How
to Apply
MASTER’S DEGREE IN
COMPUTER ENGINEERING
Admission to the Master's degree course
To be admitted to the MSc program, prospective students must hold a BSc degree (or higher) that certifies a proper scientific and technical background.
Only one intake per year is foreseen, starting in the autumn semester (first academic term).
An Evaluation Committee (EC) is appointed by the Course Council to examine applications, which must comply with specific formal requirements.
Please check below for further details.
Official descriptions of the application procedures are also reported in the Course Regulations (in Italian).
Expected Background
Applicants must hold a Bachelor of Science (or higher) or equivalent first-cycle degree (three-year program) that includes coursework covering various aspects of computer hardware and software, as offered in Computer Engineering/Science programs.
Purely technical or professional qualifications, such as degrees in Computer Applications or equivalent, are not accepted.
A rigorous grounding in Mathematics is required, as well as an extensive knowledge of the following subjects: Algorithms and Programming, Computer Architecture, Operating Systems, Computer Networks, Database Systems.
Some related engineering disciplines, such as Electronics, Telecommunications, Automation, and Management, should be covered.
An English level of at least B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is required.
These general requirements are verified through different procedures depending on whether the degree was awarded by an Italian or a foreign institution, as explained below. Please refer to the section that applies to your situation for specific instructions.
Candidates with an Italian qualification
Candidates with an Italian BSc degree (or higher) can directly proceed with enrollment, which is finalized only if the following curricular requirements are met:
- At least 36 credits (CFUs) from classes/training activities in Mathematics/Physics (Subject Group nr. 1, with SSD fields: MATH-02/A, MATH-02/B, MATH-03/A, MATH-03/B, MATH-04/A, MATH-05/A,MATH-06/A, PHYS-01/A, PHYS-03/A)
- At least 18 credits (CFUs) from classes/training activities in Computer Engineering or Computer Science (Subject Group nr. 2, with SSD fields: IINF-05/A, INFO-01/A)
- At least 12 credits (CFUs) from training activities/classes in Engineering disciplines (Subject Group nr. 3, with SSD fields: IINF-01/A, IINF-03/A, IINF-04/A, IIET-01/A, IEGE-01/A)
- Proficient knowledge of English at level B2 or higher, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages – either certified or verified through an interview.
If the degree belongs to class L-8 (Information Engineering) or L-31 (Computer Science and Technologies), the requirements are automatically met (apart from the English proficiency).
The Evaluation Committee may propose to earn up to 40 missing credits with specific courses (“Transition Courses”); admission is denied in case of more than 40 missing credits.
See the dedicated web page on the University website for other details.
To proceed with enrollment, please visit the webpage for holders of italian degrees (a preliminary registration on the portal “Alice” may be required).
Candidates with a foreign qualification
Candidates holding a BSc degree (or higher) earned from a foreign institution must undergo a preliminary selection procedure to assess the scientific and technical background. An official Call for Applications is issued for this purpose. Only candidates who successfully pass the selection are granted admission and permitted to proceed with enrollment.
The annual Call for Applications is published on this website (see below); all the details on the requirements can be found directly in the text of the call. An application fee is requested to finalize the submission.
All prospective applicants are warmly invited to carefully check the stated requirements before submitting their application: If any of them are not fulfilled, the application is immediately rejected. Only candidates with top profiles are selected.
The selected candidates can proceed with enrollment, following the instructions received by email.
Selected candidates not residing in an EU country will receive an official letter to be used to apply for a VISA; please note that, depending on the country, VISA procedures may require several months.
EU-residents who don’t need a VISA are not subject to tight timing constraints, and are invited to contact us at international@ing.unipi.it to discuss the details of their specific cases.
Further details are available on the dedicated webpage of the University.
Call for Applications (Foreign degrees only)
The current Call for Applications (reserved to holders of a foreign degree) refers to the intake for academic year 2026/27, with classes starting in late September 2026.
The call now is OPEN.
The text of the call is available here. Please read it carefully before submitting your application: It contains indications about requirements, procedures, and possibilities to ask for support.
Submission deadline: 5 February 2026
The application must be submitted through the deficated portal: applymscenglish.unipi.it
the Regulation
The Course of Study adopts the Regulations approved by the School of Engineering as regards the procedures for verifying initial preparation, the procedures for assigning Additional Educational Obligations (OFAs), the procedures for fulfilling OFAs and the limitations to which students burdened with OFAs are subject.
For more information and details on how to apply, please visit the following portal