University of Bologna

History, Affiliations and Rankings

The University of Bologna was founded in 1088. The University of Bologna primarily focuses on research programs. It is known to be one of the oldest universities in the world. The university was established by an organized guild of students (hence studiorum), and became the first university in the sense of a higher-learning and degree-awarding institute, as the word universitas was coined at its foundation. The University of Bologna is one of the top-rated universities of Italy and has been ranked #166 by QS World University Rankings 2022 and #172 by THE World University Rankings 2022. 

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

The university has several campuses located in different parts of Italy. Some of the campus locations are Cesena Campus, Forli Campus, Ravenna Campus, and Rimini Campus. The university houses multiple schools of specific studies such as the School of Arts, Humanities and Cultural Heritage, School of Economics and Management, School of Engineering, School of Medicine and School of Science. The University of Bologna provides undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programmes across a wide variety of fields. The university has a number of academic departments and also invests heavily in research. The university also has a large number of interdepartmental research centres as well as research centres specifically dedicated to industrial research. 

This prestigious Italian university offers 219 degree and 69 International degree programs in Clinical, Pre-clinical & Health, Life Sciences, Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science, Physical Sciences, Law, Business & Economics, Psychology and Education. Other than this, there are 2-year specialised courses across 32 departments and 5 schools and 10 Research and Training centres provided to students across the world. Bologna University Library, at the University of Bologna, houses major collections of antique and modern books along with historical, conservation and scientific research facilities. It has access to 47,000 online journals, 680 databases and 190,000 e-books. The curriculum also encourages sports and physical activities as an integral part of education. 

Accomplishments and Alumni 

The University of Bologna is one of the oldest universities in Europe that has charted a history of innovation and accomplishments. There are 37 spin-offs, 12 startup companies, 520 patent titles accorded to its name. It offers a wide range of top-quality undergraduate, graduate and PhD programs that have been recognized for their scientific achievements and innovation. The university also has an extensive list of alumni. Some of the notable names from the university’s large alumni base include - toxicology founder Paracelsus, the study of electromagnetism pioneer Augusto Righi and the world's first woman to earn a university chair in the scientific field of studies Laura Bassi. 

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

There are over 90,200 students at the University of Bologna, including nearly 7,000 international students. Further, more than 1300+ students attend the University of Bologna on exchange semesters, while 1,900 have spent a study period abroad. The university offers multiple internship options like curricular internships, postgraduate internships, vocational internships for psychologists and foreign internships. The university is also known for offering exemplary job placement services to its students. There are various internship opportunities offered to students in commerce, public institutions and professional firms.