Programme enrolment: requirements, deadlines and methods

Read the 2025/2026 Call for Applications in ITALIAN or in ENGLISH

Admission requirements

To be admitted to the 2nd Cycle Degree Programme in MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY applicants should possess a three-year university degree or other qualification obtained abroad evaluated as eligible.

Moreover, candidates must meet the curricular requirements and pass a test to assess their personal

competences and skills. 

Curricular requirements

To access the 2nd Cycle Degree Programme in Molecular and Cell Biology applicants:

1. must possess a first cycle degree in one of the following classes:
2. ex Italian Ministerial Decree no. 270/04: Class-L-13 Biology, Class L-2 Biotechnologies;
3. ex. Italian Ministerial Decree no. 509/99: Class 12 Biology, Class 1 Biotechnologies;
4. Previous five-year degree programme system: Biology, Biotechnologies;
5. Foreign Degree which can be considered equivalent to the ones foreseen for students holding an Italian Degree.

Otherwise, applicants: 

2. must possess a first-cycle degree in a class that is different from the ones mentioned in section 1 of the Curricular requirements and they must have obtained the ECTS that are listed in the section “admission methods”.

Assessment of personal competences and skills

Admission to the degree programme is subject to the passing of a test to assess the candidates' personal competencies and skills, which will follow the methods laid down in section “Admission Methods”.

Candidates must also possess appropriate English language skills to level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

To access the course, it is mandatory to possess appropriate Italian language skills to at least level B2 of the CEFR. International students that will not meet this requirement must add learning activities designed to obtain the requested level to their study plan.

Admission methods

If applicants possess a degree pertaining to a class that is different from the ones mentioned in section 1 of Curricular Requirements, they must have obtained:

• at least 45 CFU in on ore more of the following SSD (Disciplinary Scientific Sectors):

BIO/04 – Vegetal Physiology

BIO/10 - Biochemistry

BIO/11 – Molecular Biology

BIO/18 - Genetics

BIO/19 – General Microbiology

• at least 18 CFU in one or more of the following SSD:

FIS/01-FIS/08

MAT/01-MAT/09

CHIM/01-CHIM/12

The assessment of personal competences and skills is based on university-level kowledge of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics and Physiology of prokaryotes and eukaryotes organisms and is assessed by a Board, through a written and/or oral test.

Graduates in:

- ex Italian Ministerial Decree no. 270/04: Class-L-13 Biology, Class L-2 Biotechnologies;

- ex. Italian Ministerial Decree no. 509/99: Class 12 Biology, Class 1 Biotechnologies;

-  previous five-year degree programme system: Biology, Biotechnologies;

are exempted from the assessment of personal competences and skills if they obtained a final degree score equal or grater than 105/110.

Applicants that are enrolled to a degree programme pertaining to ex Italian Ministerial Decree no. 270/04: Class-L-13 Biology, Class L-2 Biotechnologies are exempted from the assessment of personal competences and skills if they have a grade point average that is equal or grater than 28/30 within the deadline of the call for application.

Assessment of knowledge of the English Language

For admission to the degree programme is required the knowledge of the English language to level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This requisite is considered as satisfied in the following cases:

- possession of a valid certificate among those accepted by the University of Bologna, according to the reference table published on the University Language Centre (CLA) website;

- having fulfilled a B2 (or higher) English Language Exam during the University Career: this would be

considered valid only if the level is clearly indicated in the denomination of the exam;

- the student holds a Degree which has been delivered and obtained in English: the related documents must indicate a formal statement attesting that English was the teaching language;

- student's mother-tongue is English.