Academic Calendar

Departments at the University of Siena have adopted a semester system.

The academic year is divided in two terms: from October to January, and from March to May. At the end of each term a period of examination is scheduled.

However each department has its own academic calendar.

Indicative academic calendar

• Fall term (1st semester)

Lecture period: October 1st to January 20th
Examination period: January 20th – February 28th

• Spring term (2nd semester)

Lecture period: March 1st to June 1st
Examination period: June 1st – July 31st

Classes stop for holidays at Christmas and Easter, as well as in summer (from the end of July until the start of the next academic year).

Tuition Fees

Determination of the contribution amounts

The contribution amount due from each student enrolled in degree courses, master’s degree courses or single cycle master’s degree courses offered by the University of Siena is defined on the basis of the following elements:

• category the degree course belongs to
• economic status of the student’s immediate family, as this is expressed by the equivalent economic situation indicator (ISEE) for the year immediately preceding the year of enrolment
• enrolment year
• University credits earned (ECTS credits) in the twelve months prior to 10 August

The study course fall under one of the three categories below:

• humanities-social studies (US)
• technical-scientific (TS)
• EU regulated healthcare (EU)

Note: For students who are citizens of non-EU member countries and who are not residents of Italy and for students to whom ISEE calculation is not applicable to their immediate family, an adjustment coefficient depending on the country of origin may be applied.

Entry Requirements

International students can apply to Italian Universities only if they have an educational qualification that allows them to enroll. This qualification of secondary education has to be awarded after a study period of at least 12 years. If the educational qualification has been awarded in less than 12 years, it has to be accompanied by the academic certification of the examinations taken or a post-secondary title to compensate for any missing years of secondary education.

For this purpose the University of Siena, in collaboration with the University for Foreigners of Siena, has established a Foundation Year, to fill a possible gap between the different schooling systems.

A Foundation Year acts as a bridge between your current qualifications and 1^st level Italian University courses (Bachelor) entry requirements or as a means to fill a gap in the educational background of an international student coming from a country where the higher education system require a shorter period of education than what provided by the «Bologna Process» implemented in the European Union.

Moreover, the FY program provides the students with adequate preparation in the comprehension of Italian language and offer a deep academic preparation for entry into an Italian University. In particular, thanks to this program, international students will have the opportunity to improve their written and spoken Italian language, their communicative skills, and they will be able to familiarize with the Italian and European Union’s criteria of academic teaching and learning.

You can apply:

• If you are an international student and have completed less than 12 years of education
• If you are an international student in need of additional Italian language and academic preparation for entry into year 1 of an Italian Bachelor’s Degree Programme
• If you possess an American high school qualification which does not include any Advanced Placements (APs) required for enrolment according to current legislation;

The Foundation course is carried out in collaboration with the Università per Stranieri di Siena and can prepare you for a variety of subjects for a total of 60 ECTS credits.

Basic Language requirements

Student can join the FY program offered in Siena with at least a B1- level (CEFR) incoming competence in Italian.  At the end of the FY an outgoing B2-Level (CEFR) competence will be assured. This corresponds to the level required by the Italian universities for the admission in a degree course.

Fees:

A study fee FY program of 4700 € is required for each student.

Study Options:

• Economics
• Science and Technology

To apply to a Laurea (equivalent to Bachelor’s degree) program, you must hold a secondary school qualification released after a minimum of 12 years of schooling (overall).

It verifies the validity of it and can allow access to first cycle programs if:

• It is the official final secondary school leaving certificate/the first and second cycle university qualifications from the relevant foreign system;
• qualification that allows entry to comparable first cycle program (ex. academic) in the relevant foreign system; qualification that allows entry to comparable second or third cycle program in the relevant foreign higher education system;
• qualification obtained after an itinerary of at least 12 years of schooling;

International students wishing to apply for a Laurea Magistrale (Master’s Degree) must possess a degree or a university three-year diploma, or another study qualification from overseas, recognized as suitable, and with specific curricular requisites and adequate personal preparation, verified with the modes set out in the learning regulations for each master’s degree course, that also state the specific access criteria.

Please note that some programmes may have a restricted access and the application could be subject to admission tests.

International students wishing to enroll at a first cycle (bachelor – laurea triennale) degree programme taught in Italian or English or to the non-restricted access single cycle degree in Giurisprudenza at the University of Siena, can submit their documents in order to receive a letter of acceptance through the online platform within the deadline set by the University for each academic year.

The applications on the online platform for the assessment of entry qualifications of international students wishing to enroll on a first (undergraduate) or second (master’s) cycle degree programme taught in Italian or English at the University of Siena will have different time frames according to the different courses.