FAQ - Degree-seeking students

Grades, study plans, Credits, Years

1st Cycle - Undergraduate Studies Laurea Triennale (Bachelor's Degree) - 180 credits, 3 years 
2nd Cycle - Graduate Studies Laurea Magistrale (Master’s Degree) – 120 credits, 2 years
2nd Cycle – Master Universitario di 1° livello (First-level Professional Master's Degree) - 60 credits, 1 year
3rd Cycle - Postgraduate Studies Dottorato di Ricerca(PhD/ Research Doctorate) – 3 years
3rd Cycle - Master Universitario di 2° livello (Second-level Master's Degree) – 60 credits, 1 year

Fall semester
Welcome day: late October
Beginning of term: mid-September/October
End of term: January
Exam period: February
Christmas break: 24th December - 6th January

Spring semester
Welcome day: mid-March
Beginning of term: March End of term: June
Exam period: June/July
Easter break: 14th April - 19th April

All activities end within July, 31st

In Italy a Tax Code (Codice Fiscale) is necessary to enter a rent agreement, open a bank account, and so on…
To obtain one, please refer to: Agenzia delle Entrate (VARESE – via Frattini, 1 -- COMO – viale Cavallotti, 6).

Residency/Stay permit

Within 8 working days from their arrival, non-EU citizens coming from non-EU countries who plan to stay in Italy longer than 3 months, must apply for a Residence/Stay permit in any Italian post office. Foreign students are usually requested to bring and show the following documents:

• Acceptance Letter issued by University of Insubria
• complete copy of the passport
• health insurance valid in Italy

Students can turn to:

• Patronato CGIL
  VARESE (via N. Bixio, 37) – COMO (via Italia libera, 23)
• Patronato ACLI
  VARESE (via S. della Chiesa, 9) – COMO (via G. Brambilla, 35)

Non-EU citizens students coming from non-EU countries need to apply for a VISA (for study reasons). It’s up to students to start the VISA application procedures for study reasons on time, thus meeting with the deadlines.

VISA must be requested:

• to the Italian Consulate and/or Embassy of the home Country BEFORE the departure
• for study reason and NOT for tourism reason (the tourist VISA is easier to obtain but has a limited time validity - usually 90 days - and upon expiration cannot be converted into a study VISA i.e. the student is obliged to return to his home Country)

After entering Italy foreign students are requested to apply for a stay permit within 8 days. To do so, fill in the “Stay permit kit” available at post offices and attach the following documents to your application:

• Acceptance Letter issued by University of Insubria
• complete copy of the passport
• health insurance valid in Italy

In order to get assistance for the stay permit application, students can turn to:

• Patronato CGIL
  VARESE (via N. Bixio, 37) – COMO (via Italia libera, 23)
• Patronato ACLI
  VARESE (via S. della Chiesa, 9) – COMO (via G. Brambilla, 35)

Local Tutors/Buddies, chosen among our students, might help foreign students with practical issues. Contact the ESN section and buddy system: insubria@esn.it

Students who want to sit an exam shall register 25 to 5 days before via the online procedure, using their credentials.

Italian grades go from a miminum of 18/30 (lowest passing grade) to a maximum of 30/30 (highest passing grade; a cum laude (30L/30) shows a special distintion.

The E-Learning platform is a 24/7 technological tool:

• that supports on-line teaching (didactic material, forums, tests)
• that allows closer teacher/student interactions

where students can also download documents for later offline consultation.

Free-movers enter the platform using their credentials (user id + password) that will show the courses they are enrolled in, directly in their booklet, as it is linked to their profile.

Important: do not forget to send the final/updated LA fully signed to relint@uninsubria.it so that the IRO office can list/update the subjects in your online booklet. Unless the online booklet is fully updated you will not be able to access the E-Learning classes/exams you need to take.

EU citizens and extra-EU citizens legally residing in a European country have full coverage of health costs as provided by their national health system, they are in fact followed by the national health service coverage of the home Country (we strongly suggest to double-check this information directly with the home institutions).

Extra-EU citizens who need to obtain a residence/stay permit shall demonstrate to possess a health insurance: they can either register with our public health service or choose a private insurance -valid in Italy- (for periods of less than one calendar year the former usually tends to be pricey while the latter turns out to be more convenient).

In case you are ill and you need medical care: please refer to the doctor on call (guardia medica) or to the ER.