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An International UniversitySystem Map
Visual map of the Italian Higher Education System: pre-university preparation, three degree cycles, single-cycle integrated programs and post-degree specialising masters.
Source: structure adapted from the Italian Higher Education System under the Bologna Process (3 + 2 + 3 cycles), with single-cycle integrated programs in selected disciplines and one- or two-year specialising masters as post-degree options.
Undergraduate Programs
First-cycle degrees side by side. Total credits differ in number but the degrees are recognised as internationally equivalent — Italian students complete an additional year of high school commonly recognised as equivalent to the first year of U.S. university general education.
| Italian university system | U.S. university system | |
|---|---|---|
| Official denomination | Laurea Triennale (Three-Year Bachelor's Degree) | Bachelor's Degree |
| Duration | 3 years | 4 years |
| Credits | 180 Italian/European credits (90 US credits) | 120 US credits |
| Progression | Eligibility to MA programs | Eligibility to MA programs |
Some degree programs follow an integrated Bachelor's + Master's structure totalling five or six years (medicine, architecture, engineering). These are single-cycle degrees and cannot be split into separate Bachelor's and Master's qualifications.
The two degrees are considered internationally equivalent: Italian students complete an additional year of high school commonly recognised as equivalent to the first year of U.S. university general education.
Postgraduate Programs
The Italian system distinguishes three Master's routes. The Laurea Magistrale is the academically oriented two-year route; the First-Level Master's is one-year, applied and professional; the Second-Level Master's is open only to those who have already completed one of the previous degrees and combines advanced academic study with professional training, often in a pre-doctoral context.
| Italian university system | U.S. university system | |
|---|---|---|
| Official denomination | Laurea Magistrale (Full Master) Master's Degree (I level) Master's Degree (II level) | Master's Degree |
| Duration | Laurea Magistrale — 2 years Master's I level — 1 year Master's II level — 2 years | 1 or 2 years |
| Credits | Laurea Magistrale — 120 ECTS Master's I level — 60 ECTS Master's II level — 60–120 ECTS | 30 to 60 US credits |
| Progression | Eligibility to PhD programs | Eligibility to PhD programs |
Single-cycle integrated programs (medicine, architecture, engineering) total five or six years and cannot be divided into separate Bachelor's and Master's qualifications. The full program must be completed to be awarded the final degree.
Doctoral Programs
Italian doctoral programs are project-based and do not bear academic credits in the ECTS sense. Minor taught components support a thesis-based research project.
| Italian university system | U.S. university system | |
|---|---|---|
| Official denomination | Dottorato di Ricerca | Doctorate / Philosophy Doctor |
| Duration | 3 years | 3 to 8 years |
| Credits | This program does not bear academic credits and is project-based — with minor taught components and a thesis-based project. | 48 to 120 US credits |
| Progression | Eligibility to post-Doc programs | Eligibility to post-Doc programs |
The Italian Grading and Credit System
In the Italian higher education system, exams recorded in a student's official transcript are graded on a 30-point scale, ranging from 18/30 (minimum pass) to 30/30 (highest mark). Outstanding performance may be awarded 30/30 e lode (distinction). Exams graded below 18/30 are considered not passed and are therefore not recorded on the official academic transcript.
Indicative conversion of Italian grades to percentage and U.S. letter grades, as applied by Unicollege.
| Italian grade | <18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22–23 | 24 | 25–26 | 27–28 | 29–30 | 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | <60 | 60–62 | 63–66 | 67–69 | 70–74 | 75–79 | 80–84 | 85–91 | 92–98 | 99–100 | 100+ |
| US letter conversion | E | D | C− | C | C+ | B− | B | B+ | A− | A | A+ |
The final degree grade (graduation mark) is awarded on a 110-point scale, with scores ranging from 66/110 (minimum pass) to 110/110 (highest mark). Exceptional academic achievement may be recognised with 110/110 e lode (distinction).
Credits and Workload
The Italian/European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) quantifies the total academic workload required to complete a course or program — lectures, seminars, practical activities, fieldwork, individual study and assessment. Degree programs are typically structured around 60 Italian/European credits per academic year (30 U.S. credit equivalent).
1 ECTS
One Italian/European credit equals approximately 25 hours of total student workload across all course activities.
1 ECTS
One Italian/European credit equals 0.5 U.S. semester credits, applied systematically to Unicollege transcripts.
Annual workload
A full academic year corresponds to 60 Italian/European credits, equal to 30 U.S. credit equivalents.
At Unicollege, courses typically have a contact duration of 36 hours. Instructional time is calculated using full 60-minute hours. When expressed in academic-hour format (where 1 academic hour = 50 minutes), this corresponds to approximately 43.5 academic hours.
Based on contact hours and total workload, each individual Unicollege course is fully aligned with a standard U.S. university course, corresponding to:
This structure ensures full compatibility between Unicollege courses and standard undergraduate or graduate courses offered by accredited U.S. universities, supporting credit recognition and transfer within U.S. academic frameworks.