What does "laurea" mean in the Italian university system?

Updated

In the Italian university system, laurea is the general term for a university degree, but in everyday academic usage it most often refers specifically to the first-cycle Bachelor's-level degree (the laurea triennale, normally three years). It sits below the laurea magistrale (Master's-level degree) and the dottorato (PhD). If you are reading an Italian university website, "laurea" in a menu usually means "degree programmes" as a whole, while "laurea magistrale" and "dottorato" point to higher levels.

The degree levels at a glance

Italian term English equivalent Typical length Notes
Laurea (laurea triennale) Bachelor's degree 3 years First cycle; 180 CFU
Laurea magistrale Master's degree 2 years Second cycle; 120 CFU; requires a laurea
Laurea magistrale a ciclo unico Single-cycle Master's 5–6 years One long programme, e.g. medicine, law, some engineering
Master / corsi di perfezionamento Postgraduate professional Master's / advanced courses Usually 1 year "Post laurea" level; not the same as a laurea magistrale
Dottorato PhD 3+ years Highest level; research-focused

How the Bologna system shapes this

Italian degrees follow the Bologna Process structure: three cycles (first, second, third), with workload measured in CFU (crediti formativi universitari). One CFU generally corresponds to 25 hours of student workload, so a standard three-year laurea carries 180 CFU and a two-year laurea magistrale carries 120 CFU. This is why the length and credit totals are predictable across Italian universities.

Terms international readers often confuse

  • "Post laurea" does not mean "after a Bachelor's only." It is an umbrella for anything beyond the first degree, including Master's programmes, advanced courses, and PhDs.
  • "Laurea magistrale" is a second-cycle degree, not a "Master" in the professional sense. The professional Master (often one year, post-laurea) is a separate category.
  • "Laurea magistrale a ciclo unico" is a single, unbroken programme rather than a Bachelor's plus a Master's. You do not get a separate first degree at the end of year three.
  • "Laurea" alone on a university menu can mean the whole family of degree programmes, so check the sub-items.

Finding programmes by level at the University of Verona

The University of Verona (univr.it) organizes its offerings under Degree Programmes, with separate entries for Bachelor's and Master's degrees, Postgraduate Professional Master's Programmes and other courses, and PhDs (Doctoral programmes). To navigate:

  1. Open the Degree Programmes section from the main navigation.
  2. Choose the level: Bachelor's and Master's degrees for laurea and laurea magistrale, or the PhD section for dottorato.
  3. Within a level, filter by department, school, or subject area to reach the individual programme page.
  4. On the programme page, check the duration and CFU to confirm whether it is a three-year laurea, a two-year laurea magistrale, or a single-cycle programme.

The same site also lists Departments and Schools and Libraries, which help you see where a programme is based. For prospective students, the "Vieni, scopri, vivi UniVerona" orientation area and events such as the Recruiting Day are entry points for exploring choices, though specific dates and formats should be checked on the site.

A practical example

Suppose you want to study a subject at Verona and are unsure whether to look under "laurea" or "laurea magistrale." If you have completed secondary school and are starting university, you want the laurea (three-year) listing. If you already hold a Bachelor's degree and want a two-year specialization, you want the laurea magistrale. If the programme is medicine or law, expect a laurea magistrale a ciclo unico with a longer duration. If you are looking for a one-year professional qualification after your degree, look under Master's and other courses, not under laurea magistrale.

Checking the CFU total and nominal duration on each programme page is the quickest way to confirm which level you are looking at.