Tuscany is home to seven universities, attracting students from all over Italy and beyond every year, thanks to the rich and varied range of educational programmes available.
The University of Florence traces its origins back to the Studium Generale, which was established by the Florentine Republic in 1321. Among its lecturers was Giovanni Boccaccio, who lectured on the Divine Comedy. Today, the university is one of the largest organisations for research and higher education in Italy. It employs 1,800 permanent lecturers and researchers, as well as approximately 1,600 technical and administrative staff. It also has more than 1,600 doctoral candidates and research fellows. The university has premises across the city and beyond the urban area, including a scientific campus in Sesto Fiorentino, as well as locations in Empoli and Calenzano. Teaching activities are also held in Prato and Pistoia.
Full details of the educational offer at this link: www.unifi.it
The University of Pisa was officially founded on September 3 1343, when Pope Clement VI issued the bull “In supremae Dignitatis” in Villanova, near Avignon. This granted the Pisan Studium recognition as a Studium Generale, comprising the faculties of theology, canon law, civil law, and medicine, as well as any other lawful fields of study, as indicated by the clause “et qualibet alia licita facultate”. Today, the university comprises 20 departments and employs around 1,500 lecturers, as well as 1,600 technical and administrative staff. It offers 59 first-level degree programmes, 68 second-level degree programmes, 34 doctoral programmes, and 56 master’s programmes.
Full details of the educational offer at this link: www.unipi.it
The University of Siena is a historic and traditional academic institution engaged in research and innovation. For over eight centuries, it has fostered knowledge in all fields of study, and today it is one of the Italian universities with the strongest research, teaching and service results. The history of the University of Siena is rooted in the cultural tradition of Tuscany, dating back to the Middle Ages. The earliest traceable document is a decree issued by the highest-ranking authority of the city, the Podestà, on December 26 1240, which reveals the unique legal model of the university in Siena, which was organised directly by the Municipality.
The institution also manages three satellite campuses: Arezzo, Grosseto and San Giovanni Valdarno.
Full details of the educational offer at this link: www.unisi.it
The Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa was established by Napoleon Bonaparte. On October 18 1810, the Emperor issued a decree concerning “public education establishments” in Tuscany, a province of the French Empire since 1807, ordering the creation of an “Academic Boarding School” in Pisa for university students.
The Normale is founded on the principles of student selection based exclusively on merit, free education and college life, the deep integration of teaching and research, community life, and strong international exchange programmes. Students undertake courses at the Normale alongside the corresponding courses at the University of Pisa. The educational programme is organised into two streams: the undergraduate and graduate cycle (equivalent to bachelor’s and master’s degrees) and the PhD cycle. Activities are organised into three divisions: the Class of Humanities and Philosophy; the Class of Sciences, based in Pisa; and the Department of Political and Social Studies, based in Florence.
Full details of the educational offer at this link: www.sns.it
The origins of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna date back to the late eighteenth century, when Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Lorraine founded the “Conservatorio di Sant’Anna” in Pisa in 1785 to provide “education for young women of civil condition”. Sant’Anna is a public university with special status operating in the field of applied sciences, including economic and managerial sciences, legal sciences, political sciences, agricultural sciences, plant biotechnology, medical sciences, and industrial and information engineering. Admission is gained through a public competition; each year, the school publishes a call specifying the number of places available and the selection procedures. The university also hosts six research institutes: the Institute of BioRobotics; the Institute of Law, Politics and Development; the Institute of Economics; the Institute of Management; the Institute of Life Sciences; and the Institute of Communication, Information and Perception Technologies.
Full details of the educational offer at this link: www.santannapisa.it
The University for Foreigners of Siena is located in a city that embodies the essence of Italian culture and civilisation. The first chair of Italian language intended for German students was established in Siena in 1588, and the first courses in Italian language and culture after Italian unification were created there in 1917. The institution has inherited this centuries-long tradition of teaching Italian and is committed to disseminating the Italian language and culture, while also embracing the languages and cultures of others in an increasingly globalised world.
Degree programmes, master’s programmes, specialisation courses and teaching certification programmes are open to Italian and international students alike. Italian language and culture courses are designed for foreign students, who may also take examinations to certify their Italian language skills.
Full details of the educational offer at this link: www.unistrasi.it