Ca' FoscariUniversity
of Venice
Bachelor's Degree Programme in
Science and Technologies for Cultural Heritage
Ca' FoscariDegree-seeking students: apply
Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems (DSMN), Scientific Campus, via Torino 155, 30170 Venezia Mestre (Italy).
For further information please contact the Scientific Campus campus.scientifico@unive.it.
The teaching regulations of the study course depend on the following organisational aspects: educational goals, access methods, study plan, exams, final exam, job opportunities, etc. Throughout their university career, students must refer to the teaching regulations enforced from their matriculation.
Open admission.
Quota reserved to foreign non-EU students residing abroad: 10 seats, of which 3 are reserved for Chinese students living in China, under the Marco Polo Project.
All students who have obtained a high school diploma or an equivalent and approved qualification obtained abroad can enrol on the degree course. To complete the degree course in Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage, students are required to have basic knowledge in maths, physics and chemistry, as well as elements of scientific method and language. Admission requires at least level B1 proficiency in English. There are compulsory checks of possession of these requirements.
The course regulations establish the procedures for checking academic admission requirements, also indicating any additional learning requirements to be achieved in the first year of the course and the remedial activity to be undertaken if the initial requirements are not met. Special courses can be taken to recover any educational deficiencies related to the secondary school curriculum followed.
More information on OFA for this programme is available on the webpage dedicated to the admission requirements.
Applicants with international qualification must have obtained a secondary school diploma after having completed at least 12 years of schooling. The preliminary evaluation of the qualification is mandatory. Procedures and deadlines are available on the dedicated online platform.
This Degree Programme has the educational objective of training graduates capable of performing diagnostic investigations, in a multidisciplinary context, to learn about the properties and characteristics of the materials used in cultural assets, to identify the causes of degradation and establish the most appropriate methods and products to ensure their protection, conservation and enhancement.
The course combines solid technical and scientific training with expertise in the fields of history-art, archaeology, archiving-bibliography and economics. The course features numerous workshops for the practical application of the knowledge acquired in material diagnostics and morphological and structural study of an asset, the definition of possible intervention technologies for its conservation, as well as the understanding and the recognition of the asset in its entirety and in relation to its historical and social context and environment.
During the first year, students take lessons in basic mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science and geology, as well as in notions on the history of artistic techniques and methodologies of archaeological research. The second year includes lessons on biology, the techniques of conservation of architectural heritage and of restoration theory, in addition to laboratories of chemical sciences for cultural heritage and analytical diagnostics, during which students apply and consolidate their new-found scientific knowledge and acquire practical experience. The second year also provides skills in economics and archiving useful to the management of cultural heritage. The third year is devoted to professional training through cultural heritage conservation laboratories and an innovative interdisciplinary laboratory, in addition to more in-depth learning of physical chemistry and the legislation applied to cultural heritage.
At the end of the course, graduates will have acquired knowledge and advanced skills in scientific diagnostic techniques and data interpretation techniques for the analysis and documentation of the various aspects of a cultural asset, appropriate expertise to identify the degradation processes and collaborate in interventions of recovery and conservation, placing materials of art in their historical-artistic context, as well as expertise in inventorying, computerisation and protection of cultural heritage even in cooperation with other professional figures.
Graduates will be able to find employment as Heritage Scientists, i.e., experts in the diagnostics and conservation of cultural heritage, at institutions in charge of the management and maintenance of cultural heritage, local bodies and public institutions such as museums, superintendencies, libraries, archives, as well as at companies and professional organisations operating in the field of conservation and protection of cultural heritage.
Graduates can also access Master's degree programmes and further develop their professional skills.
The educational activities include classroom teaching, workshops and internships, in order to acquire wide-ranging skills that can be readily transferable into the world of work.
During the whole university career, the various skills acquired will be assessed through written and oral examinations.
The final test is to develop a short research work in the field of conservation and diagnostics of cultural heritage, which can be applied or theoretical, or even of a compilation. The topic of the final exam can be chosen upon completion of the internship at external bodies affiliated with the university.
The final test is presented in the form of a written paper.
Professional Master’s Programmes (1st level) and Master's Degree Programmes.
Expert in diagnostics and science and technology applied to cultural heritage (Band III EQF 6 - European Qualifications Framework)
Graduates will be capable of occupying positions of medium responsibility at institutions responsible for the management and maintenance of cultural heritage, local authorities and public institutions, such as superintendencies, museums, libraries, archives, as well as at companies and professional organisations operating in the area of conservation and protection of cultural heritage.
The course also allows access to the Master's degree with the possibility of further professional development.
The professional skills provided by course L-43 are defined in Annex 6 of Ministerial Decree 244 of 20 May 2019.
