Foundation Year at Ca' Foscari: 40 students in the first edition

The Ca’ Foscari Foundation Year has officially begun: on October 1st, the University welcomed 40 students from all over the world who will take part in the program. This preparatory year managed by the School for International Education, was conceived to strengthen the academic background of international students who are intending to enroll in any undergraduate course, held in English, at an Italian University.
Ca’ Foscari is the second Italian university to offer a Foundation Year program in English.

The 40 new students were greeted by Ca’ Foscari Rector Michele Bugliesi, prof. Tiziana Lippiello, Vice Rector for Internationalization, dr. Francesca Magni, Director of the Ca’ Foscari School for International Education and prof. Danilo Cavapozzi, coordinator and member of the Teaching Committee.
The students come from many different countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Kirghizistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Sri Lanka and Etiopia. 

Following the inaugural ceremony, the School for International Education planned out a whole week to acclimate the newcomers with the university life and the city: the students had the chance to familiarize with the various buildings of the university, try out the Drangboat and visit the main attractions in Venice.



The Ca’ Foscari Foundation Year is a propaedeutic year-long program, designed to prepare international students for their future enrollment in English-taught degree programmes at any Italian university. Students will take courses on modern European history, English and Italian language, as well as a basic introduction to various topics, based on their interests. The program is particularly suited for:

• Students who have less than 12 full years of schooling at the end of high school
• Students who want to improve their English skills before they begin an undergraduate degree program at an Italian university
• Students who studied in the American school system and do not have the three Advanced Placement exams required to enrol at an Italian university
• Students who studied in the British school system and do not have the three A-levels required to enrol at an Italian university

Alongside the general section of the program, which is the same for everyone, students will be required to choose between the two main study tracks:

• Track A - Economics and Science: a set of courses designed for students interested in disciplines like economics, management or science. Four courses are offered: Mathematics, Introduction to Law, Critical Thinking, and Computer Science.
• Track B - Humanities and Arts: a set of courses designed interested in disciplines such as literature, languages, linguistics and art history. Four courses are offered: Italian Literature, History of Italian Art, Philosophy, and Introduction to Classics.

The Foundation Year programme runs from October 2019 until June 2020 (8 months).

For more information on the program, visit the Ca’ Foscari School for International Education page.