Programme Objectives and General Information

The Foundation Year programme (FY) is a one-year pre-university curriculum aimed at international students who wish to study in Italy.

Its aim is to:

> fill in any educational gaps in the fundamental subjects assessed in the admission tests to the 6-year Masters Degree Programme in Medicine and Surgery and to the 3-year Bachelors Degree Course in Biomedical Engineering.

> improve the Italian/English language skills for academic purposes.

Where and WhenFrom 2nd October 2023 to 31st May 2024 at UCBM
Course LanguageEnglish/Italian
Available places15 places for Medicine and Surgery5 places for Biomedical Engineering
Remaining vacancies available for the second session5 places for Medicine and Surgery4 places for Biomedical Engineering
EnrolmentFirst Call for Admission: from 3rd February 2023 to 19th April 2023 by 1 P.M. (CEST)

Second Call for Admission: from 22nd May 2023 to 22nd June 2023 by 1 P.M. (CEST)

Recipients

  • Non-EU students who wish to enroll in Italian Universities
  • Non-EU students who have failed to pass the admission tests and wish to try again in the following year, specifically working on their knowledge gaps, improving their chances of passing the admission test.

Potential Candidates

  • Non-EU citizens not residing in Italy who have obtained or will obtain in the academic year 2022/2023 the High School Diploma or another qualification valid for entry to University in their country of origin, with at least 11 years of schooling.
  • Eligible candidates must have an upper-intermediate level of English (B2).

Other Activities

In order to enable students to further develop their academic skills, UCBM provides the following services:

  • Logistical support with regard to accommodation and visa procedures;
  • Counselling services with a personal tutor;
  • Academic and language tutoring (support is given in English and Italian);
  • Peer-to-peer meetings;
  • Intensive Italian language course (3 weeks, 60 hours);
  • Standard Italian language course for the duration of the Foundation Year.

Teaching Methods and Academic Calendar

The academic calendar is organised on a weekly basis from Mondays to Saturdays from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Every week there are between 20 and 25 hours of teaching activities scheduled, including frontal lectures and online learning, problem-based learning (PBL) and collaborative learning. Attendance is compulsory for at least 75% per subject.

Students enrolled in the Foundation Programme will have free access to the University's libraries and study areas.

Students enrolled in the Foundation Programme will study the following subjects: Italian, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Logic (600 hours).

Learning Assessment

Learning assessment is evaluated through in-itinere tests and final examinations. These tests may be carried out in written and/or oral form.

Final Assessment

In order to obtain the final qualification of the programme, students must achieve:

  • at least 75% of attendance in each single course;
  • a positive assessment in each single course.

Enrollment at UCBM

Students of the Foundation Year who pass the final assessment and who are interested in UCBM Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Programmes may apply to the calls for admission published annually on the university website. Exclusively for the Degrees taught in English, these candidates are exempt from the Italian Language test (B1 level CEFR).

Submission of Applications

Candidates who intend to pursue the preparatory training course are required to submit the application form exclusively online by clicking on the appropriate button on the admission website.

The registration to the procedure requires:

  1. registration on the registration portal and creation of credentials (username and password);
  2. confirmation of registration (step 1) through the link that the candidate receives by email;
  3. access to the portal with candidate’s credentials and filling in the application form;
  4. submission of the application using the "submit" button.
  • from 3rd February 2023 to 19th April 2023 by 1 P.M. (CEST) for the first call 
  • from 22nd May 2023 to 22nd June 2023 by 1 P.M. (CEST) for the second call (to be confirmed in case of remaining vacancies)

The following documents must be attached to the application:

  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Motivation letter
  • Copy of passport
  • Other school/academic certificates

 The secondary-school diploma and the Declaration of Value can be submitted at a later stage.

Admission

Admission to the Foundation Year is based on the merit ranking defined according to the school grades achieved by each candidate and calculated as specified below:

  • School grades (up to 10 points);
  • Online interview based on what stated in the application and verification of knowledge of the English Language (up to 30 points).

The merit ranking shall be published by 5th May 2023 for the first session and by 7th July 2023 for the second session (if applicable).

For the enrolment procedure please see the Foundation Year Programme Call For Admission 2023/2024.

Tuition Fee

The total cost of the Foundation Year programme is € 6,000.00 (six thousand/00), divided into two instalments:

  • € 3,000.00 (three thousand/00) at the time of enrolment;
  • € 3,000.00 (three thousand/00) by 15th December 2023.