coursework in Pavia

Students are required to meet with their academic advisor prior to their time abroad in order to organize the remaining semesters prior to graduation. Upon arrival in Pavia, students will be assisted by the on-site staff to consult semester schedules and select appropriate courses during their time abroad. Students will also be responsible for working with the Pavia staff to confirm enrollment in selected courses at the University of Pavia.

Students should also take note of any required coursework stipulated by their chosen program while abroad.:

Required Courses:

• Italian Language Course 

  • • Students will be placed among levels A1—A2—B1—B2 according to their ability

    • 6 CFUS corresponding to 4 credit hours

• Contemporary Italian and European History Course 

  • • Equivalent to HIST 3--/ITAL 415

    • 6 CFUS corresponding to 3 credit hours

    • Taught exclusively for Illinois students by University of Pavia faculty at Palazzo Vistarino

Additional Courses:

Students will select two additional courses taught by the University of Pavia according to their individual academic interests. Courses are available in either Italian or English. 

Click to learn more about academics at the University of Pavia 

Students will select their additional courses from the list of advanced-level coursework. Students selected for this program are advised to select their courses from among those at the Laurea Magistrale level—the Italian system's equivalent of Master's coursework. Courses are typically worth 6-12 CFUS (the equivalent of 3-6 credit hours).

Click here to browse University of Pavia's course catalogue

Note: Be sure to specify Corso di Laurea Magistrale under "Course Type." Make sure to select also the proper academic year, semester, and language of instruction. "First Semester" corresponds to the fall semester while "Second Semester" corresponds to the spring semester.

Advanced courses in English are available through the following departments:

• • • Economics and Finance

      • • International Business and Entrepreneurship

        • Economics, Development and Innovation

        • Finance

    • Engineering

      • • Civil Engineering for Mitigation of Risk from Natural Hazards

        • Computer Engineering

        • Electrical Engineering

        • Electronic Engineering

        • Industrial Automation Engineering

    • Humanities

      • • The Ancient Mediterranean World: History, Archaeology and Art

    • Medicine and Psychology

      • • Harvey Medicine and Surgery

        • Psychology, Neuroscience and Human Sciences

        • Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnologies

    • Political and Social Sciences

      • • World Politics and International Relations

    • Sciences

      • • Molecular Biology and Genetics

        • Neurobiology

        • Agri-food Sustainability

        • Physical Sciences — Biomedical Physics

Advanced courses in Italian are available through the following departments:

• Economia

• Scienze Politiche

• Comunicazione

• Giurisprudenza

• Farmacia

• Ingegneria

• Studi Umanistici (letteratura, linguistica, storia, etc.)

• Psicologia

• Medicina e Chirurgia

• Scienze motorie

• Musicologia e Beni Culturali

• Scienze

Upon admission, students are recommended to begin perusing the course catalog. Although courses offered will be published on the University's catalog, exact class schedules are not typically published until much later. Furthermore, some departments at University of Pavia operate on slightly different semester schedules. Some departments operate on semester schedules while others divide their semesters into separate trimesters. Despite these differences, however, all courses will finish in time for your scheduled departure date at the end of your chosen program. 

This system requires an increased level of flexibility when determining academic schedules for the semester. Students are also asked to select more than two potential courses prior to departure in the event that there are last minute scheduling conflicts. 

As with most study abroad programs, we cannot guarantee enrollment in specific courses, but University of Illinois and Palazzo Vistarino staff will assist you in your course planning and aid in the process of finalizing schedules onsite.  In preparation for your time abroad, please select at least 6 courses per semester that you wish to take at the University of Pavia and discuss them with your academic advisor in Illinois to begin the course approval process.

Prior to departure, students must meet with their advisors to discuss possible coursework.

• • MCB advisor: Melissa Michael at mmichae@illinois.edu 

  • ECON advisor:  Undergraduate Office at econug@illinois.edu 

  • Humanities advisor: Eleonora Stoppino at stoppino@illinois.edu

  • Psychology advisor: Undergraduate Advising Services at psych-advising@illinois.edu 

Students are responsible for compiling a Course Approval Summary Form for their registered class one semester prior to study abroad. On the form you will be able to indicate if you want to take a course for credit/no credit (C/NC). Once complete, LAS students should submit their form to the appropriate records officer on campus at 2002 Lincoln Hall. 

The course approval process is generally completed after students have returned to Illinois, but it is strongly encouraged to get started well in advance of your arrival in Pavia.