University of Padua Scholarships for International Students

Applications are now open for the 2026-2027 University of Padua Scholarships for international students. The program exists for a simple reason: bring in sharp minds from outside Italy and give them a fair shot at English-taught undergraduate and graduate degrees. Not charity. Selection is tight, the bar is high, and the expectation is you’ll keep up.

This call focuses on two main scholarship tracks tied directly to English-taught degrees. First, the Padua International Excellence Scholarships. Then, a smaller batch of departmental awards tied to specific programs. No sprawling buffet of benefits here. Just a clear package: tuition covered and a fixed grant. Scholarships are awarded strictly on academic merit, the kind that shows up on transcripts and doesn’t need embellishment.

Founded in 1222, the University of Padua (Università degli Studi di Padova) is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, renowned for its groundbreaking history and enduring academic excellence. Established by scholars who left the University of Bologna in search of greater academic freedom, it became a cradle of scientific and philosophical thought, most famously hosting Galileo Galilei as a lecturer. The university proudly boasts the world’s first permanent anatomical theater (still preserved today) and in 1678 awarded a doctorate to Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, the first woman in history to earn a university degree. Over eight centuries later, it remains a leading institution for research and higher education, blending a rich historical legacy with cutting-edge innovation.

Program Details

• Host Institution: The University of Padua in Italy.
• Eligible programs: English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs at the university.
• Number of awards: Up to 99 total (69 Excellence + 30 Departmental).
• Duration: 2 years (master’s) or 3 years (bachelor’s/single-cycle).
• Target group: International students (non-Italian, non-resident in Italy).

University of Padua Scholarships Benefits

Selected candidates for this scholarship to study in Italy will receive the following benefits depending on the type of scholarship the won:

A – Padua International Excellence Scholarship

The University of Padua offers up to 69 scholarships to highly talented prospective students wishing to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree completely held in English in Padua. The scholarship program is highly selective. Expect competition. Selected students may be asked to act as ambassadors and represent the university at a number of events.

Amount of scholarship: €8,000 per year (gross) + full tuition fee-waiver. The only amount to be paid by scholarship recipients each academic year is an administrative fee, consisting of the regional tax for the right to education and the revenue stamp. It’s non-refundable. Travel, insurance, and housing are all on you. The Padua International Excellence Scholarship has a maximum duration of:

• two (2) consecutive academic years for Master’s degree programmes;
• three (3) consecutive academic years for bachelor’s and single-cycle degree programmes.

B – Departmental scholarships (30)

Some departments offer additional scholarships to international students tied to specific English-taught programs. These scholarships provide the following benefits : €8,000 per year (gross) + tuition fee-waiver. The only amount to be paid by beneficiary students each year is an administrative fee (regional tax and revenue stamp). Please click here for more info.

University of Padua English-Taught Programs

Below is the list of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs taught in English at the University of Padua that are eligible for merit-based scholarships.

BACHELOR’s degrees

Below is the list of first-cycle studies that lead to a Bachelor’s degree qualification.

1. School of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine : Animal Care
2. School of Engineering : Information Engineering
3. School of Economics and Political Sciences : Economics, Governance and Decision-Making
4. School of Psychology
   • Psychological Science
   • Techniques and methods in Psychological Science
5. School of Human and Social Sciences and Cultural Heritage : Italian Medieval and Renaissance Studies
6. School of Science
   • Biology of human and environmental health
   • Earth and Climate Dynamics

MASTER’s and SINGLE-CYCLE degrees

Below is the list of second-cycle and single-cycle studies lead to a master’s degree qualification.

• School of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine
  1. Biotechnologies for food science
  2. Forest sciences
  3. Food and Health
  4. Food, Nutrition and Health (new programme 2026/2027 – to be approved)
  5. Italian food and wine
  6. Sustainable agriculture
  7. Environmental sciences for the ecological transition (to be approved)
• School of Economics and Political Sciences
  1. Management for Sustainable Firms
  2. Accounting, Finance and Business Consulting
  3. Applied Economics
  4. European and Global Studies
  5. Human rights and multi-level governance
• School of Engineering
  1. Aerospace Engineering
  2. Chemical and Process Engineering
  3. Computer Engineering
  4. Control Systems Engineering
  5. Electrical Engineering
  6. Electronic Engineering
  7. Energy Engineering
  8. Environmental engineering
  9. Food Industry Engineering
  10. ICT for Internet and multimedia
  11. Intelligent Civil Infrastructures Engineering (new programme 2026/2027 – to be approved)
  12. Management Engineering – study track held in English of the Master’s degree in Ingegneria Gestionale
  13. Materials Engineering
  14. Mathematical Engineering
  15. Mechanical Engineering for Product Innovation
  16. Mechatronics Engineering
  17. Water and Geological Risk Engineering
• School of Human and Social Sciences and Cultural Heritage
  1. Applied sciences to cultural heritage materials and sites – study track held in English of the Master’s degree programme ‘Scienze archeologiche’
  2. Communication Strategies – study track held in English of the Master’s degree programme ‘Strategie di comunicazione’
  3. English studies – study track held in English of the Master’s degree programme ‘Lingue e letterature europee e americane’
  4. Local development
  5. Mobility Studies – study track held in English of the Master’s degree programme ‘Scienze storiche’
  6. Social Sciences and Digital Data
     
• School of Medicine
  1. Medicine and Surgery – MedTech (single-cycle – 6 years) (new programme 2026/2027 – to be approved)
  2. Medicine and Surgery(single-cycle – 6 years)
  3. Medical biotechnologies
  4. Pharmaceutical biotechnologies
• School of Psychology
  1. Applied Child and Adolescent Psychology
  2. Clinical, social and intercultural psychology
  3. Cognitive neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology
  4. Cognitive sciences for human-centric technologies (new programme 2026/2027 – to be approved)
• School of Science
  1. Astrophysics and Cosmology
  2. Complex and data driven chemistry – study track held in English of the Master’s degree programme “Chimica”
  3. Computational Finance
  4. Computer science
  5. Cybersecurity
  6. Data science
  7. Earth Dynamics – study track held in English of the Master’s degree programme ‘Geologia ambientale e dinamica della terra’
  8. Evolutionary biology
  9. Geophysics for Earth and Climate Processes, Risks and Resources
  10. Materials Science
  11. Marine Biology
  12. Mathematics
  13. Molecular Biology
  14. Physics
  15. Physics of Data
  16. Planetary Geosciences – study track held in English of the Master’s degree programme Geologia Ambientale e Dinamica della Terra.New programme 2026/2027 (to be approved)
  17. Quantitative and computational biosciences
  18. Quantum Science and Engineeringnew programme 2026/2027 (to be approved)
  19. Sustainable chemistry and techonologies for circular economy
  20. Environmental sustainability and education

University of Padua Scholarships Eligibility

To apply for this university scholarship program, candidates must meet the following requirements:

1. do not possess Italian citizenship (except for dual citizenship including Italian);
2. hold a non-Italian foreign secondary school diploma (for Bachelor’s or Single-cycle degrees applicants) or a non-Italian bachelor’s degree (for Master’s degrees applicants) allowing admission to the Italian University system;
3. do not reside in Italy;
4. apply to one or more degree programs completely taught in English at the University of Padua (maximum of 2 programs).

Furthermore, applicants must meet the following specific criteria:

Padua International Excellence Scholarship: Open to highly talented prospective international students enrolling in English-taught bachelor’s or master’s degrees.

Departmental scholarships: Open to highly qualified international students applying to specific eligible English-taught programs offered by participating departments.

How to Apply for the University of Padua Scholarships

Interested candidates in this Europe scholarship program must apply for admission to their chosen English-taught programs through the official university portal. Filter by “Study languages: English” and proceed accordingly.

The application deadline is May 2, 2026. For more details on the University of Padua Scholarships for international students, please visit the official page.