Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna
Architettura-Ingegneria (L-17) · Italian
Last checked: 26 July 2026
2026/27 admissions at a glance
This university runs 2 TEST ARCHED programmes. Seats, deadlines and fees are per programme and are never merged into one figure.
Architettura (Bologna — Cesena campus) — Cesena
Degree taught in Italian
Official admission notice · Official programme page · Tuition schedule · Checked: 26 July 2026
Architettura-Ingegneria (Bologna) — Bologna
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 (Bologna — Cesena campus)
ItalianPlaces for 2026/27
Total: 100
Unused non-EU-abroad seats roll into the main EU/Italian ranking. Seat numbers subject to confirmation by ministerial decree. No separate Marco Polo allocation stated in this bando.
Architettura-Ingegneria (Bologna)
ItalianPlaces for 2026/27
Total: 84
Unfilled non-EU seats revert to the general (EU/equivalent) pool.
International students & enrolment
Sources
- Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna — official site
- Official admission notice
- CISIA — TEST ARCHED
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 di Bologna is documented as the oldest university in the world, founded in 1088 and still bearing the motto "Alma Mater Studiorum". It is one of Italy's largest state universities, with roughly 90,000+ students across multiple campuses (Bologna, Cesena, Forli, Ravenna, Rimini) plus a Buenos Aires site.
Academic reputation
In the CENSIS 2025-2026 Italian ranking, Bologna places 2nd nationally among Italy's largest universities (87.7 points). It is not a specialist architecture polytechnic, so it does not appear in CENSIS's narrower 'Politecnici' sub-ranking, which is led by Politecnico di Milano; Bologna's architecture strength should be understood as breadth-and-history-driven rather than specialist-ranking-driven.
Position in Italian architecture education
A large, multidisciplinary university where architecture sits inside a dedicated Department of Architecture rather than a standalone architecture-focused institution (unlike Politecnico di Milano/Torino or IUAV Venezia). This gives students a full-university ecosystem -- Bologna's cultural and urban life, a medieval city fabric as a live case study, cross-faculty breadth -- rather than a mono-discipline campus.
International reputation
The Department of Architecture is listed under QS World University Rankings by Subject for Architecture & Built Environment on its own site, though the exact current numeric rank was not independently confirmed.
The architecture school
Dipartimento di Architettura (DA) -- runs both programmes — Administrative headquarters in Cesena; teaching and research also in Bologna and Ravenna
DA was formed in 2012 (under Italian university reform Law 240/2010) by merging two prior traditions: the "Aldo Rossi" Faculty of Architecture, based in Cesena, and the Institute of Architecture and Town Planning that had been part of the Faculty of Engineering in Bologna since 1935. This merger is the direct historical reason the university now offers two distinct architecture-track programmes on two different campuses.
DA describes its mission as training professionals to address contemporary urban and architectural challenges through multidisciplinary education, integrating design with technological innovation across construction, urban planning and heritage conservation.
A comparatively young faculty (average age around 40) working across composition, technology, urban planning and heritage conservation, split across two pedagogically distinct tracks: a humanities-integrated architecture school lineage (Cesena) and an engineering-school lineage (Bologna).
Curriculum by programme
Architettura (Bologna — Cesena campus)
Year 1
Subjects: English Language B2; Architectural Drawing I; Graphic Computing Lab; Technical Representation; Architectural Composition I; Building Distribution Characteristics I; City and Landscape Drawing; Mathematics
Skills developed: Foundational drafting, spatial representation, basic design vocabulary, quantitative reasoning
Year 2
Subjects: Urban Planning Elements; Mathematics II; Environmental Design; Technological Design; Architectural Drawing/Graphic Analysis; Interior Architecture; Architectural Composition II; Building Distribution Characteristics II; Architectural History II; Structures and Statics in Architecture
Skills developed: First structural literacy, technological/environmental design thinking, expanding composition skill
Year 3
Subjects: Urban Technique; Urban Planning; Environmental Physics II; Executive Architectural Design; Construction Science; Architectural Composition III; Composition Theories; Architectural Survey and Urban Documentation; Architectural History III; Restoration Theories and History
Skills developed: Construction detailing, urban-scale design, survey/documentation methods, entry into restoration theory
Year 4
Subjects: Aesthetics; Architectural Restoration Lab (Historic Building Material Conservation + Architectural Restoration); Urban and Public Works Legislation; Internship; Construction Architecture Lab II (Structure Design + Theory); Architectural Design Lab IV (Landscape Architecture + Composition)
Skills developed: Integrated restoration practice, structural design competence, first professional internship exposure
Year 5
Subjects: Economic Evaluation of Projects; Final Thesis; Thesis Laboratory (choice of museum architecture, archaeological architecture, sustainable architecture, urban design, or historical restoration/landscape conservation track)
Skills developed: Capstone specialisation, economic/professional evaluation of projects, thesis-level design synthesis
Architettura-Ingegneria (Bologna)
Year 1
Subjects: Drawing of Architecture T-1 + Lab; English B1; CAD Drawing Lab; Architecture and Architectural Composition T-1 + Lab; General Physics T; History of Architecture T-1; Mathematical Analysis T-1
Skills developed: Representation fundamentals, first composition studio, physics/maths base
Year 2
Subjects: Mathematical Analysis T-2; Drawing of Architecture T-2 + Lab; History of Architecture T-2 + Lab; Architecture and Architectural Composition T-2 + Lab; Estimation T; Rational Mechanics T; Internship T
Skills developed: Mechanics/statics groundwork, cost estimation, first structured (credit-bearing) internship
Year 3
Subjects: Technical Architecture T-1 + Lab; Environmental Technical Physics T; Urban Planning T + Lab; Restoration Lab T; Science of Structures T + Lab; Final Thesis; electives (Geotechnics Fundamentals, Photogrammetry for Architecture, Geology, Historical Construction Techniques)
Skills developed: Structural science, urban planning, technical/executive architecture, exposure to restoration and geotechnics -- a more engineering-weighted final year than the Cesena programme
Educational characteristics
Design education
Architettura (Cesena, LM-4): design is taught through 'constant confrontation with concrete problems', delivered via dedicated studio labs combining project disciplines (architectural, urban, technological, restoration) with historical and technical instruction, plus visiting foreign architects as semester-long professors. Architettura-Ingegneria (Bologna, L-17): applied, multidisciplinary labs paired with theory under the stated motto 'Conoscere, Progettare, Costruire' (Know, Design, Build) -- a more structurally-integrated approach to design studio than Cesena's.
Technical education
Bologna's L-17 is structurally denser and front-loaded earlier: General Physics and Rational Mechanics from Year 1-2, then Science of Structures plus a Technical Architecture Lab in Year 3. Cesena's LM-4 builds structural competence more gradually: Structures and Statics (Year 2), Construction Science (Year 3), then a dedicated Structure Design/Theory lab in Year 4.
Historical & cultural education
Cesena's LM-4 runs restoration as a full disciplinary strand: three sequential Architectural History courses (Years 1-3), Restoration Theories and History (Year 3), and a dedicated Architectural Restoration Lab (Year 4) -- not an elective add-on. Bologna's L-17 carries a lighter-touch equivalent: two History of Architecture courses (Years 1-2) and one Restoration Lab in Year 3.
Digital education
Cesena: a Graphic Computing Lab in Year 1 plus elective labs in parametric design, photography and modelmaking, and access to "advanced spaces and technologies for prototypes, models, virtual and photographic representations." Bologna: a CAD Drawing Lab in Year 1 and specialised graphic software for digital modelling.
Laboratory activities
Cesena runs international workshops and study trips abroad alongside its studio labs. Bologna structures its Year-2 internship as a formal, credit-bearing course (Internship T, 6 CFU) rather than an informal placement.
What makes it different
The two-programme, two-campus structure is a direct legacy of DA's 2012 merger, not a redundancy: Cesena's LM-4 (Architettura) continues a classical, humanities-integrated architecture-school lineage leading to full Architetto registration (Sezione A), while Bologna's L-17 (Architettura-Ingegneria) continues an engineering-school lineage training a hybrid 'engineer-architect' for new construction and building recovery, leading to the more limited Architetto Iunior / Ingegnere Iunior registration (Sezione B). Cesena is also markedly cheaper to live in than Bologna, a genuine practical differentiator between the two otherwise-related tracks.
Is this university right for you?
A good fit if you: want to choose between a classical, humanities-integrated 5-year path (Cesena) and a technically-weighted 3-year path (Bologna city), and value studying at the world's oldest university.
Less suitable if you: want a single, unambiguous architecture identity rather than having to choose between two structurally different programmes at two different campuses.
International environment
International students
Both programmes are Italian-taught; no English-taught track was found for either. A separate English-taught Master's, "Architecture and Creative Practices for the City and Landscape", exists at Bologna but is a distinct programme not covered here.
Exchange programmes
Cesena hosts recognised foreign architects as visiting professors for full semesters and runs international workshops and study trips abroad; Bologna supports study-abroad experiences and international internships. Exact Erasmus participation numbers per programme were not found in official sources.
Erasmus
Cesena's campus runs a dedicated International Relations Office supporting Erasmus and incoming exchange students, including Italian-language courses for exchange students.
International partnerships
Cesena's LM-4 programme page specifically mentions a dual/multiple-degree ('titolo doppio/multiplo') pathway option.
Career
Career outcomes
Architettura (LM-4, Cesena) graduates register, after the Esame di Stato, in Sezione A of the Albo degli Architetti as full Architetto, entitled to sign off on the complete range of architectural design services. Architettura-Ingegneria (L-17, Bologna) graduates register in Sezione B of the Albo degli Architetti (Architetto Iunior) and/or Sezione B of the Albo degli Ingegneri (civil/environmental sector); typical destinations include freelance or associated professional studios, architecture-and-engineering firms, technical roles in construction-materials companies, and technical roles in public administration.
Internships
Bologna's L-17 embeds internship as a formal, credit-bearing course (Internship T, 6 CFU) in Year 2. Cesena's LM-4 includes an internship as part of the Year-4 lab sequence, structured differently from Bologna's dedicated course.
Professional qualification pathway
LM-4 c.u. (Cesena, Architettura) is the direct path to full Architetto registration (Sezione A) after the Esame di Stato. L-17 (Bologna, Architettura-Ingegneria) leads only to Sezione B registration (Architetto Iunior, or Ingegnere Iunior in the civil/environmental sector) -- a more limited professional tier requiring further Master's-level study for full registration.
Student life
Living cost level: High
Bologna: secondary sources put a single room around EUR400/month or more plus utilities, a double room around EUR300/month plus utilities, weekly groceries around EUR60, and a livable monthly budget of roughly EUR800-1,000 including rent, transport and leisure. Cesena: markedly lower, with single rooms around EUR200-300/month including expenses and double rooms around EUR160-200/month including expenses.
Bologna's housing market is competitive and expensive relative to Cesena, which the university itself generally describes as more affordable than Bologna and other Romagna campuses.
Bologna is a large, historic, culturally dense university city with roughly 90,000 Unibo students city-wide and a rich student life, but a competitive housing market. Cesena is a smaller, dedicated Romagna campus town with a quieter, lower-cost environment.
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 the Bologna and Cesena architecture programmes at Unibo?
Both are run by the same Department of Architecture, but they are different degrees on different campuses: Architettura is a 5-year single-cycle Master's (LM-4) in Cesena leading to full Architetto qualification, while Architettura-Ingegneria is a 3-year Bachelor's (L-17) in Bologna leading to the more limited Architetto Iunior qualification, with a more engineering-weighted curriculum.
Which Unibo architecture programme should I choose if I want to become a licensed architect?
The Cesena LM-4 single-cycle Master's (Architettura) is the direct path -- it grants access to Sezione A of the Italian Albo degli Architetti after the state exam. The Bologna L-17 leads only to Sezione B (Architetto Iunior) unless followed by further Master's-level study.
Is Bologna a good place to study architecture given it's the world's oldest university?
Bologna brings nine centuries of academic tradition and ranks 2nd nationally among Italy's largest universities (CENSIS 2025-26), but its architecture programmes sit within a general university rather than a dedicated architecture polytechnic like Politecnico di Milano, which leads Italy's specialist architecture/engineering rankings.
Is it cheaper to live in Cesena or Bologna as an architecture student?
Cesena is notably cheaper -- single rooms run roughly EUR200-300/month versus EUR400+/month in Bologna -- making the Cesena LM-4 programme the lower-cost option for housing specifically.
Are Unibo's architecture programmes taught in English?
No -- both the Cesena LM-4 (Architettura) and the Bologna L-17 (Architettura-Ingegneria) are taught entirely in Italian; a separate English-taught Master's exists at Bologna but is not part of these two tracks.
Prepare for the test
Study the same TEST ARCHED syllabus with cards, practice questions and mock exams.
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- 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.