ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND VERIFICATION METHOD FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS (MASTER DEGREE IN BIOLOGY)

Enrollment in the Master's Degree Program in Biology requires the possession of a Bachelor's degree or university diploma in Biological Sciences or a similar qualification obtained overseas, recognized as suitable under current Italian legislation. Applicants with Bachelor's degrees in different disciplines can be enrolled provided they have obtained an adequate number of ECTS in the basic and characterizing Scientific Disciplinary Fields provided by the Italian Bachelor Degree in Biological Sciences. In particular, a minimum of 90 ECTS are required that are distributed in the following fields (or in related fields with program verification):
at least 12 ECTS in Mathematics, Physics, Informatics
at least 12 ECTS in General Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry
at least 18 ECTS in General or Applied Botany, Plant Physiology, Zoology, Ecology
at least 6 ECTS in Comparative Anatomy and Cytology or Applied Biology
at least 6 ECTS in Microbiology, Pathology, Hygiene
at least 6 ECTS in General Physiology
at least 6 ECTS i in Biochemistry
at least 6 ECTS in Molecular Biology
at least 6 ECTS in Genetics

A maximum deficit of 10 percent is allowed in one or more of the disciplinary groups listed above.
The assessment of the adequacy will be made taking into consideration the relevance of the examinations of the university course and the adequacy of the programs carried out in the disciplines pertaining to the indicated disciplinary scientific fields, including, where possible, the total hourly commitment reserved for the individual courses. If the curricular requirements are not met, the Teaching Council indicates the educational activities necessary for their acquisition.

Any curricular deficits must be resolved prior to the verification of individual preparation; enrollment with curricular deficits is not permitted.
Verification of the curricular requirements and the adequacy of the applicants personal preparation is carried out by a special Committee and might include an interview. The procedures for verifying the admission requirements are reviewed annually and published on the University's website.

Graduates with an overall grade of not less than 95/110 (or equivalent) are exempt from the verification procedure. Those with an overall grade of less than 95/110 (or equivalent) will undergo the verification procedure by examination of their previous university career, according to the following criteria:
1. grades obtained by the graduate in the following scientific fields will be evaluated: Mathematics, Cytology or Applied Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Genetics;
2. the graduate's personal preparation will be considered adequate if he/she has obtained in at least 3 of the 5 aforementioned scientific fields a minimum grade not lower than the threshold set for each Sector, respectively, and equal to:
- 21/30 (or equivalent) for Mathematics
- 23/30 (or equivalent) for Cytology or Applied Biology
- 23/30 (or equivalent) for Biochemistry
- 23/30 (or equivalent) for Molecular Biology
- 23/30 (or equivalent) for Genetics
Applicants whose grades fall below the threshold in at least 3/5 of the listed disciplines will be required to take an oral examination covering the course content of the current academic year.
In case of lack of adequate personal preparation, the Teaching Council indicates the training activities that the candidate must perform before enrollment in the Master Degree of Biology.

Moreover, given that the official language for the Master Degree in Biology is Italian, a prerequisite for enrollment is that the applicant must have a B1, or higher, certificate for the Italian language.

For further details, please contact the International activities delegate prof. Elizabeth Illingworth (eillingworth@unisa.it).