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Corsi di studio is the Italian term for degree programmes — the full set of study courses a university offers at bachelor's, master's, postgraduate and doctoral level. At the University of Verona (Università degli Studi di Verona), you find them through the "Degree Programmes" section of the site, which splits into Bachelor's and Master's degrees, Postgraduate and Professional Master's programmes, and PhDs. Use this guide if you are comparing options at Verona or trying to understand how the Italian system is structured before applying.

What "corsi di studio" covers in the Italian system

The term groups several distinct levels, and each has a different entry requirement and purpose:

The University of Verona's own navigation reflects this split: it lists "Bachelor's and Master's degrees," "Postgraduate Professional Master's Programmes and other courses," and "PhDs — Doctoral programmes" as separate entry points. Treating them as one list is the most common source of confusion, because deadlines, fees and admission rules differ by level.

How to browse Verona's programme listings

1. Open the university site and go to the Degree Programmes area (the main navigation also labels it "Bachelor's and Master's degrees").
2. Choose the level you need — bachelor's, master's, postgraduate, or PhD.
3. Narrow by subject area or department; the site organizes academic offerings under Departments and Schools, so the same programme can be reached from either route.
4. Open the individual programme page to see its structure, admission requirements and language of instruction.

The site is available in both Italian (IT) and English (EN), and a search box with an advanced search option sits at the top of every page. If you already know the programme name, searching directly is faster than browsing.

What to check before committing to a programme

• Admission requirements. Some programmes are open-access, others are capped and require a test or a merit ranking. Confirm which applies to your specific course.
• Language of instruction. Verona teaches in Italian and, for some programmes, in English. Check the programme page rather than assuming.
• Deadlines and pre-enrolment. Application windows differ by level and by programme; the PhD and postgraduate tracks in particular run on separate competition timelines.
• Curriculum and structure. Look at the study plan to see whether the programme matches your background, especially for master's degrees that assume specific undergraduate credits.

Using orientation events to decide

Verona runs orientation activity alongside its programme listings. The homepage promotes "Vieni, scopri, vivi UniVerona" ("Come, discover, live UniVerona") as its choice-and-orientation message, and it advertises a Recruiting Day Verona Vicenza, whose autumn edition continues online from 27 October. Events like these let you speak to staff and current students before choosing — useful when two programmes look similar on paper but differ in workload or career outcomes.

For prospective students, the practical sequence is: identify the level you qualify for, browse that level's listing, shortlist two or three programmes, then verify admission rules and language on each programme page before attending an orientation event to confirm the choice.

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

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.

Post laurea refers to everything you study after earning a university degree in Italy. It is not a single qualification but an umbrella category covering professional master's programmes (master di primo and secondo livello), doctoral programmes (dottorato di ricerca), and other advanced or specialisation courses. The entry requirement is normally a laurea (bachelor's-level degree) or a laurea magistrale (master's-level degree), depending on the type of programme. Crucially, post laurea is not the same as a laurea magistrale: the laurea magistrale is a second-cycle degree, while post laurea study comes after a degree has already been awarded.

The main types of post laurea study

The key distinction within master's programmes is the level: "primo livello" builds on a first-cycle degree, while "secondo livello" builds on a second-cycle degree. A PhD sits at the top of the research track and generally expects a laurea magistrale before admission.

Post laurea vs. laurea magistrale

These are often confused because both involve study beyond a bachelor's-level degree, but they occupy different places in the system:

• Laurea magistrale is a degree programme in its own right — the Italian second cycle, roughly comparable to a master's degree in many other systems. You enrol in it as a student progressing through the standard degree structure.
• Post laurea is postgraduate study that follows the completion of a degree. The master di primo livello, for example, requires you to have already finished a laurea; the master di secondo livello requires a laurea magistrale.

In short: a laurea magistrale is something you do instead of stopping at a bachelor's-level degree; post laurea is something you do after obtaining a degree.

How to find post laurea programmes at the University of Verona

The University of Verona (univr.it) organises its offer under a Postgraduate section in the main navigation, alongside Degree Programmes and PhDs. The site separates:

• Professional Master's Programmes and other courses — the post-laurea master's and advanced courses;
• PhDs / Doctoral programmes — the research doctorates.

To use it, start from the university homepage, open the degree-programmes area, and choose the postgraduate or PhD path rather than the bachelor's and master's degrees path. From there you can browse the individual programmes and check each one's admission requirements, since the required prior degree differs between first-level master's, second-level master's, and doctoral programmes.

Practical points to check before applying

• Confirm the level. A master di primo livello needs a laurea; a master di secondo livello needs a laurea magistrale. Applying to the wrong level is a common stumbling block.
• Check the specific admission requirements on each programme page, because entry conditions can vary beyond the general level rule.
• Distinguish the qualification you want. If you are still choosing your first degree path, a laurea magistrale is the standard second-cycle route; post laurea study is the next step after that.
• Use the official programme listings rather than general descriptions, since course titles and structures are set by the university.

A laurea magistrale is a second-cycle university degree in Italy — the equivalent of a Master's degree in most international systems. It follows a first-cycle laurea (Bachelor's) and typically takes two years of full-time study, carrying 120 ECTS credits. It is distinct from a first-level or second-level professional Master's programme and from a PhD, and it is the standard qualification for continuing to doctoral study or entering regulated professions that require a Master's-level degree.

Where the laurea magistrale sits in the Italian framework

Italian university qualifications are organised in cycles under the Bologna structure. The main steps are:

The key point is that the laurea magistrale is a full degree, not a short postgraduate certificate. It sits one level above the laurea and one below the dottorato.

How it differs from other options

Versus the laurea (Bachelor's). The laurea is the first-cycle entry degree and normally lasts three years (180 ECTS). The laurea magistrale builds on it with two more years of advanced, more specialised study. You cannot normally enrol in a laurea magistrale without holding a laurea or an equivalent foreign qualification.

Versus a professional Master's programme. Italian universities also offer "Master's" programmes (often called master universitari), which are postgraduate but not part of the three-cycle degree structure. They are shorter, professionally oriented, and classified as first-level (open to laurea holders) or second-level (open to laurea magistrale holders). A laurea magistrale is a degree; a professional Master's is a specialised course.

Versus a PhD. The dottorato di ricerca is the third-cycle research qualification. A laurea magistrale is normally the prerequisite for applying to a PhD, not an alternative to it.

Duration, credits, and admission

• Duration: two years for most programmes, though some are structured differently; single-cycle degrees such as medicine or law follow a different path and are not laurea magistrale.
• Credits: 120 ECTS in total, including coursework, seminars, and a final thesis.
• Admission: requires a first-cycle degree (laurea or foreign equivalent). Many programmes also set specific curricular requirements — a minimum number of credits in certain subject areas — and may require an entrance test, an interview, or a language certificate. Admission is therefore programme-specific, not automatic with any Bachelor's degree.

Because requirements vary by programme, always check the individual programme's admission rules rather than assuming eligibility from the degree title alone.

Recognition compared with international Master's degrees

The laurea magistrale is designed to align with the Bologna second cycle, so it is generally comparable to a Master's degree awarded in other European countries. For formal recognition — for employment, further study, or regulated professions — the relevant mechanisms are the Diploma Supplement (issued with the degree) and, where needed, a recognition or equivalence procedure. Recognition decisions rest with the receiving institution or authority, so the comparison is a general framework rather than an automatic equivalence in every jurisdiction.

Where to find laurea magistrale programmes

Individual universities list their laurea magistrale offerings within their degree programme catalogues. At the University of Verona, for example, degree programmes are grouped under a "Degree Programmes" section that separates Bachelor's and Master's degrees from professional Master's programmes and PhDs — so a laurea magistrale appears under the Master's-level degree offerings, not under the postgraduate professional courses. To identify a specific programme, use the university's degree programme search and read the programme page for its duration, credits, curricular requirements, and admission procedure.

Practical checklist before applying

1. Confirm the programme is a laurea magistrale (second-cycle degree), not a professional Master's.
2. Check the curricular requirements — which Bachelor's credits you need and in what areas.
3. Verify any entrance test, interview, or language requirement and its deadline.
4. Note the ECTS structure and thesis requirement so you can plan the two years.
5. If you hold a foreign degree, ask the programme office how your qualification will be evaluated and whether a Diploma Supplement or declaration of comparability is needed.

Dottorati (singular: dottorato) are Italy's third-cycle university degrees — doctoral programmes that follow a laurea magistrale or an equivalent master's-level qualification and lead to the title of Dottore di Ricerca (Doctor of Philosophy, PhD). They are research degrees: the core of the programme is an original research project carried out under academic supervision and defended in a final thesis. At the University of Verona, doctoral programmes are grouped under dedicated PhD Schools, listed alongside departments, degree programmes and libraries in the university's main navigation.

Where dottorati sit in the Italian degree structure

Italian university education is organised in cycles, and the dottorato is the third:

The post laurea ("after the degree") phase therefore contains more than one route. Professional master's programmes and other advanced courses are coursework-based and typically shorter; the dottorato is the research-intensive route and is the standard qualification for academic careers and for research positions in public bodies, laboratories and industry R&D.

How a dottorato is structured

A dottorato is not a taught degree with exams as its centre of gravity. Its components usually include:

• A research project, defined with a supervisor (tutor) and approved by the doctoral school or programme board.
• Supervised research activity, often including periods abroad or in external institutions.
• Limited structured training — courses, seminars and methodological workshops — rather than a full timetable of lectures.
• Progress evaluations at the end of each year, which determine whether the candidate continues.
• A final thesis, examined by a committee, leading to the Dottore di Ricerca title.

Because the thesis is the output that matters, the fit between your interests and the research lines of the programme — and the availability of a supervisor — weighs more heavily than in bachelor's or master's admissions.

Admission: requirements and selection

Entry is competitive and selective, not a simple enrolment. In general terms:

1. Eligibility. You need a laurea magistrale, an old-system laurea, or a recognised foreign qualification of equivalent level. Some programmes accept candidates graduating by a stated deadline.
2. A call for applications (bando). Each doctoral programme publishes a call with a deadline, the number of funded and unfunded places, and the required documents.
3. Application package. Typically a CV, a research proposal or statement of interest, academic transcripts, reference letters and sometimes a language certificate.
4. Evaluation. Shortlisted candidates are usually interviewed — often partly in English — on their proposal and background.
5. Ranking and admission. Places are assigned by ranking; funded places usually come with a scholarship, and additional unfunded (senza borsa) places may be offered.

Practical consequence: deadlines and document requirements differ by programme and by year, so the call for the specific dottorato is the authoritative source. Treat general descriptions — including this one — as orientation, not as the rule for a given competition.

Master's or PhD? A conditional comparison

Choose the dottorato if the research question itself motivates you and you can accept a multi-year, largely self-directed commitment; choose a master's if your goal is a defined professional profile.

Example: how Verona organises its doctoral programmes

At the University of Verona, dottorati are not scattered across individual departments in the navigation but collected under PhD Schools — a structure that groups related doctoral programmes and gives them a shared academic home. For a prospective applicant, this means the practical starting point is the PhD Schools section of the univr.it site, from which you reach the individual programme pages, their research areas and their calls for applications. The site also separates Postgraduate (professional master's programmes and other courses) from PhDs, which reflects the distinction described above.

A concrete way to use this

If you are considering a dottorato at Verona, work in this order: open the PhD Schools area, identify the programme closest to your research interest, read its call for applications for the current cycle, and check the eligibility and deadline before preparing a proposal. Confirm scholarship conditions and any language requirements in that call rather than assuming them.