Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Ingegneria Edile-Architettura (LM-4 c.u.) · Italian
Last checked: 26 July 2026
2026/27 admissions at a glance
This university runs 3 TEST ARCHED programmes. Seats, deadlines and fees are per programme and are never merged into one figure.
Architettura (Napoli Federico II) — Napoli
Degree taught in Italian
Official admission notice · Official programme page · Tuition schedule · Checked: 26 July 2026
Ingegneria edile-architettura (Napoli Federico II) — Fuorigrotta (Ingegneria) · Napoli
Degree taught in Italian
Official admission notice · Official programme page · Tuition schedule · Checked: 24 July 2026
Scienze dell’Architettura (Napoli Federico II) — Napoli
Degree taught in Italian
Official admission notice · Official programme page · Tuition schedule · Checked: 26 July 2026
Programmes and campuses
Each campus is a separately comparable option: seats, and sometimes delivery mode, differ by campus even for the same programme name.
Architettura (Napoli Federico II)
ItalianPlaces for 2026/27
Total: 253
Seats are explicitly labelled "provvisori" (provisional) by the university pending the Ministry's final allocation decree — confirm before relying on exact figures.
Ingegneria edile-architettura (Napoli Federico II)
ItalianPlaces for 2026/27
Total: 92
Seats are explicitly labelled "provvisori" (provisional) by the university pending the Ministry's final allocation decree — confirm before relying on exact figures.
Scienze dell’Architettura (Napoli Federico II)
ItalianPlaces for 2026/27
Total: 180
Seats are explicitly labelled "provvisori" (provisional) by the university pending the Ministry's final allocation decree — confirm before relying on exact figures.
International students & enrolment
Sources
TEST ARCHED results are valid only for the university where the test was taken (CISIA rule). This page states facts published by the university and CISIA; always confirm against the current admission notice before acting.
University Guide
Beyond admission: what this school is like, how it teaches architecture, and what studying here actually involves.
History
Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II was founded in 1224 by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, by imperial edict issued from Syracuse. It is widely described as the oldest state-funded, secular university in the world, founded specifically to train lay administrators for the Kingdom of Sicily rather than under Church patronage. It is one of the largest public universities in southern Italy.
Academic reputation
QS World University Rankings 2027 places Federico II at #401 globally; by subject it ranks 6th among Italy's largest universities across 31 disciplines assessed by QS.
Position in Italian architecture education
Federico II is the major architecture-training hub of southern Italy, comparable in scale and multi-track structure to Sapienza in Rome -- both run three parallel architecture entry points under one shared admission test.
International reputation
DiARC runs a confirmed dual-degree agreement with ENSA Paris-Malaquais (Diplome d'Etat d'Architecte plus Laurea Magistrale), an active, currently-running exchange track.
The architecture school
DiARC -- Dipartimento di Architettura (for Architettura and Scienze dell'Architettura); DICEA -- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Ambientale (for Ingegneria edile-architettura) — DiARC: Via Monteoliveto 3, Naples historic centre. DICEA: Fuorigrotta campus, Piazzale Tecchio 80
DiARC was established in 2012, replacing the former Facolta di Architettura at the same university, as part of the nationwide post-2010 reform that dissolved Italian Faculties in favour of Departments.
DiARC promotes "the culture of Architecture -- of planning, design and processes -- at all scales," built on synthesis of humanistic and technical-scientific knowledge. DICEA's coordinator explicitly frames the Ingegneria edile-architettura graduate as intended "to be hybrid" -- uniting humanistic, scientific and technical training in one 5-year path.
DiARC runs a Doctoral School, a Specialization School in Architectural Heritage and Landscape, and several other Master's-level programmes. All three programmes explicitly tie history-of-architecture teaching to field exercises in Naples's UNESCO-listed historic centre, plus Caserta (Reggia di Caserta, also UNESCO-listed) and Rome.
Curriculum by programme
Architettura (Napoli Federico II)
Year 1
Subjects: Fondamenti di storia dell'architettura; Analisi matematica I e geometria; Laboratorio di Disegno e rappresentazione dell'architettura; Cultura tecnologica della progettazione; Fondamenti di urbanistica; Laboratorio di progettazione architettonica e urbana 1
Skills developed: Representation fundamentals, quantitative reasoning, cultural-technological grounding, first design studio
Year 2
Subjects: Storia dell'architettura moderna; Analisi matematica II; Laboratorio di progettazione architettonica e urbana 2 (+ Architettura degli Interni); Laboratorio di Applicazioni di geometria descrittiva; Laboratorio di progettazione tecnologica e ambientale dell'architettura; Fondamenti di scienza delle costruzioni; Lingua inglese
Skills developed: Structural fundamentals, second design studio, technological/environmental design, deepened representation
Year 3
Subjects: Storia della citta e del paesaggio; Laboratorio di progettazione architettonica e urbana 3 (+ Architettura del paesaggio); Elementi di energetica ambientale; Scienza delle costruzioni; Tecnica della pianificazione urbanistica e governo del territorio; Rilievo dell'architettura
Skills developed: Landscape design, structural science, urban-planning technique, architectural survey
Year 4
Subjects: Teorie e storia del restauro; Progettazione tecnologica ecosistemica; Laboratorio di progettazione architettonica e urbana 4; Laboratorio di urbanistica e pianificazione territoriale; Laboratorio di Tecnica delle costruzioni; Laboratorio di Restauro architettonico; Estimo urbano e metodi di valutazione
Skills developed: Restoration theory and practice, technological/ecosystemic design, structural design, urban planning synthesis
Year 5
Subjects: Laboratorio di sintesi finale (Progettazione architettonica e urbana + Progettazione esecutiva + Progettazione urbanistica + Valutazioni integrate per la sostenibilita + Ottimizzazione energetico-ambientale + Progettazione strutturale); Tirocinio; Prova finale
Skills developed: Capstone integrated synthesis studio across design, structure and sustainability; professional internship; final thesis
Ingegneria edile-architettura (Napoli Federico II)
Year 1
Subjects: Storia dell'Architettura I (+lab); Disegno e Geometria delle Forme (+lab); Geometria; Analisi Matematica I; Fisica Generale; Tecnologia dei Materiali e Chimica Applicata; Lingua Inglese
Skills developed: Representation, architectural history, mathematics and materials science foundations
Year 2
Subjects: Analisi Matematica II; Meccanica Razionale; Storia dell'Architettura II; Modellazione Digitale Parametrica e BIM (+lab); Architettura Tecnica (+lab); Architettura e Composizione Architettonica I (+lab)
Skills developed: Rigid-body mechanics, BIM/parametric modelling introduced early, first design-composition studio
Year 3
Subjects: Rilievo dell'Architettura e dell'Ambiente Urbano (+lab); Governo delle Trasformazioni Urbane e Territoriali (+lab); Architettura e Composizione Architettonica II (+lab); Scienza delle Costruzioni; Fisica Tecnica Ambientale; Economia ed Estimo Civile
Skills developed: Structural science, environmental/economic appraisal, urban transformation planning, survey methods
Year 4
Subjects: Architettura e Composizione Architettonica III (+lab); Tecnica Urbanistica (+lab); Progettazione Edilizia e Sistemi Impiantistici (+lab); Tecnica delle Costruzioni (+lab); Costruzioni Idrauliche; Diritto e Antropologia (Diritto dell'Edilizia e dell'Urbanistica + Antropologia Urbana)
Skills developed: Advanced technical-architecture design, building-services engineering, structural design, hydraulic engineering
Year 5
Subjects: Fondazioni; Restauro Architettonico (+lab); Organizzazione del Cantiere (+lab); free-choice elective; integrative activities; Laboratorio/Tirocinio; Prova finale
Skills developed: Foundation engineering, restoration/conservation, construction-site organisation and management, thesis-level synthesis
Scienze dell’Architettura (Napoli Federico II)
Year 1
Subjects: Laboratorio di Disegno dell'Architettura (Disegno + Geometria descrittiva); Corso integrato di Istituzioni di Matematiche; Storia dell'Architettura 1; Cultura tecnologica per il progetto dell'habitat; Teoria e tecnica della progettazione architettonica; Fondamenti di urbanistica; Laboratorio di Fondamenti del Progetto di Architettura (Composizione + Meccanica e modellazione delle strutture)
Skills developed: Representation, mathematics, first design studio with structural concepts folded in from the outset (2023/24 curriculum reform)
Year 2
Subjects: Storia dell'Architettura 2; Scienza delle Costruzioni; Rilievo e Disegno Digitale per l'Architettura; Laboratorio di Architettura degli Interni; Laboratorio di Progettazione Tecnologica dell'Architettura; Laboratorio di Progettazione Architettonica; free-choice activities
Skills developed: Structural science, digital survey/drawing, technological design, interior architecture, consolidated design studio
Year 3
Subjects: Laboratorio di Progettazione Architettonica e Urbana (+ Estimo urbano); Laboratorio di Pianificazione Territoriale e Data Analysis; Tecnica delle Costruzioni; Fondamenti di Restauro Architettonico; Elementi di Energetica Ambientale; monodisciplinary elective; Final Atelier (paired-discipline specialisation); Prova finale
Skills developed: Growing autonomy via elective specialisation and a final two-discipline Atelier, capstone thesis
Educational characteristics
Design education
Architettura (LM-4, DiARC): 5 sequential Laboratorio di progettazione architettonica e urbana studios (Y1-Y4) culminating in a Year-5 integrated Laboratorio di Sintesi combining architecture, urbanism, structures and sustainability. Ingegneria edile-architettura (LM-4, DICEA): Composizione Architettonica studios in Y2-Y3 integrated with technical labs, design and construction taught side-by-side. Scienze dell'Architettura (L-17, DiARC): 3 laboratori plus a final two-discipline capstone Atelier.
Technical education
Notably heavier in Ingegneria edile-architettura, which carries dedicated named exams in Meccanica Razionale, Scienza+Tecnica delle Costruzioni, Fondazioni and Costruzioni Idrauliche not present as standalone exams in the other two tracks. Architettura and Scienze dell'Architettura both include Scienza delle Costruzioni and Tecnica delle Costruzioni but at proportionally lighter weight.
Historical & cultural education
Strong across all three: Architettura has 3 dedicated history-of-architecture exams plus a Laboratorio di Restauro Architettonico in Year 4; Ingegneria edile-architettura has Storia dell'Architettura I & II plus a Restauro Architettonico studio; Scienze dell'Architettura has Storia dell'Architettura 1 & 2 plus Fondamenti di Restauro Architettonico with a restoration/heritage elective Atelier option. All reference field exercises in Naples's historic centre, Caserta and Rome.
Digital education
Ingegneria edile-architettura has the most explicitly BIM-branded course: 'Modellazione Digitale Parametrica e BIM' (Year 2), introduced earlier than in the other two tracks. Architettura embeds digital/parametric representation within Disegno/Geometria descrittiva and Sistemi Informativi Territoriali (Y4). Scienze dell'Architettura offers Rilievo e Disegno Digitale per l'Architettura (Y2) plus a digital-fabrication Atelier elective.
Laboratory activities
Strict propaedeutic (prerequisite) chains govern lab sequencing in all three programmes -- e.g. Architettura's final Laboratorio di Sintesi requires Restauro, Urbanistica, Tecnica delle costruzioni and Estimo all to be passed first.
What makes it different
Naples's dense, UNESCO-listed historic urban fabric is used directly as a teaching resource, with field exercises specified in official course descriptions (Naples, Caserta, Rome). All three programmes share one admission test and one application, with candidates ranking programme preferences -- test performance alone determines which of the three tracks (and thus which professional path) a student enters, mirroring Sapienza's structure exactly. Ingegneria edile-architettura uniquely allows graduates to sit the State Exam for Architetto, Ingegnere Civile e Ambientale, or both.
Is this university right for you?
A good fit if you: want the scale and choice of southern Italy's largest architecture hub (three parallel entry points under one test), want to study inside Naples's UNESCO-listed historic centre, and want a low cost of living.
Less suitable if you: are put off by a large, dense, sometimes chaotic metropolis, or want a single unambiguous programme rather than choosing among three.
International environment
International students
All three programmes are taught in Italian, with English required only as a B1-level competency exam, not as an instruction language.
Exchange programmes
DiARC runs an active, structured Erasmus+ programme with dedicated departmental delegates for each programme individually, including both Architettura and Scienze dell'Architettura specifically -- confirming both tracks have live outbound/inbound mobility.
Erasmus
A confirmed dual-degree track exists with ENSA Paris-Malaquais for Architettura students.
International partnerships
ENSA Paris-Malaquais dual degree (Architettura). DICEA also runs a separate English-taught Master's in Transportation Engineering and Mobility, confirming departmental capacity for English instruction elsewhere.
Career
Career outcomes
Architettura (LM-4) graduates: independent practice, architecture/design firms, senior technical roles on city/landscape/environmental projects, registering as full Architetto (Sezione A) after the Esame di Stato. Ingegneria edile-architettura (LM-4) graduates: uniquely may sit the State Exam for Architetto, Ingegnere Civile e Ambientale, or both. Scienze dell'Architettura (L-17) graduates: register as Architetto Iunior (Sezione B) -- restricted scope (simple civil construction, survey work, site supervision, cost estimation) -- with reserved/privileged direct admission into LM-4 Architettura for those continuing toward full registration.
Internships
Architettura embeds a mandatory Tirocinio (4 CFU) in Year 5. Ingegneria edile-architettura embeds a 3-CFU Tirocinio in Year 5. Scienze dell'Architettura requires a mandatory 3-CFU internship (minimum 75 hours), undertaken from the third year onward.
Professional qualification pathway
Architettura and Ingegneria edile-architettura (both LM-4 c.u.) lead to full professional registration after the Esame di Stato. Scienze dell'Architettura (L-17) leads only to Architetto Iunior (Sezione B), with explicitly reserved admission into LM-4 Architettura for continuation to full registration.
Student life
Living cost level: Low
Naples is consistently among the cheaper large Italian cities for rent and daily living relative to Milan, Bologna or Rome -- this is a general characterisation, not sourced from an official or precisely verified cost-of-living figure.
DiARC's two programmes (Architettura, Scienze dell'Architettura) are based at Via Monteoliveto in the dense historic city centre, while Ingegneria edile-architettura is based at the Fuorigrotta campus, Naples's main engineering-faculty district -- a genuine practical difference between the two department locations.
Naples offers immense architectural/cultural immersion (UNESCO historic centre, Reggia di Caserta nearby) directly relevant to architecture study, alongside the well-documented social and infrastructural challenges of a large, dense southern Italian metropolis.
Admission at a glance
For exact seats, dates and fees, see the admissions section above — this is a qualitative summary only.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Architettura, Ingegneria edile-architettura, and Scienze dell'Architettura at Federico II?
All three share one admission test (ARCHED) and one department-linked application, but lead to different qualifications: Architettura (5-year LM-4, DiARC) and Ingegneria edile-architettura (5-year LM-4, DICEA) both qualify for full Architetto/Ingegnere registration, while Scienze dell'Architettura (3-year L-17, DiARC) leads to the more limited Architetto Iunior qualification, with reserved access into an LM-4 for those who want to continue.
Can I become a full architect through Scienze dell'Architettura alone?
Not directly -- the 3-year L-17 degree qualifies graduates only for the Architetto Iunior (Albo Sezione B) registration. Full Architetto registration (Sezione A) requires continuing into an LM-4 programme, for which Scienze dell'Architettura graduates at Federico II have reserved/privileged admission.
Why would someone choose Ingegneria edile-architettura over Architettura?
Ingegneria edile-architettura, run by Federico II's civil engineering department (DICEA), carries a heavier structural/technical curriculum and is the only one of the three that lets graduates sit the State Exam for architect, civil/environmental engineer, or both.
Does Federico II teach architecture in English?
No -- all three programmes are taught in Italian, with English required only as a B1-level competency exam. Erasmus+ exchange and an ENSA Paris-Malaquais dual-degree track exist for DiARC's Architettura programme.
Prepare for the test
Study the same TEST ARCHED syllabus with cards, practice questions and mock exams.
- Research and data verification
- IMATNOTE Team
- Architecture review
- RYU
- Academic year
- 2026/27
- Last verified
- 26 July 2026
Applying from outside the EU? The non-EU application guide covers pre-enrolment, the study visa and qualification recognition. Common questions are answered separately.