Please consult courses offered starting from 3 March and apply by 18th April 2025 (noon, UTC+2)*
It is possible to apply to a maximum of 2 Universities.
*Please note that the call for applications of some Universities will be published after 3 March. See below for details.
The admission procedure and the selection of candidates will be carried out individually by the Universities and is not under UNHCR’s responsibility.
Interested candidates are strongly advised to consult the individual call for applications issued by the Universities, as requirements may vary.
Admission requirements
Application is open exclusively to candidates who:
- Are residing in Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and have been recognized refugee status in these countries in collaboration with UNHCR;
- Hold a qualification valid for admission to the chosen Second Cycle Degree Programme;
- Have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 according to the country of graduation tertiary education grading system or equivalent according to the comparable table issued by the Italian Ministry of Education;
- Hold a degree obtained in or after 2020 and no later than the call deadline (please note that some universities do not apply a time limit for graduation, please refer to individual call for applications);
- Meet the specific admission requirements of the Second Cycle Degree Programme;
- Have never before been enrolled in a degree program at any of the Partner Universities.
- Proficiency in the English language is required.
Please consult courses offered starting on 3 March and apply by 18th April 2025 at 12 pm (noon, UTC+2)*
It possible to submit your application to a maximum of two Universities selected.
Limits in the number of courses you are allowed to apply within each University is mentioned in the individual university’s calls for applications.
*Please note that some call for applications are published during a different period:
University of Foggia, 07/03/2025 to 18/04/2025
University of Bologna – Alma Mater Studiorum, 04/04/2025 to 28/04/2025
University of Padua, 10/03/2025 to 18/04/2025
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 06/03/2025 to 18/04/2025
Selection criteria and application documents
Students will be selected on the basis of merit.
The evaluation will be carried out by Committees of Experts nominated by each university individually.
Application documents
Students are required to submit the following mandatory documentation:
- Refugee ID card or Proof of refugee registration;
- A certificate confirming the qualification required for admission to the chosen degree programme;
- Transcripts of exams passed and relative grades;
- GPA documentation;
- Curriculum vitae;
- Motivation letter;
- Any relevant and additional document required by the specific programmes chosen.
Some documents that are here listed as optional may be mandatory for some Universities. Please always check and make reference to the individual university’s call for application.
Presenting any fraudulent school certificates or university diplomas is a crime. All the documents that you submit will be carefully checked by experts. Should you present fraudulent documents there will be serious consequences including your disqualification from this and other opportunities. UNHCR may also report the incident to the police authorities.
The UNICORE initiative is committed to promoting an inclusive and accessible environment for all participants.
Deadlines and modalities
Applications can be submitted from 3rd of March until 18th of April 2025 at 12 p.m. (noon, UTC+2).
It is possible to send one application to a maximum of two universities selected.
Each university publishes its call for applications. Please consult each university’s call for applications, available on the university’s dedicated page. See the list of Universities here.
Students can submit their applications – along with the required documents – from 3rd March until 18th April 2025 at 12:00 p.m. (noon, UTC+2) exclusively creating an individual account and applying in this platform.
Some universities might require you to also submit the application through their admission platforms. If this is the case, you will be notified by the university upon submission of the application form.
It is possible to apply to a maximum of two universities. Should an eligible application not be selected by one of the two universities chosen, if some scholarships have yet to be awarded the application will be shared with other universities participating in UNICORE 7.0.
The participating universities will each identify a Committee of Experts to conduct the selection process, which will be divided into two steps:
Step 1: Evaluation of the documentation. The Committee of Experts will evaluate the documentation according to the following criteria:
- Academic background and GPA (score: 0-20);
- Evaluation of CV: professional experience and personal skills (score: 0-10);
- Coherence between previous studies and selected Second Cycle Degree programme (score: 0-10);
Candidates receiving a score of less than 25 will not be admitted to step 2 of the selection process.
Candidates admitted to Step 2 will be notified by email.
Step 2: On-line interview. Candidates admitted to step 2 will be interviewed by the Committee of Experts, who will evaluate their technical skills, knowledge of the subject and level of English. Interviews will be graded on a scale of 40 points.
Interviews will be held on-line.
Candidates will be notified by email about the date and time of the interview.
Candidates are requested to present themselves for interview with the Ration Card Number or the Refugee Identity Card used during the on-line application.
Please note that some universities may apply different scores for the evaluation of the documentation or the interview. Always refer to the call for applications of each university, as requirements may vary.
Participation in University Corridors, including the application process, is free. If you know anyone asking or offering money in connection with this project you should immediately contact UNHCR.