Do You Need Italian? English-Taught Degrees, Honestly Assessed

Italy now offers hundreds of Bachelor's and Master's programmes taught entirely in English, concentrated in engineering, computer science, economics, management, design and international relations. Admission to these requires English proficiency — usually IELTS 6.0–6.5 or equivalent — and no Italian at all.

The part nobody tells you

Your lectures will be in English. Your rental contract will not be. Neither will the questura appointment for your permesso di soggiorno, the pharmacy, the utility provider, the part-time job at the café, or the regional scholarship helpline.

Students who arrive with zero Italian universally describe the first three months as harder than the coursework. Students who arrive at A2 describe them as manageable.

A realistic plan

Start Italian at home, before departure, at whatever pace you can sustain — thirty minutes a day for six months puts you at a functional A1/A2. Most Italian universities then offer free or heavily subsidised Italian courses to enrolled students; take one in your first semester while your schedule is lightest.

By your second year, B1 Italian meaningfully widens your part-time work options and your internship pool. By graduation, B2 is close to a requirement for most Italian employers outside the multinational bracket — which is the difference between a stay-back permit that converts to a job and one that quietly expires.