Overview
Ca’ Foscari began as a school of commerce and that legacy still shapes it: economics, management and business are its best-known departments, alongside an exceptional school of languages that includes one of the largest Asian studies programmes in Europe. Environmental sciences and sustainability have grown rapidly, which makes sense for a university in a lagoon city facing rising sea levels, and the humanities, cultural heritage and international relations departments are substantial.
The university has one of the broadest English-taught offers among Italy’s mid-sized state universities, with bachelor’s degrees in areas such as economics, business and philosophy and a long list of English master’s degrees across economics, management, data science, environmental sciences, languages and international studies. The international office runs centralised admissions with clear rounds and scholarship calls for non-EU applicants.
Studying in Venice is unlike anything else. Lectures take place in historic palazzi on the canals, and the daily commute is on foot or by vaporetto. It is also small, expensive and dominated by tourism, and most students live on the mainland in Mestre, where the science campus is based. We tell applicants to see Venice as a privilege with a practical cost, and to plan housing on the mainland from the start.
Who it suits
Ca’ Foscari suits students in economics, management, languages, Asian studies, environmental science and international relations who want a distinctive setting and a strong English-taught catalogue. It is a good fit for applicants who are organised about housing, happy to commute from the mainland, and interested in the cultural and environmental questions a city like Venice raises.
What to check before applying
- Check whether your programme is on the islands, in Mestre or at the via Torino science site.
- Review the application rounds for non-EU students, which open early for English-taught degrees.
- Apply to ESU Venezia for residence places as soon as the call opens, including mainland options.
- Budget for the vaporetto or train commute if you live in Mestre.
- Confirm the English certificate level required for your programme.