Bachelor's Degree Programmes taught in Italian 
Language requirements

All students enrolling in a Bachelor's degree programme at Ca’ Foscari are required to have certified English proficiency at level B1 or above. If you do not have supporting certification or if you fail to pass the CLA language test, you will be required to meet Additional Language Requirements in English (OFA): this requirement must met by 30 September of the year after enrolment; after this date, you will no longer be allowed to take any further exams until you have done so.
Students enrolling in subsequent years of a Bachelor's degree programme – inter-university transfer, intra- or inter-faculty transfer, or enrolment with credit recognition – must meet Additional Learning Requirements at the time of their enrolment: they will not be allowed to take any exams until they have met these requirements nor may they participate in the eligibility tests organized for freshers.

Furthermore, for the Bachelor's degree programme in Language, Civilisation and the Science of Language, to insert English or Anglo-American language into the study plan, understanding of English language at level B2, at least, is expected.

Meeting your Language Requirements

Procedures vary depending on the level and on the moment of fulfilment.

Before enrolment

You can choose from the following options:

  • Obtain certification from an officially recognised certifying body or a certificate from the CLA centre or from a university language school on the list in the Recognised Certification section;
  • Provide evidence that you belong to one of the exemption categories listed below;
  • Attend one of the fee-paying classroom courses held during the normal CLA calendar: at the end of the course you will take a test to check your proficiency;
  • Take a fee-paying language test at the CLA centre (OFA B1 prospective students) according to the procedure laid down in the relevant webpages. Results will be published online and if you are enrolling on a degree course your administrative profile will be updated after matriculation.

Certificates obtained at the end of CLA courses or external certification must be uploaded in electronic format when completing your enrolment application.  The only intermediate level certification accepted is certification for proficiency at Levels B 1.2 and above.

After enrolment

You can choose from the following options:

  • Attend classroom courses (subject to availability of places) held during the normal CLA calendar; at the end of the course you will take a test to check your proficiency (equivalent to Level B1);
  • Take the Level B1 English test, free of charge, up to three times during your first year of enrolment – this does not apply to students enrolling in subsequent years who must meet Additional Learning requirements at the time of enrolment): after taking the test three times or after the deadline for passing the test, you will be required to obtain a certificate;
  • Obtain certification from an officially recognised certifying body or a certificate from the CLA centre or from a university language school on the list in the Recognised Certification section on this webpage.

External certificates must be submitted to the Student Administration Unit for recognition; in the case of certificates obtained at the CLA your administrative profile will be updated automatically. The only intermediate level certification accepted is certification for proficiency at Levels B 1.2 and above.

Preparing for your test

The University offers a variety of online and/or classroom courses to support you in your preparation for the English test: access procedures, dates and further information can be found online on the CLA website on the page dedicated to support courses [ITA] for Level B1 English – Additional Learning Requirements.

Exemption

You can be exempted from the language test if you fall into one of the following categories:

  • you attended and completed higher education studies or at least one year of college in a country in which English is the medium of instruction;
  • you acquired a qualification (high school diploma or university qualification) in Italy or abroad at the conclusion of a period of studies taught entirely in English;
  • during your high school studies you carried out at least one full year of exchange at an institution whose language of instruction was English;
  • you have one of the following qualifications:

    • a degree obtained prior to D.M. 509/1999 in Foreign Languages and Literature, Modern Languages and Literature, Translation, for interpreters, translation and interpretation with regard to English only following a degree course lasting at least three years;
    • a degree obtained under D.M. 509/1999 in Class 11 Languages and modern cultures or Class 3 in Language Mediation with a study plan including a three-year English language course;
    • a degree obtained under D.M. 270/2004 in Class L-11 Modern Languages and Cultures or Class L-12 Language Mediation with a study plan including a three-year English language course.

Last update: 14/02/2024