Do I Need to Learn Italian to Study in Italy?

Are you thinking of studying a PhD in Italy? If so, you might be wondering if you need to know Italian in order to do so? While it might not be an entry requirement (a number of programmes are taught in English) it’s worth having some basic language skills, or at least planning to learn some when you’re there.

So, how important is it really to know Italian to study in Italy? We’ve had a look!

Do Italian universities offer programmes in English?

Yes absolutely! And a lot of them. You are more likely to find a postgraduate course than an undergraduate course that is taught in English.

Even though English-taught programmes are common across disciplines, some more popular ones are Architecture, Economics, Law and Medicine .

Similar programmes might be available in both Italian and English so how do you make sure you’re applying for the right one? Universities usually have specific pages for listing English-taught programmes. In case of any confusion, you can refer to the language requirements in the description or contact the university directly.

Will I need to take a language test if I want to study in Italy?

The simple answer is yes. However, the language test you will need to take depends on the language your course is taught in.

You only need to take an Italian language test if your course is taught in Italian. There are two internationally recognised Italian language tests which are the Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera (CILS) and the Certificato di Conoscenza della Lingua Italiana (CELI). You can read more about them in our Italian language tests guide.

If your course is taught in English, you will need to take an English language proficiency test. There are a few different ones you can take like the IELTS, TOEFL or the PTE Academic. You can read more about each of them in our English language tests guide.