How can I prove my English language knowledge to enter the Foundation Course Program?
Do marks of secondary school qualification count in the evaluation procedure?
There is not a minimum grade to apply for our program. However, the evaluation commission can decide not to admit a candidate if their marks are too low.
Once enrolled, can I change from one Foundation Course option to another (for ex. from Humanities to Science)? If yes, until when?
Yes, you can do that at the most by the first two weeks from the beginning of the classes.
Can I apply to any Bachelor’s or Integrated Master’s Degree at the University of Pisa after the successful completion of the Foundation Course? What about the Italian language requirements?
Both the successful completion of the Foundation Course Humanities and Science gives students the chance to apply for any Bachelor’s or Integrated Master’s Degree at the University of Pisa.
About the Italian language requirements to enroll at the University of Pisa, the B1 level is required for Bachelor’s Degrees in English (IPH, Management for Business and Economics), while the B2 level or passing two universities exams taught in Italian are the requirements for the degrees in Italian.
The deadlines to obtain the language levels are the following:
- B1 and Foundation Course Diploma by December 31st of the academic year of enrollment in the Foundation Course
- B2 or two university exams held in Italian by September 30th of the academic year of enrollment in a Bachelor’s or Integrated Master’s Degree.
Students who have obtained the FC Diploma with a B1 level by the 31st of December are allowed to enroll to a Bachelor’s Degree in Italian “under condition” and they must reach the B2 level or pass two exams held in Italian of their chosen degree by September 30th of the subsequent year. If they do not reach the mentioned requirements by the deadline they are not allowed to continue to study at the University of Pisa.
If a student does not obtain the Foundation Course Diploma they are not allowed in any case (except if they already have the minimum schooling requirements to apply for an Italian university) to enroll (nor even under condition) at the University of Pisa.
Italian language proofs accepted after the end of the Foundation Course program:
Italian language test at CLI (University of Pisa linguistic center)
CLIQ certificate: https://www.linguaitaliana.esteri.it/lingua/corsi/certificazioni/ricerca.do
Does the Foundation Course exempt me from taking the entry/evaluation tests to enter some Bachelor’s or Integrated Master’s Degree Programs?
No, it does not. Having obtained a Foundation Course Diploma does not exempt you from taking the entry or the evaluation tests expected for some Bachelor’s or Integrated Master’s degree programs. You can find additional info here: https://matricolandosi.unipi.it/?lang=en
What if after the Foundation Course I want to apply to another Italian (or foreign) University which is not the University of Pisa?
If you want to apply to another University you should ask them in advance what are the academic requirements for the enrollment, apart from having a High School Diploma/Secondary School Leaving Qualification and the Foundation Course Certificate (Humanities/Science).
The Foundation Course is recognized by the Italian government as a way to fill the gap between the secondary school and the University, but each University holds a certain degree of autonomy regarding the admission of its students, so please contact the Universities of your interest interest in advance and ask them whether or not they will accept you with your Secondary School Leaving Qualification plus a Foundation Course certificate.
Does the Foundation Course prepare students for the IMAT test?
Yes, the Foundation Course Science includes 40 hours of lessons completely focused on the IMAT test preparation.
Subjects included are Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Logic and Reasoning
How can I improve Italian and make new friends outside of the university?
You have many different ways to improve your language skills and to make new friends.
First of all, about the language make an effort to speak Italian instead of English and hang out as much as you can with Italian people. Moreover, watch movies with Italian subtitles and read whatever you can in Italian (books, newspapers, essays and so on).
Secondly, there are several university associations that enable international students meeting Italian (and other international) students, such as AEGEE (https://www.aegeepisa.it/), ESN (http://www.esnpisa.it/) and, for those of you who like sports, the group Meet up, Keep fit and Make friends (https://www.facebook.com/meetupkeepfitmakefriends/). Contact them and enjoy your experience in Pisa!