Skip to content

Law Schools and Programs in Italy

7 schools in Italy teach Law.

Law Studies in Italy

In Italy, law is studied mainly as a five-year single-cycle degree, the laurea magistrale a ciclo unico in Giurisprudenza. It combines the bachelor's and master's levels in one programme and is the usual route to the legal professions. Most law degrees are taught in Italian, but some universities offer English-taught law programmes and individual courses in English.

SpainExchange lists 7 schools in Italy with law programmes, in Udine, Milan, Florence, Turin, Genoa, Ferrara and Rome. They range from large state universities to Bocconi University in Milan and a postgraduate research institute in Florence.

How the law degree is organised

Italian universities count study time in CFU (crediti formativi universitari). According to Universitaly, the portal of the Ministry of Universities and Research, 1 CFU equals 1 ECTS credit and corresponds to 25 hours of work, and a normal year has 60 credits. The single-cycle degree in law lasts five years and carries 300 CFU. The official degree class is LMG/01.

The programmes follow this model closely. At the Università degli Studi di Genova, Giurisprudenza lasts five years (300 CFU), is taught in Italian and runs in Genoa and Imperia. The Università degli Studi di Udine describes the same five-year, 300-CFU structure, with some optional courses taught in English.

After the degree, graduates can apply for a PhD (dottorato di ricerca), which lasts at least three years, or for a postgraduate specialisation school that prepares for the legal professions.

Some universities also offer shorter law degrees. Bocconi University in Milan has a Bachelor in Global Law taught in English (3 years, 180 CFU). According to Bocconi, its graduates can start at junior level in legal consultancy roles or continue to graduate study. Bocconi's five-year Giurisprudenza programme is taught in Italian.

Admission and language

At the state universities in this list, the single-cycle law degree has open access (accesso libero): there is no fixed number of places. Universities may still check students' starting knowledge; Genoa, for example, runs an initial preparation check. The Università degli Studi di Ferrara lists its law degree as open access, taught in Italian and with a double-degree option, and refers to the TOLC-SU test for 2026-27 enrolment.

Universitaly notes that most undergraduate programmes in Italy are taught in Italian, while several graduate programmes are in English. Each institution organises its own Italian language test. The university also decides on the foreign school-leaving certificate; CIMEA, the Italian ENIC-NARIC centre, gives information on recognition.

Students from outside the EU apply through the pre-enrolment procedure on Universitaly and then request a student visa from the Italian embassy or consulate. For the 2026-27 academic year, visa applications must be submitted by 30 November 2026, and universities may set earlier dates for their own courses.

Where to study law in Italy

  • Università degli Studi di Genova: five-year degree in Genoa and Imperia, with an optional path to an Italian-French double degree and a year at a US university that ends with an LL.M.
  • Università degli Studi di Udine: five-year degree in Udine, with agreements that let students start the legal traineeship during their studies
  • University of Ferrara (Unife): five-year degree with open access and a double-degree option
  • Bocconi University, Milan: Giurisprudenza in Italian, a Bachelor and a two-year Master of Arts in Global Law in English (120 CFU), and LLM programmes in English
  • European University Institute (EUI), Florence: a postgraduate institute whose Department of Law trains PhD researchers in European, international and comparative law

Careers after a law degree

A law degree alone does not qualify a graduate as a lawyer. According to the Università degli Studi di Udine, its graduates can take the qualifying examinations for lawyer (avvocato) and notary and the competitive exams for the judiciary and the diplomatic service. Becoming an avvocato also requires a period of practical training (pratica forense); Udine notes that agreements with the professional bodies allow students to start it during their degree.

Other paths are open too. Genoa mentions the public sector and the diplomatic and consular service. Bocconi's English-taught master's points to roles such as legal adviser, in-house lawyer, compliance officer and policy adviser in companies, public bodies and international organisations.

Law is tied to a national legal system. Students who plan to practise in another country should check the rules of that country's bar or recognition authority before they choose a programme.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a law degree take in Italy?

The standard law degree is a five-year single-cycle programme worth 300 CFU (300 ECTS credits). Some universities, such as Bocconi, also offer a three-year bachelor's in global law.

Can I study law in Italy in English?

Most law degrees are taught in Italian. Bocconi University offers a Bachelor and a Master of Arts in Global Law and several LLM programmes in English, and Genoa and Udine teach some optional courses in English.

Is there an entrance exam for law in Italy?

At Genoa, Udine and Ferrara the law degree has open access, without a fixed number of places, although universities may check students' starting knowledge. Each university sets its own rules, including an Italian language test for international students.

Does an Italian law degree make me a lawyer?

No. The degree gives access to the qualifying examination for lawyers, which also requires a period of practical training (pratica forense).