The admission procedure for 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:

  1. Are residing in Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe and have been recognized refugee status in these countries in collaboration with UNHCR
  2. Hold a qualification valid for admission to the chosen Second Cycle Degree Programme;
  3. 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;
  4. Hold a degree obtained in or after 2018 and no later than May 19st  2023 (please note that  some universities do not apply a time limit for graduation, please refer to individual call for applications);
  5. Meet the specific admission requirements of the Second cycle degree programme;
  6. Have never before been enrolled in a degree program at any of the Partner Universities.
  7. Proficiency in the English language is required.

Applications are now open. Please consult courses offered and apply by 19th May 2023 (noon, UTC+2)*

It is possible to apply to a maximum of 2 universities.

**Please note that the call for applications of the University La Sapienza of Rome and University LUISS of Rome will remain open to 31 May, University of Sannio to 27 May

*please note that the call for applications of the University of Padua will remain open from 3 April to 2 May.

Universities providing scholarships to refugee students present in Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe:

Universita’ di Bari, Università di Bergamo, Università del Sannio di Bevenento, Università di Bologna, Universita’ di Brescia, Università di Cagliari, Università di Catania, Università degli Studi “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti – Pescara, Università di Firenze, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, Università del Salento-Lecce, Università degli Studi di Messina, Università Statale di Milano, Università di Milano Bicocca, Universita’ di Milano Bocconi, Milano Politecnico, Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Università degli Studi di Napoli L’Orientale, Universita’ di Palermo, Università degli Studi di Padova, Universita’ di Parma, Luiss Guido Carli Roma, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, Università degli Studi di Siena, Universita’ di Torino, Torino Politecnico, Università di Trento, Università di Urbino, Università Iuav di Venezia, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro”, Università di Verona, Università degli Studi della Tuscia Viterbo

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:

  1. Proof of refugee registration issued by national authorities in collaboration with UNHCR;
  2. A certificate confirming the qualification required for admission to the chosen degree programme;
  3. Transcripts of exams passed and relative grades;
  4. A reference letter is required by some universities;
  5. Any relevant and additional document required by the specific programmes chosen.

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. 

Deadlines and modalities

Applications are open from 3rd April 2023 at 12 pm (noon, UTC+2) to 19th May 2023 at 12:00 pm (noon, UTC+2).

 

Selection process

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. A third party must be present at the beginning of the interview to identify the candidate.

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.