No, in Italy a graduate degree is not the same as a University Master. Find out here the difference in Italy between "University specialising masters" (1-year Specializing Masters) and "Lauree Magistrali" (2-year graduate degrees). For "graduate degree" programmes, go to the dedicated Cattolica International page click here.

No, if you wish to follow a University specialising master in English, go to the dedicated Cattolica International page click here. Once you have identified the University specialising master you are interested in, go to the APPLY NOW section and submit your application on the "international" admission portal. For further information, contact: international.inquiry@unicatt.it.

Yes, once you have identified the University specialising master you are interested in, go to the ADMISSION section of the course and submit your application on the “domestic” admission portal master.unicatt.it./ammissione

In the FAQs on this page you will find many answers to your questions, for further information the contact details of the Master Office are: master.universitari@unicatt.it.

You can participate in several calls at the same time. You must enter the page of the university specialising Master(s) you are interested in, in the ADMISSION section and fill in the application form by the deadline of the call(s). The application form must be completed online only, by going to master.unicatt.it/ammissione.

In addition to the documents required by the call for selection (see the ADMISSION section of the relevant university specialising master), candidates with a foreign qualification must upload in the dedicated field of the admission portal (called DICHIARAZIONE DI VALORE/DECLARATION OF VALUE OR DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT) some compulsory documents related to the qualification. If you are not yet in possession of the compulsory document for eventual enrolment, go to the question What are Declaration of Value/Diploma Supplement/Validation/CIMEA Certificate of Comparability?

For more information on how to take part in the selection process, go to the question: I have obtained my international degree and received my Diploma but have not yet obtained the Declaration of Value/Diploma Supplement/Validation, can I take part in a University Specialising Master's selection process?

The foreign degree diploma (parchment) alone is not sufficient for enrolment. In fact, for enrolment in the University specialising master, it will be compulsory to present your Degree Diploma with a legalised translation in Italian and one among these documents in the original paper version:

• The Declaration of Value - Dichiarazione di valore (DV) - of the qualification if obtained in a non-EU country. The " Declaration of Value" (DV) is a document certifying the value of a qualification obtained in an education system other than the Italian one. It is drawn up in Italian and issued by the Italian Diplomatic Missions abroad (Embassies/Consulates) "competent by area", i.e. those closest to the city in which the institution that issued the foreign qualification is located. If the country in which the qualification was issued has signed the Hague Convention (5 October 1961), the so-called "Hague Apostille" must be affixed to the qualification before requesting the Declaration of Value.
• The Diploma Supplement (DS) of the degree awarded by universities in EU countries. It is an official supplement to the qualification awarded on completion of a course of study at a university or higher education institute. The DS is drawn up in English directly by the home university and provides a description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies undertaken and completed by the student according to a standard 8-point model, developed upon initiative of the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO. Request it from your home university.
• The validation and legalisation of the Parchment of the degree if conferred by a faculty approved by the Holy See (pontifical academic titles, see Presidential Decree no. 175 of 2 February 1994). The title must be validated (i.e. "authenticated") by the competent ecclesiastical authorities. For further information on the validation procedure and the relevant steps, see this website

If you are not yet in possession of one of these documents when applying for admission, go to the question I have obtained my international degree and received my Diploma but have not yet obtained the Declaration of Value/Diploma Supplement/Validation, can I take part in a University Specialising Master's selection process?

If you are a student about to graduate and you will obtain your degree after the start of classes (in any case, no later than the last extraordinary session of the academic year preceding the year in which the university specialising master is activated; e.g. if you wish to attend a University specialising master in the 2020/2021 academic year, you will have to graduate by the last extraordinary session of 2019/2020, i.e. March/April 2021 - check each University specialising master page for any different indications), in which case the Declaration of Value may take too long to be issued. The Master's Office may consider, depending on the university you come from, whether to accept an alternative document to the Declaration of Value called the CIMEA Certificate of Comparability. Request information to master.universitari@unicatt.it. In case of positive outcome, it will be possible to request the Certificate of Comparability by registering on the following website: https://cimea.diplo-me.eu/unicatt/#/auth/login.

Please note that the foreign degree diploma (Parchment) alone is not sufficient for enrolment. For more information on the compulsory document go to the question What is the Declaration of Value/Diploma Supplement/Validation/ CIMEA Certificate of Comparability?

Considering that we know that many universities do not provide for an immediate release of the Parchment, you can participate in the selection process by uploading in the dedicated field of the admission portal (called DECLARATION OF VALUE OR DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT) at least one Certificate of Achievement and one Transcript of records in one pdf file. Enquire with your university on how to receive these two documents while waiting to receive the Parchment.

In addition to the documents required by the call for selection (see the ADMISSION section of the relevant University specialising master), candidates with a foreign qualification who are not yet in possession of the document required for possible enrolment must upload in the dedicated field of the admission portal (called DICHIARAZIONE DI VALORE/DECLARATION OF VALUE OR DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT) the original (or translated) Diploma and a copy of the original (or translated) Transcript of records in a single pdf file.

If you are admitted to the University specialising master, you will be notified both by accessing the admission portal master.unicatt.it/ammissione and by email (please also check your spam folder). The admission email will invite you to "pre-register" in the first instance, since the Master's Office will have to receive the original paper copy of your DV or DS and check its content before enrolling you. Payment of the first instalment must be made within 5 days of receipt of the communication.

Admitted candidates will be notified by email and through the admission portal. In order to secure your place in the classroom, payment of the first instalment must be made within 5 days after receiving the notification of admission. Within 5 days of reception of the communication, candidates must then proceed, through the admission portal, to upload the payment details of the first instalment and the documents requested in the admission email:

• signed pre-registration application or signed matriculation application (downloadable from the admission portal).
• copy of valid identity document
• copy of visa (for non-EU applicants only)
• copy of residence permit or receipt of application (for non-EU applicants only) 
• 1 recent passport-sized personal photograph
• copy of fiscal code
• copy of the receipt for payment of the first instalment (not due in the case of a scholarship or full exemption or in the case of payment by credit card)
• Signed curriculum vitae
• Original degree diploma with a legalised translation in Italian
• original copy of the DV or DS* or, if not yet in possession, a signed copy of the undertaking to bring such a document (downloadable from the admission portal)
• A copy of the Modulo Anagrafico Fiscale (MAF – where to put in all your personal and fiscal data - downloadable from the admissions portal) (only in the event of a full or partial scholarship being awarded)

If you are admitted without a DV/DS* or if you are admitted as a student about to graduate, and in any case without the receipt of your residence permit, you will remain pre-registered until you submit the original paper version of the documents. Go to the question What does pre-registration for a University specialising master entail?

*Please note that the Degree (Parchment) alone is not sufficient for registration. Go to question What is the Declaration of Value/Diploma Supplement/Validation/ CIMEA Certificate of Comparability?

With pre-registration status you will be able to attend classes but it will not be possible: to register your grades in your career; to activate a curricular internship (if it is included in your study plan); to download self-certificates; to obtain your final University specialising master diploma or any Certificate of Enrolment and Completion of the University specialising master.

For more information on the document required to complete your registration, go to the question What is the Declaration of Value/Diploma Supplement/Validation/ CIMEA Certificate of Comparability?

To enrol, follow all the instructions sent to you in the admission email and access the page master.unicatt.it/ammissione. As soon as we receive the original paper version of the DV/DS* and after final assessment of the document by this Office, we will change your status from pre-registered to registered. The Master's Office will then generate your registration application: to download it, return to the Admissions Portal home page, click on your application number and click on the registration application pdf at the top right.

To complete your file, you will need to:

• Upload the signed registration application to the admission portal
• if not already entered in the admissions portal, upload a copy of the residence permit or the application receipt (only for non-EU applicants)
• after having uploaded it in digital format on the admission portal, deliver or send by post the original copy of the DV or DS* at the Ufficio Master-Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Carducci 28/30, 20123 Milano

Please note that a foreign degree (parchment) alone is not sufficient for enrolment. Go to application I am in the process of obtaining an international degree, can I apply for admission to the University specialising master?

After receiving the admission email, contact the Master's Office to request the Letter of Invitation by writing to master.universitari@unicatt.it and to find out how to pre-register (only in case of admission) via the new ministerial portal. If you already have accommodation in Italy, please inform the Master's Office, which will indicate this in the Letter. Otherwise, go to the question I have been admitted and I am looking for accommodation, where can I find information?

Contact the Italian Embassy to apply for a visa and remember to take out health insurance before leaving by checking with your country of origin. Otherwise, in order to obtain health insurance directly in Italy, you can: register with the National Health Service (SSN) or take out a private policy (e.g. WAI - Welcome Association Italy).

Once you arrive in Italy, you will have to apply for the Permit to Stay within 8 days of your arrival in the country and send the Master Office a copy of the Post Office Receipt together with the summons letter with the date of the appointment at the Questura. For further information, consult the Immigration Portal website, click here and stay up-to-date on administrative procedures thanks to the YESMILANO website (link to https://www.yesmilano.it/en/articles/latest-administrative-updates ).

A visa, declaration of value and copy of the application for a residence permit will be required for registration.

Please note that scholarships are assimilated to employment income and are therefore subject to taxation. Foreign citizens who receive a study scholarship for a period of more than 183 days, such as for University specialising masters, will be subject to the same tax regime as residents in Italy.

Together with the pre-registration/registration application you will have to fill in the document called "copy of the Modulo Anagrafico Fiscale (MAF)" which will include all your personal and fiscal data and which can be downloaded from the admission portal and also from Blackboard (only in case of full or partial scholarship award).

We can inform you of the existence of accommodation search platforms available at the following link click here.