Polytechnic University of Milan

Established in 1863, the Polytechnic University of Milan is the largest technical university in Italy and the oldest in Milan. It specialises in design and architecture, and has also established an positive reputation for its proficiency in engineering. Amongst elegant Italian surroundings, students have easy access to the fashion and artistic metropolis of Milan – a crux of creativity to inspire their designs. Bathed in glorious sunshine for the majority of the year, the city is home to an astounding cathedral, an extensive cultural milieu and world-class cuisine. It has a vast transport network – including three international airports – and, despite its urban setting, Milan has many regional parks. The university’s seven campuses are spread across northern Italy: the main two in Milan, with the other five in the Lombardy and Emilia Romagna regions. It has four Schools: Architecture, Urban Planning, Construction and Engineering (on the Milano Bovisa, Milano Leonardo, Lecco, Mantova and Piacenza campuses); Design (Milano Bovisa); Civil, Environmental and Land Management Engineering (Milano Leonardo, Como and Lecco); and Industrial and Information Engineering (Milano Bovisa, Milano Leonardo, Como, Cremona, Lecco and Piacenza). The Schools are geared towards education while the 12 Departments are focused on research. The majority of its undergraduate or ‘Laurea’ courses are three years long, with part of the third year spent on work experience. Over 100 different nationalities study at the university and it offers programmes taught through English. Among its most famous alumni are fashion designer Gianfranco Ferré; architect Giò Ponti; and chemist Giulio Natta, who studied chemical engineering there and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1963.