Contacts & FAQs

CONTACTS

Who can I contact to find out more about the Foundation Year?

For further information, please write to: foundationyear@unipr.it

Who can I contact to find out more about the Music Programme?

As regards enrolment on the courses on offer at Conservatorio, you may also contact tutor@conservatorio.pr.it .

FOUNDATION YEAR (ANNO ACCADEMICO 2022/2023)

What is the Foundation Year?

It is an eleven-month, full immersion preparatory programme offered by the University of Parma to guarantee prospective international students the opportunity to approach the Italian academic world, improve their communicative and cultural competence and fill educational or linguistic gaps, in view of their enrolment on degree courses at the University of Parma or application to other Italian universities.

The Foundation Year prepares students as to allow them to meet the minimum requirements requested by the Italian higher education system.

It is offered by the University of Parma in collaboration with Conservatorio A. Boito in Parma.

Who is the Foundation Year designed for?

It addresses prospective students wishing to enroll at an Italian university but who have linguistic and/or educational gaps to be filled in order to be able to access university in Italy. In particular, students who lack some fundamental requisites:

certified competence in the Italian language at a B2 level;
a minimum of 12 years of schooling.

The Foundation Year is also aimed at developing other educational and cultural competences needed to better integrate in an academic context in Italy, regardless of the number of years of schooling students have.
Therefore, candidates may also apply even if they already have 12 years of schooling.

What are the main objectives of the Foundation Year?

Thanks to this programme, international students will have the opportunity to improve their language competence in Italian, their intercultural communicative skills and cultural knowledge of Italy and the Italian way of life. They will also be introduced to the Italian academic world in order to acquire essential skills as regards methodological issues and successful interaction with university life.

By the end of the course, students who have reached a B2 level in Italian will be able to sit for a language exam to obtain an international certificate in Italian. Such a certificate will allow them to enroll on a degree course at any Italian university.

As an alternative, students who wish to enroll on a degree course at the University of Parma will be allowed to acquire a language certificate called Italstudio Università issued by the University of Parma which suits the purpose.

What are the admission requirements?

At least 11 years of schooling from primary education to graduation from high school.

Secondary school leaving qualification with a full transcript of records, accompanied by a translation in Italian language officially legalized by the competent Italian Consulate in the country of residence, together with a corresponding Declaration of Value issued by the Italian authorities in the country, the educational system of the student’s school refers to.

Which is the language competence level required from a student willing to enroll on the Foundation Year?

Students without any knowledge of Italian (absolute beginners) are accepted on the course, as well as students with an A1/A2 level (or more).

Which language competence will a student reach at the end of the Foundation Year?

Students will be guided from an elementary to an intermediate level, with the aim to reach a B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This corresponds to the level required by law for admission to a degree course at any Italian university.

Will a student be able to enroll on an Italian university after finishing the Foundation Year?

Students who do not have 12 years of schooling must obtain 60 credits as awarded by the Foundation Year’s General Study Programme to fulfill that requirement and hold a language certificate.

At the University of Parma students have two possibilities:

those who pass the Italian language final exam Italstudio Università of the University of Parma at a B2 level will be exempted from taking the proficiency test of Italian to enroll on a degree course at the University of Parma;
those who obtain the Plida certificate at a B2 level (accredited by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) will be able to apply to any Italian University.

Moreover, students enrolled on the music curriculum will be able to acquire credits and develop competences in different music areas.

What will a student who completes the Foundation Year be able to study?

With a certified B2 level of Italian a student can apply to any Italian university. At the University of Parma, the areas to select from are:

Economics, Law and Politics
Humanities
Science
Engineering and Architecture
Mathematics
Computer sciences
Medicine
Veterinary Science
Food science and Pharmacy

Some of the degree courses accept a limited number of students, others have no limitations.
For further information on the degree courses offered at the University of Parma, please see https://en.unipr.it/studying.

Students enrolled on the courses offered by Conservatorio A. Boito will be able to take courses in different music areas offered by Conservatorio A. Boito in Parma:

Choral practice
Eartraining
History of music
Harmony and analysis

The tutoring service of Conservatorio will previously assess students’ competences in order to better guide them.

Students who wish to continue studying in the music area will be able to do so in the Italian music academy system, provided they pass the admission test.

How is the Foundation Year organised?

The course runs from September 2022 to July 2023. For students enrolled on some special courses offered by Conservatorio A. Boito or who wish to take the entry exam at Conservatorio, the Foundation Year could last until September 2023. For further information, please contact tutor@conservatorio.pr.it.

Students can choose between two study programmes:

General study programme
Music study programme

General programme: 310 hours of classroom lessons, 150 hours of blended lessons e 1040 hours of self-study and tutoring, 1500 hours total (38 credits).

Music programme: 240 hours of classroom lessons, 100 hours of blended lessons e 610 hours of self-study and tutoring, 950 hours total (60 credits).

The course is divided into two semesters (September-January; February-July) with the possibility to start in mid- September 2021 (“Early bird” course), at the beginning of October 2021 (“Regular” course), or later for “Dante” and “Music study” programme.

Is attendance compulsory?

Attendance is mandatory. Unless their irregular attendance is due to serious health or personal problems, students with less than 70% of attendance on each course will be excluded from the Foundation Year and lose the registration fee.

Are there exams at the end of the courses?

There are forms of assessment in each course and final coursework at the end of the Foundation Year.

Will I receive a final diploma?

At the end of the Foundation Year students who have concluded the General Study Programme will obtain a certificate of attendance which qualifies them to enroll at an Italian university even with less than 12 years of schooling. Some university programmes in Italy require prospective students to take an admission test.

Students who have concluded the Music Study Programme in collaboration with Conservatorio may also obtain a certificate of attendance which qualifies them to enroll at an Italian university or at a music academy with less than 12 years of schooling. In the latter case, students will also have to take an admission test

Students with 12 or more years of schooling can access higher education in Italy provided they have the language level certified as required (B2).

How much does the Foundation Year cost?

There is a fee of € 4.000 for students enrolling on the General Study Programme.

A 20% discount is given to students enrolling at the Music Study Programme, for a total of € 3.200. The Music courses offered by the Conservatorio A. Boito have a separate fee (€ 1.000).

Students enrolled on the PIFY Programme offered by the Dante Alighieri Society and the University of Parma are entitled to a 20% fee reduction. Tuition fees for the General Programme is €3.200, while tuition fees for the Music Programme is €2.560.

What is the registration procedure and deadline?

In order to apply for the Foundation Year at the University of Parma, you have to follow these steps:

Fill out the online application form by 15 July 2022 “Early Birds” students, by 15 August 2022 for “Regular” and “Dante” students, or 30 September for “Music study programme” students and students not admitted to the degree course in medicine and surgery after taking the admission test.
Attach:
- transcript of records of the last secondary school year;
- copy of Passport;
- an original version of the secondary school leaving qualification (or a copy of the original version), officially translated into Italian, and Declaration of Value (if you have it) issued by the Italian authorities in the country of residence.
Applicants will receive an Admission Letter and will enroll on the FY Programme through the website Universitaly submitting a pre-enrolment request form (please, see the guide).
The University of Parma will issue a Validation Letter once applicants have paid 15% of tuition fees and sent a copy of the money transfer receipt to foundationyear@unipr.it.
Applicants holding their Admission Letter and Validation Letter are requested to apply for a type D Visa (study purpose) at the Italian Embassy/Consulate in their home country.

* It is not mandatory to produce the Declaration of Value at this stage; applicants can produce it after having applied on the Universitaly portal. Nonetheless, this document is necessary in order to complete the enrolment process.

When is the balance due?

Prospective students are requested to pay 65% of tuition fee by:

“Early Birds”: 10 September 2022;
“Regular”,“Dante” and “Music study programme” students and students not admitted to the degree course in medicine and surgery after taking the admission test: 1 October 2022.

The remaining 20% of total tuition fees is due by:

“Early Birds”: 1 October 2022;
“Regular” , “Dante” and “Music study programme” students and students not admitted to the degree course in medicine and surgery after taking the admission test: 22 October 2022.

What does the tuition fee include?

The fee includes teaching activities as described in the tables above, an insurance policy covering injuries and accidents occurred while studying on the premises of the University of Parma, handouts and teaching materials and tutoring, access to facilities and services of the University of Parma.

The fee does not include housing, meals, health insurance policy, books, dictionaries and other published materials, personal expenses, the Plida certificate fees.

Which are the dates to keep in mind?

The Foundation Year starts in September 2022 and ends in July 2023.

Previous to that:

Applicants are to submit their application by 15 July 2022 “Early Birds” students, by 15 August 2022 for “Regular” and “Dante” students and by 30 September for “Music study programme” students and students not admitted to the degree course in medicine and surgery after taking the admission test.
Applicants will receive Admission Letter and will enroll on the FY Programme through the website Universitaly, submitting a pre-enrolment request form (please, see the guide).
The University of Parma will issue a Validation Letter once applicants have paid 15% of tuition fees and sent a copy of the money transfer receipt to foundationyear@unipr.it.
A 65% deposit on the total amount due for the Foundation Year fee will have to be paid by 10 September 2022 (“Early Bird” students) and by 1 October 2022 (“Regular”, “Dante” ”, “Dante” and “Music study programme” students and students not admitted to the degree course in medicine and surgery after taking the admission test).
Classes start in mid-September (“Early Bird” students) and at the beginning of October (“Regular” and “Dante” students), or later for “Music study programme” students and students not admitted to the degree course in medicine and surgery after taking the admission test. The final fee payment (20%) is due by 1 October 2021 (“Early Bird” students) and by 22 October 2022 (“Regular”, “Dante” and “Music study programme” students and students not admitted to the degree course in medicine and surgery after taking the admission test).