Discovering Ca' Foscari
as an international student
The International Office's Outreach and Recruitment Unit team helps international students to explore if Ca' Foscari could be the right place to carry out a bachelor’s or master’s degree or attend the preparatory Foundation Year programme.
If you are one of these students, here below is a wide range of events, tools and materials that will familiarise you with the university and its student experience.
Why Ca' Foscari
To explain why 1,500 new international students from around the world just like you choose to come to our university each year, we put together a list of the top ten reasons to choose Ca’ Foscari.
Where we are located is, of course, one of these, since Venice is such a unique – and uniquely stimulating – place to learn.
Our study offer – which spans a wide range of fields and includes dozens of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees taught in English – is likely going to be what matters to you the most. But we also know that the cost of a university education is a common concern, so it helps that the heavily subsidised tuition fees of most of our bachelor's and master's degree programmes are usually less than 2,550 euros a year. We have also earmarked funds for financial aid for high-achieving international students.
Events
International Open Days
Every February we hold our International Open Days, a series of online live webinars presenting our English-taught bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as our Foundation Year. This event gives you the chance to meet professors, students and staff, giving you a clearer sense of the academic experience at Ca’ Foscari. The event is also popular because it introduces you to our university services and opportunities.
International university fairs
When possible, we try to speak directly with prospective students by participating in international university fairs organised around the globe. If you would appreciate meeting a member of our staff or one of our international representatives, we would be pleased to do so, either face to face at an in-person fair or remotely during at online event. Check the lists below to see if we will be participating in an international university fair dedicated to students in your part of the world.
University fairs – Autumn 2024
| Country | City | Start date | In-person or virtual event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Rio de Janeiro | 26-30/08/2024 | Virtual |
| Turkey | 27/08/2024 | Virtual | |
| Uruguay | Montevideo | 30/08/2024 | Virtual |
| Brazil | Sao Paolo | 31/08/2024 | In-person |
| Brazil | 11/09/2024 | Virtual | |
| Italy | Rome | 19-20/09/2024 | In-person |
| Latin America and Mexico | 25/09/2024 | Virtual | |
| Serbia, Bosnia-Erzegovina, Montenegro | 27/09/2024 | Virtual | |
| Serbia | Belgrado | 28/09/2024 | In-person |
| Romania | Bucharest | 05-6/10/2024 | In-person |
| Ecuador | Guayaquil | 08/10/2024 | Virtual |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | 12/10/2024 | In-person |
| Hungary | Budapest | 18-19/10/2024 | In-person |
| Colombia | Medellín, Cali, Bogotá | 22-26/10/2024 | In-person |
| Russia | 26/10/2024 | Virtual | |
| China | Chengdu | 29/10/2024 | In-person |
| Turkey | 13/11/2024 | Virtual | |
| Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia | 14/11/2024 | Virtual | |
| Italy | Milan | 18-19/11/2024 | In-person |
| Italy | Bologna | 20/11/2024 | In-person |
| Mongolia | Ulanbataar | 23/11/2024 | Virtual |
| Turkey | Istanbul | 30/11/2024 | In-person |
| France | Parigi | 30/11/2024 | In-person |
| Turkey | Izmir | 02/12/2024 | In-person |
University fairs – Spring 2024
| Country | City | Date(s) | In-person or virtual event |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Paris | 3/02/2024 | In-person |
| Serbia | Belgrade | 3/02/2024 | In-person |
| Macedonia | Skopje | 4/02/2024 | In-person |
| Greece | Athens | 27/02/2024 | In-person |
| Croatia | Zagreb | 9/03/2024 | In-person |
| Romania | Bucharest | 16-17/03/2024 | In-person |
For details about one or more of these events, please write to us at prospective.students@unive.it.
Student voices
Understandably, the people prospective students often want to talk with or hear from most are current students. If that sounds like you, then there are a couple of ways of getting their perspective:
- follow our student-run Instagram account @studentlifeinvenice
- book yourself a one-on-one Zoom call with a current International Office student collaborator
- arrange an in-person visit to our campus with a current student by writing to us at prospective.students@unive.it
- explore student life as recounted in some visual maps of individual students' experiences
International representatives
Being a university that prioritises internationalisation, we have developed a rich network of representatives in countries around the globe. If you are in China, Russia or Azerbaijan, you can contact our own Ca’ Foscari staff at one of our international offices in:
In addition, we have partnered with university representatives in over 50 countries around the globe who are capable of helping you get to know our university in your own language and, eventually, assisting you with the application process.
If the map above indicates the presence of a representative in your country or region and you would like to speak with them, please write to us at prospective.students@unive.it.
Online resources
Here is a collection of digital resources that are available around the clock to help you learn more about Ca’ Foscari:
- institutional newsletter, available also in Italian, Chinese, Spanish, Russian
- online application platform for international students
Italian university system and Ca' Foscari's study offer
The Italian university system is structured according to the guidelines of the European Higher Education Area. As a result, it comprises three phases, or cycles, of study. The first involves the completion of a bachelor’s degree; the second involves the completion of either a master’s degree programme or a professional master's programme; and the third involves completing a research-based doctoral degree programme.
Bachelor’s degree programme [in Italian: Laurea triennale]
This degree involves three years of full-time study and leads to a basic degree. It involves the acquisition of 180 university credits (also known in the European system as European Transfer Credit System credits) and the final title of 'Dottore'.
Master’s degree programme [in Italian: Laurea magistrale]
This degree requires the possession of a bachelor's degree and consists of two years of more specialised study, leading to the acquisition of a postgraduate degree. This kind of qualification provides students with an additional 120 ECTS credits. At the end of their university career, graduates will thus have obtained 300 university credits (180 + 120) and the title of 'Dottore Magistrale'.
Professional master's programmes [in Italian: Master universitari di I o II livello]
Students wishing to deepen their knowledge of specific subjects can enrol a professional master's programme, which can be a first-level or second-level programme. These programmes usually involve one year of full-time study but do not correspond to the English meaning of ‘master's degrees’ because they are of a different nature, providing students with professional knowledge and expertise of a technical-operational or planning nature. As a result, they are often designed for professionals wishing to enhance their skills or retrain. To access a first-level programme, students must have a bachelor's degree; to access a second-level programme, students need a master's degree.
Doctoral degree programme or PhD [in Italian: Dottorato di ricerca]
These programmes last three or four years. Doctoral applicants must possess a second-cycle or postgraduate qualification to be considered for admission.
For each learning activity, students gain a certain number of university credits known as CFU (in Italian: crediti formativi universitari [CFU]) and a qualitative evaluation in the form of a grade.
Ca' Foscari University complies with the European Credit Transfer System, so 1 CFU = 1 ECTS credit. In addition, it employs an ECTS mark conversion scale based on a statistical distribution mechanism of marks for any single educational area. One CFU is perceived as consisting of 25 hours of coursework and independent study, and one full academic year involves the completion of 60 CFU.
The evaluation of coursework usually takes the form of an exam, which can be oral, written or both, although other forms of evaluation do exist. Exams are graded on a 30-point scale. The minimum passing mark is 18/30, while the best grade possible is 30/30 with honours.
Ca' Foscari's study offer
Last update: 15/07/2024