Master in
Are you ready to transform public policy for a better tomorrow? In a world facing climate change, social inequalities, and rapid technology shifts, innovative public policy is vital. Be the change-maker in crafting sustainable, participatory, and evidence-based solutions for a better future.
Designed for those who aspire to make an impact in public institutions, non-profits, and businesses in government relations. Whether you are aiming to impact local communities or contribute to global initiatives, our program lays the groundwork for a fulfilling and impactful career.
The strengths of the programme:
We offer online information sessions in the coming months during which the master programme will be presented and where interested students can address their questions to professors and students. The Info Sessions take place on the following days:
Italian degree class: LM-63
ECTS credits: 120
Duration of the course: 2 years
Courses will be taught in: Italian, German and English (trilingual)
Places available: 50 EU + 5 non-EU
Campus: Bozen-Bolzano
Tuition fees: ca. € 1200 per year
Modules cover legal, economic, managerial and data analytics disciplines. Choose your specialization in one of the two streams:
Modules include labs, group work, case studies, guest lectures and study trips (e.g. to the European Parliament in Strasbourg and to the Constitutional Court in Rome).
Degree Course director: Prof. Alexander Moradi (photo)
Student Representative in the Course Council: Irene Sammarchi
We currently offer exchange programmes with partner universities around the world and cooperate with an extensive network of companies for internships in Italy or abroad. Attendance in Bozen-Bolzano can be combined with an exchange with a foreign university, in Europe or elsewhere.
Our graduates excel in public institutions, making an impact at local, national, and international levels. Many advance to leading positions in state enterprises, vibrant non-profit organizations, and private firms that collaborate closely with government entities. Upon graduation, students will be well prepared to succeed in public competitions ("concorsi") in Italy.
If you already have a job, you can strengthen and widen your knowledge and skills in order to progress further in your career. If you are interested in postgraduate education, you can apply for a PhD after finishing this programme.
You will be well prepared and ready for the job market. On the website of AlmaLaurea you can check statistical data about graduates’ satisfaction and their employability.
Chamber of Commerce of Bozen-Bolzano
"This master's degree has given me the opportunity to learn about the economic, managerial and legal challenges of the Public Sector and to explore how to find innovative answers by managing the public good in the best possible way. A close relationship with professors and fellow students, the trilingual environment and seminars with experts from various fields, have further enriched my learning experience and made my studies a truly stimulating time. In addition, I was given the opportunity to do my internship at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in Rome and after graduation I worked at the Bank of Italy: in short, if you are passionate about the challenges of the public sector then this is the right master for you!"
Find out more about our international study programmes and ask all the questions to lecturers and students who have chosen unibz for their studies.
Living in South Tyrol, Housing, Scholarships, Single Subject Courses and more
Everything you need to know as a degree-seeking applicant or as an incoming exchange student
You can find all you need to know in order to apply and gain admission to this study programme by browsing through the information below.
Application: 03/03 - 06/05/2025 (by noon local time)
Language exams (online): 17/03/2025 and 16 -17 - 22 - 23/04/2025 (registration: to be defined)
Publication of ranking lists: by 27/05/2025
Payment of the 1st instalment of the tuition fees: by 05/06/2025 (by noon local time)
Enrolment: from 11/07 - 14/10/2025 (by noon local time)
Application: 28/05 - 17/07/2025 (by noon local time)
Language exams (online): 23 - 27/06/2025 (registration: to be defined)
Publication of ranking lists: by 06/08/2025
Payment of the 1st instalment of the tuition fees: by 19/08/2025 (by noon local time)
Enrolment: from publication of the ranking list until 14/10/2025 (by noon local time)
The faculty can open additional application sessions for single study programmes in August and in September if there are available places. More information on additional sessions will be published in due course.
Intensive language courses: 01 - 19/09/2025 (Monday to Friday, 6 h/day)
Preparatory courses (optional): 22/09 - 03/10/2025
Freshers Days: 29/09 - 30/09/2025
Classes: 29/09 - 23/12/2025
Exams (extraordinary session): 11 - 23/12/2025
Holidays: 24/12/2025 - 06/01/2026
Classes: 07/01 - 24/01/2026
Exams: 26/01 - 21/02/2026
Classes: 02/03 - 02/04/2026
Holidays: 03 - 06/04/2026
Classes: 07/04 - 13/06/2026
Exams (extraordinary session): 14 - 23/05/2026
Exams: 15/06 - 11/07/2026
Exams: 24/08 - 26/09/2026
EU citizens and citizens given parity of treatment
Early Bird Application: 40
Late Application: 5
Non-EU citizens (living abroad)
Early Bird Application: 10
The programme will only be offered if a minimum of 15 newly enrolled students is reached.
In order to gain admission to this programme you need one of the following qualifications:
1.a university degree (*) in one of the following Italian degree classes or an equivalent qualification gained abroad:
(*) Italian citizens who have obtained their degree abroad must also have a secondary school leaving qualification.
or
2. a university degree in a different class to the ones listed above or an equivalent qualification gained abroad. At least 6 credit points must have been acquired in the law subject area and/or in the economic/entrepreneurial subject area.
Credit points from the following scientific-disciplinary areas are recognised:
Law
IUS/01 - Private Law
IUS/02 - Comparative private law
IUS/03 - Agricultural law
IUS/04 - Commercial law
IUS/05 - Economic law
IUS/06 - Navigation law
IUS/07 - Labour law
IUS/08 - Constitutional law
IUS/09 - Institutions of public law
IUS/10 - Administrative law
IUS/11 - Canonical and ecclesiastical law
IUS/12 - Taxation law
IUS/13 - International law
IUS/14 - eu law
IUS/15 - Civil procedural law
IUS/16 - Criminal procedural law
IUS/17 - Criminal law
IUS/18 - Roman law and antique law
IUS/19 - History of medieval and modern law
IUS/20 - Philosophy of law
IUS/21 - Comparative public law
Economics and Statistics
SECS-P/01 - Economics
SECS-P/02 - Economic policy
SECS-P/03 - Financial sciences
SECS-P/04 - History of economic thought
SECS-P/05 - Econometrics
SECS-P/06 - Applied economy
SECS-P/07 - Business administration
SECS-P/08 - Economics and business management
SECS-P/09 - Business finance
SECS-P/10 - Business organisation
SECS-P/11 - Economics of financial intermediaries
SECS-P/12 - Economic history
SECS-P/13 - Merchandise sciences
SECS-S/01 - Statistics
SECS-S/02 - Statistics for experimental and technological research
SECS-S/03 - Economic statistics
SECS-S/04 - Demography
SECS-S/05 - Social statistics
SECS-S/06 - Mathematics for economics
ING-IND/35 - Economics managerial engineering
If you have not yet graduated at the time of application:
You can apply if you have acquired at least 140 credit points (ECTS). In this case you will be admitted conditionally, and you will need to submit your diploma by the enrolment deadline.
If you graduate after the enrolment deadline:
You cannot enrol and you will lose your place, which will be offered to the subsequent applicant in the ranking list. In this case you should not pay the tuition fees to secure your admission. You will be able to submit a late enrolment request and, only if there still are available places, you will be allowed to enrol by 13 December 2024.
To be admitted, you must fulfil the language requirements indicated in the section “Language requirements”.
According to national regulations, simultaneous enrolment in a maximum of 2 programmes is possible (however, the two programmes must not belong to the same class, e.g., LM-63/LM-63 and must differ for at least 2/3 of the course contents).
The official teaching languages are German, Italian and English. Therefore, the following language requirements apply, otherwise you will be excluded from the admission procedure:
Entry level (to gain admission)
1st language: C1
2nd language: B2
3rd language: no level required
A B1 level in the third language is the minimum requirement for taking curricular examinations in that specific language.
Exit level (to graduate)
1st language: C1
2nd language: C1
3rd language: B1
The levels of the Common European Framework of Reference apply.
Your first language is the language in which you have the highest level of proficiency (C1). Your third language is instead the language in which you are weaker (or in which you are an absolute beginner).
You can demonstrate your language proficiency in the application portal (in the section “upload language certificates” and/or “enrol for language exams”) after you have created an application in the section “create/manage applications”. The certification is mandatory for the first and second language, for the third language it is recommended (from B1 onwards).
You can demonstrate language proficiency through:
Please note that you can only register for C1 and B2 level exams and only for one level per language (e.g. in the same exam session you can register for a C1 German and a B2 Italian exam, but not for a C1 and a B2 German exam).
For information on studying in three languages also visit the following page.
Secondary schools in a foreign country/Bi- or multilingual schools
If the foreign language proficiency levels (for German, Italian, or English) are explicitly indicated on the diploma of graduation according to the Common European Framework of Reference (i.e., B1, B2 or C1), and if all four language abilities (reading, listening, speaking, writing) have been assessed, then the indicated levels will be accepted as a proof of proficiency for the second and/or third language.
Please upload your school-leaving certificate to the application portal in the section “upload language certificates” under the respective language. The Language Centre will decide on its recognition.
Third language/Intensive language courses in September
If you have already acquired a language certificate in the third teaching language, please upload it to the portal. If you are not able to certify your language competence in the third language and you are admitted to unibz, you will have to take a placement test. You will receive further information about the test by e-mail. Based on the result of the placement test, you will be assigned to a certain learning path so that you will be able to reach level B1 as soon as possible.
If you are an absolute beginner in the third language, or if you have a level below B1, you may attend a three-week intensive language course during the pre-semester session in September in order to start the learning path.
The dates of the extensive courses are indicated in the “Deadlines” section. Beginner courses (A1) will be offered exclusively during the pre-semester intensive course session in September will no longer be offered during the academic year. Therefore, absolute beginners should start their learning path for the third language by attending the intensive courses in September.
There will be extensive courses (4 hours per week) during the semesters and intensive courses (8 hours per week) during the time between semesters.
The language courses offered by the Language Centre are free of charge and aim to help the students reach the level B1 in the third language after the first study year.
Your application must be submitted online through the Application Portal. The deadlines are indicated in the “Deadlines” section.
Please note: Mendacious declarations will be criminally prosecuted and will result in the automatic exclusion from the ranking list.
You might apply for more than one study programme. If you are excluded in the first session, you might apply again in the second one.
Considered as equivalent are:
Only one application period is offered. After the deadline it is not possible to apply anymore. Application fee: € 50.
Once the ranking list has been published, if you have gained admission, secure it by paying the first instalment and then start your visa application on the Universitaly portal. The application on Universitaly is mandatory, otherwise you will not be allowed to enrol. On Universitaly you can apply for one study programme only.
The admission procedure is based on the following criteria:
1. Grade average (max. 70 points)
In case of a bachelor concluded with the highest grade and the mention “summa cum laude”, 2 additional points will be awarded.
2. Further language proficiency
You will receive 10 points if you demonstrate a B2 level in the third language.
For details, please see the paragraph “Language requirements for admission”.
3. Prior knowledge
You will receive an additional maximum of 20 points if you have completed or are in the process of completing one of the following degree classes, or if you have another equivalent recognised degree awarded abroad:
D.M. 270/04: Bachelor in the classes
D.M. 509/99: Bachelor in the classes
M.D. 270/04: Master in the classes
M.D. 509/99: Master in the classes
Or if you have obtained a degree or a university certificate according to the former study regulations (before M.D. 509/1999), considered equivalent to one of the classes listed above.
As an alternative, you will receive up to a maximum of 10 points if you have successfully attended one or more courses in disciplinary fields/scientific sectors coherent with the course offering of the subjects taught in this master programme (also at other universities). The 6 credit points required for admission to the master will not be considered.
In the event of equal scores, priority will be given to the applicant who has obtained the highest score for the first criterion. If scores are still equal, the younger applicant will have priority.
Courses included in the programme of the Master in Public Policy and Innovative Governance are not valid for the acquisition of the 6CPs required for admission.
Courses that have been taken into consideration in order to achieve the 6 CPs necessary to gain admission to the master programme cannot be recognised for a possible career abbreviation.
If you still need to graduate and/or certify the remaining exams you must sit, you are provisionally admitted in the ranking lists.
In the application portal, you shall upload:
1. Qualification:
The above must contain the following information: final grade, exams passed with grade and date of passing, credit points, scientific fields (the latter only for Italian titles).
For qualifications obtained abroad, also: scale of grades awarded by the university of provenance (with a minimum final grade to obtain the qualification and a maximum final grade achievable).
The Faculty reserves the right to request a description of the contents of the courses and/or teaching hours where necessary.
2. Excel file: If you have not graduated yet, you must confirm that you have acquired at least 140 credit points (ECTS) in your course of origin. Please use the excel file available in the application portal.
3. Optional language certificates (see point 2 - Further language knowledge).
Please note that mendacious declarations will be sanctioned by criminal law and will result in your automatic exclusion.
The Admission Committee will only evaluate the documents uploaded in the portal by the application deadline. The ranking lists will be published here and are only valid for the respective academic year.
If you have been admitted to more than one study programme, you can secure your admission for a maximum of 2 programmes by paying the designated rate twice. By confirming your place, you renounce admission to the other programmes.
1. Choose the study programme and pay the fees (to secure your admission) in the application portal.
The deadlines are indicated in the “Deadlines” section.
If you do not meet this deadline, you will automatically be excluded and the next applicant in the ranking list will be admitted.
For EU citizens and citizens given parity of treatment only: any remaining places of the early bird application, will be offered in the late application.
Please note that you do not gain full student status by only paying the tuition fees. This status will only be acquired upon enrolment. If you have secured your admission, there will be no refund of the tuition fees unless you do not pass your secondary school final exam or, in the event of non-EU applicants living abroad, you do not receive the documents necessary for enrolment from the Italian authorities in your country.
2. Enrol online in the application portal.
The deadlines are indicated in the “Deadlines” section.
Enrolment is recommended as early as possible, so you have the possibility to upload incomplete documents before the deadline.
If you do not meet the enrolment deadline, you will be excluded and the next applicant in the ranking list will be admitted.
Admission with reservation:
If you do not have the required academic qualification, you will be given a conditional offer for a study place and you must submit your qualification upon enrolment. If you achieve your qualification after the enrolment deadline, you cannot enrol, and you will lose your place which will be offered to the subsequent applicant in the ranking list. Advice: If you achieve your qualification after the enrolment deadline, you should not pay the tuition fees to confirm the study place. You will be able to submit a late enrolment request and, only if there are study places still available, you can enrol by 13 December 2024.
If you have gained your qualification abroad, you must upload:
If you have gained your qualification abroad in one of the Countries that are signatory to the Lisbon Convention you must also upload:
If you have gained your qualification abroad in a country that is not a signatory to the Lisbon Convention, you must also upload:
unibz performs the necessary checks on your foreign qualification and in case of doubt reserves the right to request additional documents.
Please note that if you do not possess a valid admission qualification, you can be excluded with Rector’s decree even after enrolment.
If you are a non-EU citizen living abroad:
If you are eligible for admission (check the ranking lists) and have also applied on Universitaly, the Italian Authorities in your own country will issue you the entry visa for studies/university.
This will allow you to arrive in Italy to enrol for the study programme that you have applied for, after passing the admission procedure.
According to Italian law, within 8 working days of your arrival in Italy, you must have applied for the residence permit: as soon as you arrive, get in touch with the Advisory Service and you will be given the necessary information for starting the procedure.
Once you will obtain your residence permit (permesso di soggiorno), you have to hand it in at the Student Office personally or via e-mail.
Students intending to transfer from another Italian University to unibz must submit to the Student Office - at the beginning of the academic year - a copy of the transfer application presented at the university of provenance.
Fees amount to € 1200
Delayed payment of the second instalment will result in a fine being levied. If you have not paid the tuition fees, you will be unable to take exams and will not be able to transfer to other universities or other study programmes.
If you drop out of a programme, interrupt your studies or are excluded from studies, you are not entitled to reimbursement of the fees.
Exemption from the tuition fees (and the provincial tax) is granted to:
Students who benefit from a scholarship granted by the Autonomous Province of Bozen-Bolzano are entitled to receive a refund of the tuition fees.
Credit points from previous university studies can only be recognised after enrolment if the exams taken at the university of provenance are equivalent in content to those offered at unibz. You can fill out the application after enrolment.
The Advisory Service provides support regarding your choice of study. In many cases a simple call or a short request is enough to get the relevant information (Tel. +39 0471 012100).