Università degli Studi G. d’Annunzio Chieti–Pescara
Architettura (LM-4 c.u.) · Italian
Last checked: 26 July 2026
2026/27 admissions at a glance
Architettura (Chieti-Pescara) — Pescara
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 (Chieti-Pescara)
ItalianPlaces for 2026/27
Total: 125
Marco Polo additional: bando mandates THREE distinct rankings (EU / non-EU abroad / Marco Polo). Quotas provisional pending MUR decree.
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 "G. d'Annunzio" originated from a 1955 initiative of the Chieti and Pescara municipal administrations; the recognition decree was signed in March 1965, naming it after the Pescara-born writer Gabriele D'Annunzio. It became a state university in 1982, and today spans 13 departments and 2 Schools across the Chieti (legal seat) and Pescara (Architecture, Economics, Legal/Social Sciences, Modern Languages) campuses.
Academic reputation
Older ranking figures (Il Sole 24 Ore, 2017: 27th among Italian public universities) are dated; no current national ranking was confirmed.
Position in Italian architecture education
A mid-sized, regionally-rooted school with a nationally-programmed LM-4 c.u. seat quota, rather than one of Italy's flagship architecture schools.
The architecture school
DdA -- Dipartimento di Architettura, Pescara — Viale Pindaro, Pescara
DdA was constituted in 2012 from the merger of pre-existing departments inside the former Facolta di Architettura, whose own foundation dates to the end of the 1960s.
The Pescara school states it has "a recognised historical and cultural identity" as a place of shared ideas and teaching methodologies integrating diverse scientific cultures linked to city/territory design and heritage conservation, in a medium-sized department (~1,600 students across 4 degree programmes) that emphasises a good student/faculty ratio.
DdA operates a Fab Lab and a Draw Lab, plus a dedicated departmental library and access to the shared Biblioteca Interfacoltà.
Curriculum by programme
Architettura (Chieti-Pescara)
Year 1
Subjects: Geometria Descrittiva; Storia dell'Architettura 1; Matematica; Composizione Architettonica 1 (annual studio); Urbanistica 1; Materiali e Progettazione di Elementi Costruttivi
Skills developed: Descriptive geometry, architectural history, mathematics, first design studio, urban planning fundamentals
Year 2
Subjects: Storia dell'Architettura 2; Progettazione di Sistemi Costruttivi (incl. BIM); Statica delle Strutture; Composizione Architettonica 2 (annual studio); Urbanistica 2; Rilevamento dell'Architettura; Lingua Straniera
Skills developed: Building-systems design with BIM introduction, statics, second design studio, architectural survey
Year 3
Subjects: Fisica Tecnica; Scienza delle Costruzioni; Composizione Architettonica 3 (annual studio); Restauro Architettonico 1; Disegno dell'Architettura (incl. parametric/BIM); Design e Progettazione Tecnologica; Diritto Edilizio e Urbanistico
Skills developed: Structural science, restoration theory, technological design, building/urban law
Year 4
Subjects: Restauro Architettonico 2; Progettazione Urbanistica; Progettazione Ambientale; Composizione Architettonica 4 (annual studio); Tecnica delle Costruzioni; Storia dell'Architettura 3
Skills developed: Advanced restoration practice, environmental design, structural design, contemporary architectural history
Year 5
Subjects: Estimo; one monodisciplinary elective from six thesis tracks; Laboratorio di Tesi di Laurea; Tirocinio (11 CFU); Prova Finale (15 CFU)
Skills developed: Applied practice via internship, choice of specialisation track (design, urban planning, technology/design, restoration, history, or representation), thesis-level synthesis
Educational characteristics
Design education
Four annual "Composizione Architettonica" studios (Years 1-4, 14 CFU/140 hours each), explicitly staged by scale/complexity: single dwelling scale in Y1, collective-residential building of medium urban complexity in Y2, public-use building with territorial/infrastructural relations in Y3, and complex urban/territorial transformation in Y4.
Technical education
A clear structural sequence with formal prerequisites: Statica delle Strutture then Scienza delle Costruzioni then Tecnica delle Costruzioni, covering reinforced concrete, steel and timber structural design including seismic verification -- notably relevant given Abruzzo's seismic context.
Historical & cultural education
Storia dell'Architettura 1-3 (chronologically staged from mid-1700s to contemporary) plus Restauro Architettonico 1-2, moving from theoretical/historical grounding to hands-on site-based restoration practice with support from Soprintendenze professionals.
Digital education
BIM is explicitly built into the core curriculum (Progettazione di Sistemi Costruttivi introduces BIM; Disegno dell'Architettura addresses parametric design and BIM), plus an elective "Advanced BIM" module and "Disegno digitale avanzato" course, and an English-taught elective "Integrated Digital Heritage: 3D Surveying, Optimization and Interpretation."
Laboratory activities
Each of the four Composizione Architettonica studios runs an intensive 40-hour September workshop, and a Summer School (1-11 September) offers the most design-heavy Year-5 electives in workshop form, drawing students from 15 universities across 12 European countries in some editions.
What makes it different
An elective module explicitly titled 'Consolidamento delle costruzioni storiche / Progettazione in area sismica' and official references to the region's post-earthquake reconstruction sites (Abruzzo's 2009 and 2016 earthquakes) signal a genuine seismic-zone specialisation. The department's medium scale (~1,600 students total) is explicitly framed as enabling a strong, sustained student-faculty relationship. Year 5 offers six named thesis/specialisation tracks with interdisciplinary crossover: Progettazione Architettonica e Costruzione, Progettazione Urbanistica e Pianificazione, Progettazione Tecnologica dell'Architettura e Design, Restauro e Conservazione, Storia dell'Architettura Moderna e Contemporanea, and Rappresentazione dell'Architettura e dell'Ambiente.
Is this university right for you?
A good fit if you: want a genuine seismic-design specialisation option, value a medium-sized department with a strong student-faculty ratio, and want an affordable Adriatic coastal city.
Less suitable if you: want one of Italy's largest or most internationally known architecture schools.
International environment
International students
Five dedicated English-language elective courses (5 CFU each) exist: Urban Morphology and Building Typology, Planned Maintenance Strategies for Architectural Heritage, Urban Design, Consolidation of Historical Buildings, and Integrated Digital Heritage. The core curriculum itself is taught in Italian.
Exchange programmes
DdA holds Erasmus bilateral agreements with universities across roughly 18 countries including Albania, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, Mexico, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Turkey.
Erasmus
Funded mobility requires students to earn at least 12 CFU abroad.
Career
Career outcomes
After the Esame di Stato, graduates enrol in the Albo professionale degli Architetti, Pianificatori, Paesaggisti e Conservatori (Architetto PPC). Typical outcomes: private-sector design/consulting studios and building-production companies; public-sector local government, Soprintendenze and technical territorial offices, including project management on complex sites such as post-earthquake reconstruction works.
Internships
Mandatory internship of 11 CFU in Year 5, aimed at professional practice, administrative procedures and site management -- can be carried out at Italian or foreign practices under agreement with the department.
Professional qualification pathway
LM-4 c.u. leads to Esame di Stato eligibility and Architetto PPC registration.
Student life
Living cost level: Low
No official cost-of-living page was located. Pescara is a mid-sized Adriatic coastal city (~120,000 residents) with rents and general living costs consistently and substantially lower than Milan, Rome, Bologna or Turin.
Pescara offers direct rail/motorway/air links (Abruzzo Airport).
A beach/seafront lifestyle city with a walkable historic centre; the campus sits along the "via verde," a planned green-infrastructure corridor linking the courthouse district, new tertiary/residential areas and the university buildings.
Admission at a glance
For exact seats, dates and fees, see the admissions section above — this is a qualitative summary only.
Frequently asked questions
Quanti anni dura Architettura a Chieti-Pescara?
E' una laurea magistrale a ciclo unico (LM-4) di 5 anni, 300 CFU, con sede a Pescara (Viale Pindaro).
Cosa si studia nei 5 anni?
Si passa da Geometria Descrittiva, Storia dell'Architettura e Composizione Architettonica 1 (I anno) fino a Composizione Architettonica 4, Tecnica delle Costruzioni e Storia dell'Architettura 3 (IV anno), per poi scegliere al V anno uno tra sei percorsi tematici di laurea, oltre a tirocinio (11 CFU) e tesi (15 CFU).
La laurea abilita alla professione di Architetto?
Dopo il superamento dell'Esame di Stato, ci si iscrive all'Albo degli Architetti, Pianificatori, Paesaggisti e Conservatori (Architetto PPC).
Ci sono corsi in inglese o programmi Erasmus?
Si: cinque corsi opzionali sono erogati interamente in inglese, e il Dipartimento ha accordi Erasmus attivi con atenei in oltre 15 paesi europei ed extraeuropei.
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.