Study in Venice, Italy
A student experience like no other
Photo by Cafoscaritour, CC BY-SA 3.0, modified
If you thought that Venice is just a tourist destination - think again! Studying in Venice is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you won’t get anywhere else. Want to learn more? Read on:
There’s little doubt that Venice is one of the most awe-inspiring places in the world. Its impressive architecture, the canals, and all the bridges, streets and small walkways give it a unique atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else.
But Venezia is so much more than just a backdrop for postcards: It’s a city with a vibrant history that spans more than 1,600 years; with unrivalled cultural offerings and activities that will make your student life in the city unforgettable.
Venice has quite a few universities and institutions that welcome international students - for exchange semesters or full degrees. If you’re looking to study in Venice in English, most degree programmes will be offered by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the largest local institution. Here is an overview:
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice: Founded in 1868, Ca’ Foscari has grown into a large university with around 20,000 students these days. They offer around 20 degree programmes fully in English in various academic disciplines; mostly Master’s programmes but also a few Bachelors. Expect high quality teaching, as the university is ranked among the world’s best, especially in fields like History, Languages and Economics. And in case you’re wondering: Ca’ Foscari simply means “palace of the Foscari family”, which is the university’s main building - and it looks as impressive as it sounds!
Venice International University (VIU): In a unique setup, VIU is actually an autonomous campus operated by 20 universities from around the world, such as LMU Munich, Exeter, and of course its own local neighbour, Ca’ Foscari. Its main offering is the “Globalization Program” which is not a standalone degree programme but rather a collection of courses available to students of VIU’s 20 member universities.
Università Iuav di Venezia: Originally founded as an Architecture school, Iuav University now also offers programmes in Fashion and Design. The MA in Architecture is the only English-taught degree.
Global Campus of Human Rights: This small institution offers the specialised English-taught European Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation.
For those with artistic or musical aspirations, Venice is also home to the Accademia di Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts) and the Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello.
As a mid-sized city in Italy, Venice offers a lot of career opportunities in various sectors and companies of all sizes - but in most cases, solid knowledge of Italian will be a prerequisite for a job. That said, most degree programmes will last two years (Masters) or three years (Bachelors); and while you might study in English, this means a lot of time to learn Italian if you are serious about staying after graduation.
Venice is located in North-East Italy. Venice Marco Polo Airport is Italy’s fifth-busiest and serves predominantly European destinations. By train, you can quickly connect between Venice and Bologna (ca. two hours) and Milan (ca. three hours), and even Rome is just four hours away.
This is one of the best parts about Venice: It’s small enough to get everywhere by foot (or boat). And you pretty much have to, at least in the historic part, as there are no automobiles, and bikes would be impractical. The gondolas you know from movies are really only used by tourists these days, but you’ll frequently use the vaporetti (“water buses”) or traghetti (larger gondolas where most people stand - to cross the Grand Canal).
Interested in Venice and other parts of the country? Study in Italy - find programmes now
