To help international students whose native language is not Italian develop the Italian language skills required to obtain their degree, we are introducing a new service offering online Italian language classes taught by specialized instructors. The full schedule will be announced in due course.

Our general plan is to offer:

• Basic-level classes twice a year

• Intermediate-level classes once a year

Please note that these classes are intended to complement, not replace, participation in the Italian language courses regularly offered by the University. Further information is available on the University's Italian language courses website.

This service is currently in an experimental phase. We therefore ask for your cooperation, understanding, and patience as we work to improve it.

First edition: November 2026

The first class will start in November and will consist of 30 hours of online lessons, held in the evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Attendance is mandatory: students who enroll must attend at least 80% of the total course hours.

Please consider your current academic commitments carefully before applying. If you feel that you cannot guarantee regular attendance at this time, please do not worry: further editions of the course will be offered in 2027.

As the number of places available in this first edition is limited, applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability.

How to apply

To apply for the first edition, send an email to the Master's Degree Programme Coordinator at giovanni.gallo@unict.it no later than 12:00 noon on October 27, 2026.

Please include the following information in your email:

1. Full name and surname

2. Student ID (matriculation number)

3. Country of origin

4. Academic year of enrollment in the Data Science Master's Degree Programme

5. Your self-assessed level of Italian proficiency: very low, low, basic, or reasonably sufficient

You will be informed whether you have been admitted to the class within approximately one week of the application deadline.

One final reminder: please apply only if you are confident that you can commit to attending the lessons regularly and meet the minimum attendance requirement. We want to ensure that the available places go to students who can fully benefit from this opportunity.

We look forward to helping you improve your Italian language skills and make the most of your experience at the University of Catania.