FOUNDATION YEAR AT THE UNIVERSITY FOR FOREIGNERS OF SIENA (A.Y. 2024/2025)
Having reached its sixth edition, the University for Foreigners of Siena has launched a one-year preparatory educational program named “Foundation Year”.
Such a preparatory course aims at representing an ideal bridge in order to facilitate students with different educational backgrounds who wish to enroll in Italian Universities and Academies. Thanks to this program, international students will have the opportunity to improve their language and communicative competence, as well as to familiarize with pedagogical and study methods traditionally belonging to European contexts.
WHO ARE THE TARGET STUDENTS?
- International students with an educational background of less than 12 years who aim at enrolling in Bachelor Degree courses within an Italian University;
- All the students who need to integrate and enrich their own study program with the purpose of joining Italian universities.
HOW TO APPLY
Students are required to:
1. Fill and send to the University of Foreigners of Siena (foundationyear@unistrasi.it) a Declaration of Interest in the “Foundation Year”, together with the Declaration of Legal Value of their last degree and a copy of their Passport.
2. If the application is declared eligible, students will be emailed an admission letter.
3. Admitted students must register on the Universitaly platform and apply for the pre-enrollment (read our guidelines). Once obtained it, they must present the admission letter of our program and the validation from Universitaly to the Italian Representation in their country in order to obtain the study Visa.
The University for Foreigners of Siena reserves the right to verify the language and educational level of students with an incoming test that might be carried out before admission to the program.
The Program will be activated with a minimum of 10 students, until full capacity.
STUDY PROGRAM
The Foundation Year aims at offering students a solid preparation in Linguistics, Pedagogy, Philology and Literature, History and Art Studies. Taking into consideration learners’ prospective studies, specific study programs based on macro-disciplinary contents might be additionally planned and implemented:
STUDENTS OF HUMANITIES
STUDENTS OF SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES
STUDENTS OF ECONOMICS DISCIPLINES
STUDENTS OF MUSICAL DISCIPLINES
FOOD SCIENCES AND CULTURES
FOUNDATION CREDITS
At the end of the Foundation Year students will obtain 60 Foundation Credits aiming at integrating their study program and allowing them to join the Degree courses. Such ECTS credits, however, will not allow students to reduce the total number of credits they will have to obtain during their Degree courses.
COURSE TIMETABLE
October 1st 2024 – May 24th 2025
EXAMS SCHEDULE
mid-January – mid-February 2025
June – July 2025
ATTENDANCE
Class attendance of all Foundation Year courses is mandatory. You will attend all courses in person in Siena.
BASIC LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR INCOMING STUDENTS AND LANGUAGE LEVEL FOR OUTGOING STUDENTS
OPTION A: Students can join the Foundation Year with at least B1- level (CEFR) incoming language competence in Italian.
At the end of the Foundation Year at least an outgoing B2 - level (CEFR) competence in Italian will be assured. This corresponds to the level required by Italian Universities for admission in a Degree course.
OPTION B: Students can join the Foundation Year with at least A2 - level (CEFR) incoming language competence in Italian
At the end of the Foundation Year an outgoing B1 - level (CEFR) (or superior) competence in Italian will be assured.
OPTION C: Students can join the Foundation Year with at least A1 - level (CEFR) incoming language competence in Italian
At the end of the Foundation Year an outgoing B1 - level (CEFR) (or superior) competence in Italian will be assured.
OPTION D: Students who already have a competence of B2 in Italian can join the Foundation Year with a reduction of the program. They will be exempted from the language course and their program will start on February (instead than October).
It is possible to opt for Option D until November 30th of each year.
OPTION E: Students with the status of refugees, asylum seekers or temporary protection can apply for the Foundation Year at a reduced rate.
FEES
In order to take part in the Foundation Year (students of Humanities, Scientific Discipilines, Economics and Musical Disciplines) is required a tuition fee of:
OPTION A: € 4.800,00 per student
OPTION B: € 5.500,00 per student
OPTION C: € 5.800,00 per student
OPTION D: € 2.240,00 per student
OPTION E: € 1.000,00 per student
In order to take part in the Foundation Year within the program "Food Sciences and Cultures", conditions are described here.
The fees include a revenue stamp of € 16,00.
At the end of the program students can get an official transcript by paying a revenue stamp of € 16,00.
The Foundation Year is considered concluded (as a deadline) on October 15th of each year.
APPLICATION CONDITIONS
- At the time of registration, a non-refundable fee of € 1.000,00 will be required in order to obtain the letter of acceptance (options A, B, C, D, E). Applications are open from February 1st to August 31st every year (until November 30th only for option D).
- The balance of the registration fee must be paid within 30 days from the issuing of the visa, and in any case by 31 October.
- In case of rejection of the visa, the non-refundable fee of € 1.000,00 will be used in order to get 8 ECTS credits of Italian language (equivalent to 160 hours of on-line Italian language course delivered during the period October - March).
APPLICATION THROUGH RECOGNIZED AGENTS OR PARTNERS
In case of application through agents or recognized partners, it will be possible to appy the following discounts to the contact person, via specific agreements:
- 20% for each student of the group who obtains the visa, attends and completes the course and pays the entire fee (at least 20 students up to 49). In any case students will be asked to pay the non-refundable fee of € 1.000,00.
- 25% for each student of the group who obtains the visa, attends and completes the course and pays the entire fee (for groups of at least 50 students). In any case students will be asked to pay the non-refundable fee of € 1.000,00.
The discounts will be applied to the contact person of the agency at the end of the course.
JAPANESE VERSION