Programme structure

General curriculum

The General Curriculum is taught entirely in English and is designed to prepare international students for academic life at Italian universities. It focuses on developing the knowledge and skills needed for success in undergraduate studies, regardless of the student's chosen field.

Core subjects

All students enrolled in the General Curriculum take the following courses:

Study tracks

Economics and Management

Taught in English
Students enrolled in this track will dedicate a substantial part of their study to Mathematics and data analysis, providing them with the necessary basis for enrolling in any undergraduate Economics programme. This track also covers the fundamentals of business management, an introduction to the behaviour of financial markets, as well as the basic notions of law, legal systems, and fundamental rights.

Humanities and Arts

Taught in either English or Italian
The courses in this track are offered in both Italian and English. Students will be provided with an introduction to the history and culture of the classical period of Ancient Greece and Rome, as well as an overview of Italian literature, tracing early works from the 14th century up until recent times. This track also gives insight into the principal concepts in western philosophical thought and Italian art history, with a special focus on Venice's immense cultural heritage. Students enrolling in the Study Track in Humanities and Arts in Italian will be required to provide B1 language certification, or to enrol in the Intermediate-B2 language module.

Computer Science and IT

Taught in English
This track is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in Mathematics, as well as the fundamental notions in Physics, Biology and Chemistry necessary for all undergraduate Science programmes. Students will also take an introduction to Computer Science that aims to introduce the concept of computational thinking so as to acquire fundamental skills for future studies in technology and programming.

Language modules

Beginner to pre-intermediate (reach level B1)
Italian language classes aimed at providing the base knowledge of the Italian language from A1 to B1 (pre-intermediate) for effective and accurate communication. This option is for students who have no prior knowledge of the Italian language. Students who successfully complete the Foundation Year with a B1 level of Italian can apply to Italian-taught undergraduate degrees at Ca’ Foscari, with the requirement they reach a B2 level at the end of their first year. 

Elementary to intermediate (reach level B2)
Italian language classes aimed at fully preparing students for studying in Italian during their undergraduate degree. This language modules starts from elementary A2.
In order to enrol in the Intermediate-B2 language option, students need to have a prior knowledge of Italian at approximately the A1 level. Students who do not provide A1 Italian language certification by the deadline (see "Applications" and "Required documents") are required to register for our online beginner Italian course in September, offered free to Foundation Year students specifically in preparation for the Intermediate-B2 language module. 

Native speaker (for students who already have at least a B1)
Advanced Italian and English: This module includes advanced academic Italian classes along with extra-disciplinary courses in English, and an optional B2+C1 Italian language course. By the end of the Foundation Year students will produce a short thesis in Italian. Choose this option only if you are a native speaker of Italian, or already have an advanced command of Italian.