Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore: Rankings, Courses, Admissions, Fees, and Scholarships

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore or Cattolica is the largest private university in Europe and the largest Catholic University in the world. It has Milan, Brescia, Cremona, Piacenza, and Rome campuses. Università Cattolica offers 43 programs, including 7 English-taught undergraduate, 19 English-taught postgraduate, and several short courses exclusively for international students.

Cattolica provides a remarkable range of innovative programs in the fields of Economics & Business, Accounting & Finance, Medicine, Agriculture, Psychology and Linguistics, as well as Philosophy and the Arts. In the renowned QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022, Cattolica ranks in the top 300 in the world for 16 disciplines. It is one of the top universities to study in Italy.

Why Study at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore?

• Offers various innovative programs in different disciplines
• Ranks in the top 300 in the world for 16 disciplines in the QS world ranking. It is one of the top universities to study medicine in Italy
• Provides excellent campus facilities and ensures that every international student has access to support information and mentorship
• Offers 40+ English-taught courses
• Ranks #2 in Itay for student-faculty ratio
• Presence of international students union and EDUCatt (Assistance and Financial aid Organization for the students of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) to provide assistance for international students
• Various events take place on all five campuses throughout the year
• Top #1 in Italy and #10 in Europe for employer-student connections
• Diverse international student population from 165 different countries
• 580 partner universities in 82 countries worldwide (29 double degree programs)

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore rankings

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is ranked:  

• #301-400 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2022).
• #511-520 in QS World University Rankings (2023).

Programs Offered at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Università Cattolica provide undergraduate, postgraduate, and short programs for international students.

Undergraduate Programs

Postgraduate Programs

Università Cattolica offers 2 different postgraduate programs- 2-year M.Sc. degrees and 1-year Specializing Masters.

• 2-year M.Sc. degree: This is an academic degree of 120 ECTS. Students of similar academic backgrounds only can apply for this degree. The course provides advanced academic knowledge in highly specialized areas. A final dissertation is required. The degree allows you to apply for a Ph.D. at an Italian or international university and internships or job opportunities.

The different 2-year M.Sc. degrees offered at Università Cattolica are:

• 1-year Specializing Masters: This is a professionalizing diploma of at least 60 ECTS. Students from different academic backgrounds can also apply. The program focuses on specific topics and provides practical skills, and does not require a final dissertation but requires you to do an internship or project work. The diploma does not give you direct access to a Ph.D. but leads to internships or job opportunities.

The different 2-year M.Sc. degrees offered at Università Cattolica are:

Campus and Accommodation: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Università Cattolica has five campuses in four cities namely Milan, Rome, Brescia, Piacenza, and Cremona. The campuses have state-of-the-art facilities, including libraries, restaurants, cafeterias, and health centers.

Accommodation:

• Milan Campus: Università Cattolica collaborates with a student housing company called MIL service to provide various housing solutions for students admitted to the university.
  • Bicocca Village Residence: One of the housing options provided by MIL service is this brand-new building completed in 2021, located close to the campus. Rooms are divided into mini-apartments with different compositions. The apartments have all amenities needed for comfortable living. It includes a laundry room (coin-operated), fitness center/gym, 24-hour security, wifi, kitchen, and linens.
  • MIL services also provide other apartment options for students.

• • Rome Campus: EDUCatt, the assistance, and financial aid organization for the students of the Università Cattolica offer housing solutions on and off-campus.

• On-campus dorms: It has shared or single rooms, a bathroom, shared living room space, and a kitchen on each floor. The classes and campus facilities are easily accessible to the students.

• • Off-campus dorms: EDUCatt also offers a variety of off-campus dorms close to the University. The list of dorms located off-campus is available on EDUCatt’s website.

• Brescia campus:  EDUcatt offers on and off-campus housing solutions for students.
• • Piacenza and Cremona campus: Students can make use of the residence halls, real estate agencies, or temporary lodging for accommodation.

• Residence Halls: 2 campus residence halls house up to 190 students. The halls have single rooms with private bathrooms. The residences provide study and music rooms, a vast canteen, a small gym, shared kitchens, a laundry, an Internet room, Wi-Fi connection.

Admission Requirements for International Students

With an acceptance rate of 66%, admissions at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore are mildly selective and based on prior educational performance.

Undergraduate Admissions

• Application: Online or through Gyanberry (Gyanberry) Application Services.
• Application fee: Depends on the program opted.
• General requirements:

• • Must have completed high school studies from a recognized university before August 2023.
  • Must have completed high school after a minimum of 12 years of schooling and achieved after at least 2 years of attendance within the same national education system.

• Entrance Exams:
  • The foundation Knowledge Assessment test (VPI) is a compulsory test for all students enrolled in the 1st year of any undergraduate program. The VPI test is required to assess the basic knowledge needed to attend the program selected by the student successfully.
  • A separate entrance exam would be conducted for students opting for the medical and surgery program. The test consists of 65 multiple-choice questions on biology, chemistry, physics, math, general knowledge, psycho-attitudinal subjects, and religious and ethical culture.

• Documents Required: 

• • Copy of passport (page with your data and photo)
  • Copy of official diploma and transcripts of your last two high school years
  • English language certificate (if applicable)
  • Updated CV
  • Motivation letter

Postgraduate admissions

• Application: Online or through Gyanberry (Gyanberry) Application Services.
• Application fee: Depends on the program opted.
• General requirements:

• • Must have completed three years of undergraduate degree before 31 July 2023.
  • Must have completed the undergraduate from an accredited or recognized university.

Note: For program-specific entry-level requirements, contact Gyanberry.

• Documents required:

• • Copy of passport (page with your data and photo)
  • Copy of official transcript of bachelor’s degree
  • Copy of official transcripts of your last two years of high school
  • Copy of high school transcript
  • Academic reference letter
  • Updated CV
  • Motivation letter
  • GRE or GMAT score (if applicable)
  • Official statement from the university indicating that English is the language of instruction
  • English language certificate (if applicable)

Tuition Fees and Cost of Attendance 

 Tuition fees for undergraduate courses per annum:

Tuition fees for postgraduate courses per year:

Living cost:

The average annual cost of attendance for an international student in Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore would be approximately 24,750 EUR 26,105 USD* or 95,886 AED for undergraduate studies. 

The annual cost of attendance for postgraduate studies adds up to 23,200 EUR or 24,470 USD* or 89,880 AED (converted at the rate of 1 USD = 3.67 AED. The exchange rate is subject to periodic change).

Scholarships for International Students

UCSC International Scholarship: It is an annual tuition fee reduction promoted by Università Cattolica to foster international students’ access to degree programs. The scholarship covers about 37% of the total cost. Applicants can request the scholarship while filling out the application for a course. Applicants are notified of the award by email when they receive an offer for admission. This scholarship is automatically extended from year to year for the standard duration of the degree program.

Additionally, other scholarships are also awarded to international students wanting to pursue medicine programs.

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is one of the top universities in Italy. They offer a wide variety of innovative programs in different disciplines. Cattolica provides excellent campus facilities and ensures that every international student can access support information and mentorship. Overall, Cattolica provides a comfortable and hassle-free environment for international students.

Career Prospect for International Students

The University allows students to acquire the needed knowledge and research experience to pursue further studies or work. Furthermore, students will be able to integrate their academic experience with professional skills of theoretical-practical relevance for building a professional career in significant branches such as hospitals, banks, governments, and international organizations such as IMF, World Bank, OECD, and ILO.

Additionally, the career opportunities after studying medicine in Italy are vast due to the education quality and recognition worldwide.

The following are some of the major degrees and the average pay in their field in Italy:

*Converted at the rate of 1 EUR = 1.05 USD. The exchange rate is subject to periodic change.

Working in Italy

EU citizens do not require a work permit or visa to work in Italy. For non-EU residents, one must have a job in Italy before applying for an Italian work visa. They’ll also need a work permit, which the employer must apply for using supporting documents from the employee.

In Italy, a work visa falls under the category of a Long-Stay visa, which may also be referred to as a National or D-Visa. It’s important to note that the Italian work visa only allows employees to enter the country. They’ll need to obtain a residence permit upon arrival to stay in Italy. An Italy work visa can be valid for up to two years depending on the employment contract and is renewable for up to five years.