Study in San Marino

San Marino regulates higher education under Legge 27 aprile 2023 n. 69 and related decrees. Its framework follows the Bologna Process: a laurea triennale normally lasts three years, a laurea magistrale normally lasts two years, and a dottorato di ricerca follows a second-cycle qualification. Qualifications align with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and San Marino has belonged to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) since 2020. Quality assurance follows the European Standards and Guidelines, with external evaluation normally carried out at least every six years. UNIRSM was founded in 1985 and has three departments. Its 2026/27 first-cycle programmes include Communication and Digital Media, Design, Civil Engineering, Management Engineering, and Construction and Land Management. Communication and Digital Media, Design and Construction and Land Management have programmed or limited access, while Civil Engineering and Management Engineering have open access. Second-cycle options include master's degrees in Design, Civil Engineering and Management Engineering. Doctoral programmes include Historical Sciences and Management Engineering. UNIRSM also offers first- and second-level Masters, Alta Formazione and Scuola di specializzazione. Private higher education options include the Università Internazionale delle Pubbliche Amministrazioni (UIPA) and Regent European University, which the San Marino state higher education list identifies as established in San Marino in 2025. UIPA offers a three-year degree in Political, Legal and International Strategy Sciences and master's programmes related to public administration, governance and digitalisation. Regent lists an online 12-month MBA for €6,000, a 12-month BSc (Hons) Business Management Top-Up for €4,000 and a 30-week DBA or master's programme in Business Administration for €6,000. Recognition and accreditation for each private programme should be verified with the relevant San Marino and international recognition bodies before enrolment. The public IMS, an Istituto d’Istruzione e Formazione, provides higher artistic and musical education through its own music system. Its Diploma Accademico di 1° livello belongs functionally to tertiary education. Pre-academic courses and free-standing courses count as higher education only when they form part of a recognized tertiary qualification. First-cycle admission normally requires a final upper-secondary school diploma. A foreign qualification may require an automatic recognition agreement or a legalized certificate showing at least twelve years of schooling. Depending on the case, applicants may need a CINERTA or ENIC-NARIC assessment, a Declaration of Value, an academic eligibility test and an official Italian or English translation. Applicants with fewer than twelve years of schooling may need a foundation or other post-secondary pathway, such as an EQF level 5 qualification or at least one academic year of higher education. Second-cycle admission normally requires an official Bologna first-cycle or EQF level 6 qualification; institutions assess the prior title, transcript, subject syllabi and, where available, the Diploma Supplement. Third-cycle admission normally requires a second-cycle or EQF level 7 qualification. San Marino does not give legal effect to self-certification of academic titles under Article 12 of Legge n. 159/2011. UNIRSM applications are submitted online through Esse3. Transfers, shortened study routes and credit recognition may be possible after institutional assessment. Design also uses a graphic examination and interview. UNIRSM tuition for 2026/27 is €2,800 per year for Communication and Digital Media and Design, €2,000 for Civil Engineering and Construction and Land Management, and €2,500 for Management Engineering. The listed second-cycle programmes each cost €3,000 per year. Students normally pay in three instalments due by 31 October, 31 January and 30 April. Individual courses cost €300 at first-cycle level and €400 at second-cycle level. UIPA and Regent set their own programme-specific conditions and fees. For 2026/27, UNIRSM offers 45 partial scholarships that waive the third instalment. The places are distributed across named first- and second-cycle programmes, including 15 for first-cycle Design and two each for several master's programmes. Applications use Esse3 and require income evidence. The Ufficio Diritto allo Studio also administers study allowances, merit allowances, book contributions, trust loans, scholarships and transport support. These measures generally require both statistical and actual residence in San Marino, with general applications submitted through ECOS from 10 October to 30 November. No single state funding system can be assumed for UIPA or Regent. Teaching may combine lectures, laboratories, workshops, internships, examinations and a final project or thesis. Part-time study is possible in some programmes, and individual courses are normally study-integrated activities rather than a substitute for a complete degree. UNIRSM provides small-group teaching, exchange agreements, Erasmus+ opportunities under its 2021–2027 ECHE, a university library, information technology services, a student ombudsperson called the Garante degli studenti, psychological counselling and inclusion or DSA support. International students may also use student collaborations and buddy support. Residence and permission rules depend on nationality; Italian students and people regularly resident in Italy have generally not needed a separate San Marino study permit under the reciprocity arrangements in force since 2015/16.