Higher education in Italy

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Bologna University, established in AD 1088, is the world's oldest academic institution The Archiginnasio, Bologna, Italy, the wing with the Anatomical theatre.JPG
Bologna University, established in AD 1088, is the world's oldest academic institution
Established in 1224 by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, University of Naples Federico II in Italy is the world's oldest state-funded university in continuous operation. ChiostroPietroMartireNapoli.jpg
Established in 1224 by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, University of Naples Federico II in Italy is the world's oldest state-funded university in continuous operation.
Bocconi University in Milan is a leading institution for economics, management and related disciplines in Europe. SDA Bocconi campus dusk.jpg
Bocconi University in Milan is a leading institution for economics, management and related disciplines in Europe.

Higher education in Italy is mainly provided by a large and international network of public and state affiliated universities. State-run universities of Italy are under the supervision of Italian's Ministry of Education. There is also a number of private universities and state-run post-secondary educational centers providing a vocational instruction.

Contents

Italian universities are among the oldest universities in the world. In particular the University of Bologna (founded in 1088, the oldest university in the world), the University of Padua, founded in 1222, and the University of Naples, founded in 1224, are among the most ancient state universities in Europe. [4] [5] Most universities in Italy are state-supported.

33 Italian universities were ranked among the world's top 500 in 2019, the third-largest number in Europe after the United Kingdom and Germany. [6] The Bocconi University, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, LUISS, Polytechnic University of Turin, Polytechnic University of Milan, Sapienza University of Rome, and University of Milan are also ranked among the best in the world. [7]

In 2022, 366,061 students graduated, of which 57.2 % are women [8]

Structure

Universities

Universities in Italy fits the framework of the Bologna Process since the adoption, in 1999, of the so-called 3+2 system. The first level degree is the Laurea triennale that can be achieved after three years of studies. Selected students can then complete their studies in the following step: two additional years of specialization which leads to the Laurea Magistrale.

The "Laurea triennale" corresponds roughly to a bachelor's degree while the "Laurea Magistrale" corresponds to a master's degree. Only the Laurea Magistrale grants access to third cycle programmes (Post-MA degrees, doctorates or specializing schools), that last 2 to 5 years (usually completing a PhD takes 3 years). However, there is just a single five-year degree "Laurea Magistrale Quinquennale" (Five-Year Master of Arts) for some programmes such as Law (Facoltà di Giurisprudenza), Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti) and Music (Conservatorio di Musica). Medical schools (Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia) are part of some universities and they only offer six-year courses. The title for MA/MFA/MD/MEd graduate students is Dottore (abbreviation in Dott./Dott.ssa or Dr., meaning Doctor). This title is not to be confused with the PhD and Post-MA graduates, whose title is Dottore di Ricerca (Research Doctor or Philosophy Doctor).

The Italian master's degree should not be confused with Italian "Masters" that are one-year specialistic postgraduate courses which guarantee a more practical education but do not necessarily give access to doctoral studies.

Universities in Italy can be divided into 4 groups:

Superior Graduate Schools

Palazzo della Carovana, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa main building Pisa Palazzo della Carovana.JPG
Palazzo della Carovana, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa main building

The Superior Graduate School ( Grandes écoles ) [9] or Scuola Superiore Universitaria offer recognized national and international titles, including the Diploma di Perfezionamento equivalent to a Doctorate, Dottorato di Ricerca i.e. Research Doctorate or Doctor Philosophiae i.e. Ph.D. [10] and are recognized by the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (Italy) (MIUR) [11] as fully autonomous. Some of them also organize courses master's degree, individually, or jointly with the universities with whom they work like Bologna Business School or MIP Politecnico di Milano.

There are three Superior Graduate Schools with "university status", three institutes with the status of Doctoral Colleges, which function at graduate and post-graduate level. Nine further schools are direct offshoots of the universities (i.e. do not have their own 'university status').

The first one is the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (founded in 1810 by Napoleon as a branch of École Normale Supérieure), taking the model of organization from the famous École Normale Supérieure.

Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies also has long history of existence within overall Italian educational excellence, as its origins are in Collegio Medico-Giuridico of Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and Conservatorio di Sant’Anna, an even older educational institution originating its roots in the 14th century. [12]

These institutions are commonly referred to as "Schools of Excellence" (i.e. "Scuole di Eccellenza"). [9] [13]

Professional higher education

Higher education in Italy is mainly covered by universities (Sistema di accreditamento degli studi universitari MIUR e verifica standard qualitativi ANVUR) and superior graduate schools, with almost no professional or vocational school following the secondary education. This is considered a weak point of the Italian post-secondary education. [14] However, Italian system provides a few vocational schools and courses. There are two main vocational paths after having obtained a secondary degree: those courses called "Istruzione e Formazione Tecnica Superiore" (IFTS; "Higher technical training and education"), and the "Istituti Tecnici Superiori" (ITS; "Higher technical institutes").

The first ones, IFTS, were established in the late nineties and are managed on regional basis. An IFTS course lasts between 1 and 2 years and it is usually strictly connected with a secondary school specialised in the same field of studies. [14] These courses were generally unsuccessfully: in 2007 on a number of 450.000 students with a secondary degree, only 2430 of them (0,54%) followed an IFTS course. [14] The ITS, created in 2008, lasts 2 years and are managed by a secondary institute in collaboration with local universities or institutions. [14]

In 2013, only 59 professional higher courses were available. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tertiary education</span> Advanced level of education, usually for adults

Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including universities as well as trade schools and colleges. Higher education is taken to include undergraduate and postgraduate education, while vocational education beyond secondary education is known as further education in the United Kingdom, or included under the category of continuing education in the United States.

A doctorate or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism licentia docendi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bologna Process</span> System for compatibility of higher education qualifications in the European region

The Bologna Process is a series of ministerial meetings and agreements between European countries to ensure comparability in the standards and quality of higher-education qualifications. The process has created the European Higher Education Area under the Lisbon Recognition Convention. It is named after the University of Bologna, where the Bologna declaration was signed by education ministers from 29 European countries in 1999. The process was opened to other countries in the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe, and government meetings have been held in Prague (2001), Berlin (2003), Bergen (2005), London (2007), Leuven (2009), Budapest-Vienna (2010), Bucharest (2012), Yerevan (2015), Paris (2018), and Rome (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Pisa</span> Public research university in Pisa, Italy

The University of Pisa is a public research university in Pisa, Italy. Founded in 1343, it is one of the oldest universities in Europe. Together with Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa and Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, it is part of the Pisa University System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa</span> Public higher learning institution in Italy

The Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa is a public university institution in Pisa and Florence, Tuscany, Italy, currently attended by about 600 undergraduate and postgraduate (PhD) students. Together with the University of Pisa and Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, it is part of the Pisa University System.

Education in Italy is compulsory from 6 to 16 years of age, and is divided into five stages: kindergarten, primary school, lower secondary school, upper secondary school and university (università). Education is free in Italy and free education is available to children of all nationalities who are residents in Italy. Italy has both a private and public education system.

An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree earned by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. In the United States, it is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a college or university. The most common type of these undergraduate degrees are associate degree and bachelor's degree. Bachelor's degree typically takes at least three or four years to complete. In some other educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a master's degree; this is the case for some science courses in Britain and some long-cycle medicine courses in other European countries. These degrees can be categorised as basic or first professional degrees.

In Italy, the laurea is the main post-secondary academic degree. The name originally referred literally to the laurel wreath, since ancient times a sign of honor and now worn by Italian students right after their official graduation ceremony and sometimes during the graduation party. A graduate is known as a laureato, literally "crowned with laurel" and is awarded the title of dottore, or Doctor.

The dottorato di ricerca is the highest Italian academic degree, the equivalent of a Ph.D.

The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies is a special-statute, highly selective public research university located in Pisa, Italy. Together with the University of Pisa and Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, it is part of the Pisa University System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pisa University System</span>

The Pisa University System is a network of higher education institutions in Pisa, Italy. The following three schools and universities belong to the system:

<i>Liceo scientifico</i> Type of secondary school in Italy

Liceo scientifico is a type of secondary school in Italy. It is designed to give students the skills to progress to any university or higher educational institution. Students can attend the liceo scientifico after successfully completing middle school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta</span> Private Roman Catholic university in Rome, Italy

The Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta, often simply abbreviated as "LUMSA", is a private Roman Catholic university founded in 1939 in Rome. It is the second-oldest university in Rome after Sapienza.

The Scuola Superiore IUSS or the "Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori" of Pavia is a higher learning institute located in Pavia, Italy.

The Consorzio ICoN is an interuniversity consortium for Italian Studies established in 1999. It consists of 21 Italian universities and focuses on philology and cultural studies. The consortium is based and administrated at the University of Pisa and is supported by the Italian Ministry of University and Research. It aims at diffusing Italian language, culture and literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superior Graduate Schools in Italy</span>

A Superior Graduate School is a completely independent institution from a legal point of view, which offers advanced training and research through university-type courses or is dedicated to teaching at graduate or post-doctoral level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca</span>

IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is a public research institution and a graduate school located in Lucca, Italy. It was founded in 2005 under the name of IMT Institute for Advanced Studies, where the acronym IMT stands for "Institutions, Markets, Technologies". The school is part of the Italian superior graduate school system and its main Campus is located in the San Francesco Complex within the historic city walls of Lucca.

The International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT) is an aptitude test used for admissions into undergraduate medicine and dentistry programs at select Italian universities. These programs are distinct from their Italian-taught counterparts, as they are delivered in English and are primarily designed for international students.

Secondary education in Italy lasts eight years and is divided in two stages: scuola secondaria di primo grado, also known as scuola media, corresponding to the ISCED 2011 Level 2, middle school and scuola secondaria di secondo grado, which corresponds to the ISCED 2011 Level 3, high school. The middle school lasts three years from the age of 11 to age 14, and the upper secondary from 14 to 19.

References

  1. Storia d'Italia (in Italian). Vol. 4. Torino: UTET. 7 August 1981. p. 122. ISBN   88-02-03568-7.
  2. Delle Donne, Fulvio (2010). Storia dello Studium di Napoli in età sveva (in Italian). Mario Adda Editore. pp. 9–10. ISBN   978-8880828419.
  3. "Global MBA Ranking 2017". Rankings.ft.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  4. Kamp, Norbert. "Federico II di Svevia, Imperatore, Re di Sicilia e di Gerusalemme, Re dei Romani". Treccani. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  5. "Cenni Storici". Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  6. "Number of top-ranked universities by country in Europe". jakubmarian.com. 2019.
  7. "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2015". Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. 2015. Archived from the original on 30 October 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  8. https://ustat.mur.gov.it/dati/didattica/italia/atenei
  9. 1 2 Ricerca Italiana – Scuole di Eccellenza
  10. Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) Decree
  11. Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
  12. Statuto della Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Gazzetta Ufficialeil 28 dicembre 2011
  13. Scuole di Eccellenza

Further reading

Historical