. Indeed, students arriving from other countries may find it hard to get to grips with the rather peculiar structure of Italian University study and different policies on accommodation and orientation. That is why the University of Bologna and its International Relations Department have set up a number of initiatives to help foreign students feel more at home during their stay in Italy.
The fortunate geographical setting of the city of Bologna makes it very easy to reach with every means of transport. Even if you travel by car, motorcycle or bike you will find it rather comfortable to arrive here.
In fact being Bologna at the core of the Italian road and highway system you will find your way to it from almost everywhere in Italy. Some of the most important highways and railway lines in Italy pass through Bologna making it a very convenient starting point for visiting the whole country.
By Plane: The Guglielmo Marconi Airport is very well connected to the city center by bus and taxi services.
Please notice that some fl ights to Bologna have recently been re-directed to the Forlì Airport. Forlì is relatively close to Bologna and it's rather well connected to it by train and charter bus lines.
By Train: The main railway station (Stazione Centrale) is very close to the city center and it's well served by an intense public bus service reaching every corner of town. To go from the main station to the University area you can jump on the "C" ATC (Bologna public transport agency) charter bus that takes you straight to the heart of the Alma Mater in Piazza Verdi.
City transport: Once in town you will move around with ease. Bus lines are intensively connecting the whole city. Students can get discounted monthly tickets for the ATC services. A urban railway system is also available.
Bicycles are traditionally the most popular means of transport in Bologna, given the fl at nature of the city landscape. Finally don't forget that Bologna is rightly famous for being a "human size" city where almost every place you need to reach is within a walking distance (especially in the center). So if you like walking around the mysterious medieval beauty of this historical city and its 35 Km of "portici" are waiting for you.
The Faculty of Engineering is situated in Bologna in Via Risorgimento 2, in the Saragozza district.
If you are coming by car, exit the ring-road at exit no. 5 and follow the directions for the city centre; once you have reached the inner urban ring-road, head for Porta Saragozza.
If you are coming by train, take bus no. 33 (circular route) from the railway station and alight at the bus top "Liceo Righi"; if you are starting from the city centre, catch bus no. 20 to get to the Faculty building. Whichever bus you take, the journey lasts about 15 minutes.
The Student Registry Office is situated Via Saragozza no. 10, not far from the main Faculty building.
For further information on the bus schedules and routes in Bologna, please see the website of the public bus company in Bologna (ATC: Azienda Trasporti Comunali)
Thanks to its 23 faculties, 68 departments and more than 100,000 students enrolled, the University of Bologna is one of the biggest higher educational institutions in Italy.
The University of Bologna (UNIBO) holds partnership agreements with 476 foreign Universities, considering only the Socrates-Erasmus exchange program. Our University can count on an almost thousand-year history of academic activity and student life, the longest in the Western world.
As a matter of fact, the University of Bologna is the first University in the whole of the Western World. Its history as one of leading academic institutions in Sciences and Humanities makes it fundamental point of reference within the scenario of European culture.
Information can also be founded at the UNIBO website (www.unibo.it)
Do bear in mind that there is no set date for the start and the end of all the courses at the University of Bologna, even though we can say that the teaching period starts in October and ends in July (including exam sessions).
Each course has a different starting and ending date at the University of Bologna, depending on the faculty/degree course schedule or on the availability of classrooms and lecturers.
It is therefore up to the student to check the course schedules and to make sure that they start and end (including the exams) before the end on his/her stay here in Bologna as an exchange student. Attendance at the courses is not compulsory but is strongly encouraged. All the courses at the University of Bologna are held in Italian. There are a few exceptions, though (apart from some language and foreign literature courses) but usually they involve seminars, summer schools or specific section within a course.
At the end of each course most exchange students must take exams in order to get their credits and marks. To be included in an exam session you normally have to enrol for that specific session. Enrolment rules vary from course to course and are generally communicated to students by the course teaching staff.
Exams at the University of Bologna are held in various forms: written class tests, oral examinations, or a blend of the two. At the end of the examination the lecturer writes down your grade on the "libretto" (personal exam booklet). Marks awarded at Italian universities are on a scale from eighteen to thirty scale (thirty being the highest vote / eighteen the lowest). If your mark is not over eighteen then your exam performance is considered unsatisfactory so no grade written on your "libretto". A certain number of credits are awarded for each examination. Each credit corresponds to 25 hours of work by the student, taking account of all the types of activity required (lessons, seminars, individual or group study, etc.) and there is a requirement that at least 50% of the total amount of work should be individual study or training. Credits (180 for the three year degree, 300 for the specialised five year degree) are awarded not only for examinations but also for work placements, laboratory work and other activities. The number of credits you have gained with each examination will be written in your libretto, too.
At the end of your study period, before leaving Bologna, you must go back to The International Relations and Socrates Office to return your student's record book together with a copy of your transcript of records issued by you tutor/exchange programme coordinator in Bologna and describing your activities in Bologna (examinations, seminars, project work etc). Failure to do so might cause problems with the recognition of your activity here in Bologna. For any enquiry about this subject please contact the International Relations Office.
Services to welcome and host third country students and scholars at
Alma Mater Studiorum Università di BolognaThe third countries students and scholars, as well as the European students participating to the master course, will be granted with the same arrangements and facilities that the University of Bologna offers to the students coming to Bologna in the framework of other exchange programmes.
Registration and first advise: At their arrival, third countries students will be registered at the international Relations Department and they will receive a first support for the registration at the police office. They will also receive a guide to the University's resources, a student card that give them access to the facilities and an e-mail account and username and password in order to have access to the Internet point. With the student card they will have free admission to libraries, Internet point and laboratories, as well as special price at university food services (dining halls and local agreements with restaurants and bars).
Lodging: The International housing services provides the students with information on the local offer of accommodations in Bologna (houses, rooms and residence halls), and support them in their research of an accommodation.
Languages: The Inter-faculty Centre for Applied and Theoretical Linguistics - (CILTA) and the Language Centre of the Teaching-Scientific Campuses in Romagna (CLIRO) organise free intensive Italian courses for foreign students taking part in inter-university exchange .
The students of the master course will also have the opportunity to follow self-study language programmes with the assistance of a tutor, on their own and free of charge. This training paths are offered by the ALTAIR Language Service.
The online Application
Applicants must make it sure that their home University has forwarded their personal details to the University of Bologna. This is an absolutely necessary step to begin the online application procedure.
Accomodation
The University of Bologna helps exchange students to find suitable accommodation. In Bologna: The SAIS service (Student Accommodation and Information Service) supplies information to international students for a wide range of solutions for accommodation both in student halls of residence or on the private property market.
To be included in the S.A.I.S. database and in order to take advantage of its services you will have to fill an submit an online accommodation inquiry form that you can find on the S.A.I.S. homepage. Please take this step after you have completed your on line registration at the University of Bologna because you will be asked to enter your University of Bologna registration number to complete the form. The accommodation inquiry form just be completed and submitted at least a month before the arrival date.
Accommodation inquiry form: to be filled in and forwarded at least a month before the departure. Socrates Offices for each Faculty: download list of all Socrates/Erasmus offices.
Other online resources:
Italian Language Courses
Each academic year, the University of Bologna holds courses of Italian language for international students. Courses are free and are repeated twice a year, on September (for the first semester) and on February (second semester). Each course has a duration of 5 weeks (50 hours); each student can only participate into one course.
Foreign citizens enrolled at the University can also avail of free self-learning courses in Italian for foreigners, organised by the CILTA with the ALTAIR Project.
Residence permit
Residence permits are released by the Questura (Police headquarters) of the relevant Province (Bologna, Cesena/Forlì, Ravenna, Rimini).
EU students If you are a citizen of an EU country, you have to ask for the stay card ('carta di soggiorno').
If you need a residence permit, after having enrolled to the University, you have to turn to the local Questura with the following documentation:
EU students staying in Bologna may request the residence permit at the URP (Public Relations Office) of the Questura, located in Piazza Galilei 7, Bologna (Mon to Fri: 8,30 to 13.30; Tue and Thu: 15,00 to 17,00).
EU students staying in Cesena/Forlì, Ravenna and Rimini may apply to the Immigration Office of the relevant Questura.
Non-EU students If you are not a citizen of an EU country, you are required to apply for a residence permit before 8 working days since your arrival in Italy.
After enrolling at the University of Bologna, you have to turn to the local Questura with the following documentation:
- a residence declaration (recommended) released by your house owner/landlord in Bologna.
Before applying to the Immigration Office of the Questura (Via Agresti, 7), non-EU students staying in Bologna must fix an appointment by calling the number 051-6401780 (Mon, Wed and Fri: 13,30 to 18,30; Sat. 8.30 to 13.30x). Non-EU students staying in Cesena/Forlì, Ravenna and Rimini have to turn to the Immigration Office of the relevant Questura, and follow the instructions.
In Italy, the national healthcare system is provided by a public healthcare service (ASL). Only foreign citizens with a valid stay card or residence permit may apply for the service.
EU students are required to have the E111 or E128 forms to benefit from a health service cover, while non-EU students must show evidence of a certified health insurance cover (it is recommended to have a copy certified by the Italian Consulate or Embassy).
To register to the ASL, students must turn to the ASL district registry office of the district where they live. To know what is the nearest office, you can ask to the URPs - Public Relations Offices, or calling the free number 800 663366 (for calls in English, please call Mon to Fri from 14,30 to 16,30; Wed, Thu and Sat from 9,00 to 12,30). For further information, please check the 'Sportello Unico Distrettuale'.
The registration provides for the assignment of a healthcare card and the selection of a general doctor. Medical examinations are free and are carried out at the doctor's studio (only for severe health conditions are visits at the patient's home). Specialistic examinations must be requested and booked through the CUP service (the Unified Booking Centre - Free Toll Number 8488 84888), or at the major city chemist's shops/pharmacies. All examinations require the payment of "ticket", equivalent to a portion of the total cost.
Emergency situations
To call for an ambulance, dial the number 118 in your telephone. In case of emergency you can turn to the Hospital first aid station, available 24 hours a day. The service is generally free and open to everybody. The night doctor service (tel. 848 832832/831831) is active during the night hours and on bank holidays and on Sunday (when the general doctor is not available).
Upon your arrival in Bologna, you should come to the International Relations Office, where you will be given documents certifying your registration with the University of Bologna.
International Relations Office
Address: via Zamboni, 33, 40126 - BolognaAfter registering at the University's International Relations Office and obtaining a residence permit, students are free to enjoy the full potential of their university life by attending courses and also by making use of the various university facilities available, such as canteens, libraries, the University of Bologna Sports Centre (CUSB), and the student music association, 'Collegium Musicum'.