The University of Florence can trace its origins to the Studium, which was established in 1321. In 1472 the Studium was moved to Pisa. In 1859, the University re-emerged as Istituto di Studi Superiori (Institute of HigherEducation). In 1923 it was established as a public university and started its activities as a fully fledged university.

The University of Florence is one of the largest organisations for research and higher education in Italy, with over 1600 tenured teaching staff and researchers, over 1500 permanent technical/administrative staff and language assistants and over 50 thousand students enrolled.

The University consists of 10 Schools: Agriculture, Architecture, Economics and Management, Engineering, Humanities, Law, Life and Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Political Science, Psychology. Scientific research is carried out in the Departments of the University, grouped into 5 major areas: Social Sciences, Humanities, Scientific, Technological and Biomedical areas.

A large part of the yearly budget is allocated to scientific research. In the recent past the University of Florence has been ranked top among Italian Universities in the distribution of national research funds.

High-level research avails itself of the “centres of excellence”, which attract funding and form synergies with other institutions.

Missions

The goals and missions of the University are defined in the Statute of the University of Florence as follows:

- The University of Florence is a public institution representing the scientific community, whose autonomy is guaranteed by the Constitution. Its purposes are the unhindered processing and transmission of knowledge and advanced learning, in accordance with the freedoms of research, teaching and learning.

- It affirms its pluralist nature, which is independent of any religious, ideological, political or economic conditioning.

- Through the conscientious cooperation of teachers, researchers, students and technical/administrative, it favours the development of critical knowledge which is open to the exchange of information, cultural cooperation and interaction, and which is a vehicle for progress and a tool for the affirmation of the dignity of all mankind and of just and peaceful cohabitation among nations.

- It cooperates with the other university institutions of the European Union in the creation of a community forum for research and higher learning.

- It intervenes in favour of right to study, as defined and guaranteed by Art. 34 of the Constitution.

- It makes the furthering of learning its priority and the basis for its cultural and professional training.

- It considers the particular characteristics of the various disciplinary areas into which its research and teaching activities are divided as a source of commonwealth to be put to the best possible use.

- The University guarantees the contribution of the biomedical research structures in achieving the goals set forth in Art.32 of the Constitution, priority being given to actions which are coordinated by and integrated with actions of the Regional Health Service.

Educational programmes and services

Italian universities issue the following qualifications, in compliance with Ministerial Decree No. 270 of 22/10/2004:

Laurea (L), on completion of an initial three-year study programme (180 credits)

Laurea Magistrale (LM) on completion of a further two-year study programme (120 credits)

Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico (LMc.u.) only in some Faculties, on completion of a five- or six-year study programme (300 or 360 credits)

Then, for those who have obtained a Laurea Magistrale (LM):

Diploma di Specializzazione (DS) – Specialisation diploma.

Dottorato di Ricerca (DR) - PhD

More over Italian universities offer Masters with one-year (1st level) or two-year (2ndlevel) study programmes (at least 60credits). These are orientated towards entry into the working world. In the University of Florence there are courses at all levels listed above.

Apart from the courses, the University also offers students important auxiliary activities, including sports, languages and computer studies, the university choir and orchestra, in-faculty cultural and educational initiatives funded by university grants, psychological support and the chance of paid part-time collaboration in various types of work.

Research and knowledge transfer

The University of Florence is one of the largest and most productive public research systems in Italy. This result is related to the number of permanent and temporary researchers working in a wide range of disciplines and scientific fields, and the numerous junior scientists in training. It is also due to intensive participation in research programmes of national and international importance, the significant scientific results achieved, and the flow of funds which support research and knowledge transfer. This combination of factors qualifies the Florentine institution as a modern research university, and accounts for its excellent ranking in national and international classifications.

The researchers from the various departments of the University of Florence have at their disposal several research structures comprising interdepartmental and inter-university centres, as well as some specialised research units and laboratories.

In recent years the University of Florence has increasingly consolidated its activities in the sphere of knowledge transfer: from the filing of patents to the setting-up of joint workshops with firms, through to participation in spin-off companies.

Libraries and Museum

There are approximately three-and-a-half million books and a large number of periodicals available in five libraries covering the main disciplinary areas, with around 60 annexed reading rooms. The university library system also offers online catalogues and many other resources in digital format (journals, articles, books). Students are offered courses for guidance in the use of the library and in bibliographical research, as well as rooms with computer work stations that are also open in the evening.

In collaboration with other universities, important projects are underway which will increase direct access to databases and full-text electronic periodicals from individual work stations.

The digital publishing service provided by Firenze University Press., F.U.P., can be considered a model University publishing house; it cooperates with professors and researchers to promote and increase the value of scientific and didactic production, thus offering electronic and paper publications scientifically guaranteed by the University itself.

The most important natural history museum in Italy belongs to the University of Florence. It is also one of the oldest and most renowned museums at an international level: the Museum of Natural History, founded in 1775 by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold. The Botanical Garden section of the Museum is however even older, dating back to 1545. Consisting of six sections scattered over the old centre of Florence, the Museum houses 8 million exhibits, some of outstanding scientific and naturalistic importance: sixteenth-century herbaria and precious eighteenth-century waxworks, fossil skeletons of elephants and collections of multicoloured butterflies, large tourmaline crystals and Aztec relics, impressive wooden sculptures and the largest inflorescence in the world. A wonderful combination of nature, history, science and art emerges from this context.

Total Enrollment:
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Undergraduate Enrollment:
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Graduate Enrollment:
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Undergraduate Programs
           Agricultural Sciences
           Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences - Quality Control
           Architectural Science
           Audiometric Techniques
           Biological Sciences
           Biomedical Laboratory Techniques
           Biotechnology
           Building Engineering
           Business Administration
           Chemistry
           City Planning, Land and Landscape (Agriculture - Architecture)
           Civil Engineering
           Computer Engineering
           Dental Hygiene (With Inter-University of  Siena - Siena Head Office)
           Design and Management of  Business Events and Art and Entertainment
           Diagnostics and Materials For Conservation and Restoration
           Dietetics
           Disciplines of  the  Arts, Music and Entertainment
           Economic Development, International Cooperation, Social Care and Conflict Management (Business - Medicine and Surgery - Education Science - Political Science)
           Economy and Trade
           Electronic Engineering and Telecommunications
           Engineering For the  Environment, Resources and Territory
           Food Technology
           Forestry and Environmental Sciences
           Geology
           Health Care
           History and Conservation of  Archaeological, Artistic, Archival and Library
           Humanities For Communication (Literature and Philosophy - Educational Sciences)
           Industrial Design
           Informatics
           Internationalization and Quality Management
           Jurisprudence
           Languages, Literature and Intercultural Studies
           Law
           Legal Services
           Letters Ancient
           Mathematics
           Mechanical Engineering
           Medical Radiology Techniques, Imaging and Radiotherapy
           Modern Literature
           Natural Science
           Neuro and Psychomotor Developmental
           Nurseries Sciences, Environment and Management of  Green
           Nursing
           Obstetrics
           Optics and Optometry
           Orthopedic Techniques
           Orthoptic and Ophthalmological Care
           Philosophy
           Physical Education, Sport and Health
           Physics and Astrophysics
           Physiotherapy
           Podiatry
           Political Sciences
           Psychological Sciences and Techniques
           Science of  Childhood
           Science Tourist
           Social Sciences Education
           Sociology and Social Policy
           Speech Therapy
           Statistics
           Story
           Technical and Prevention in the  Workplace
           Techniques Hearing Instrument
           Techniques Neurophysiopathology
           Viticulture and Enology
           Vocational Education
           Wildlife Sciences
Master's Degree Programs
           Accounting and Professional Services
           Advanced Development Economics
           Agricultural Science and Technology
           Analysis and Policies of  Local and Regional Development
           Archeology
           Architecture
           Archival Science and Librarianship
           Banking, Insurance and Financial Markets
           Biology
           Biomedical Engineering
           Building Engineering
           Chemical Sciences
           Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology
           Civil Engineering
           Computer Engineering
           Design
           Design and Management of  Social Interventions
           Economic Sciences
           Electrical Engineering and Automation
           Electronic Engineering
           Energy Engineering
           Engineering For Environmental Protection and Land
           Food Science and Technology
           Geographical and Anthropological Studies
           Geological Sciences and Technologies
           Government and Corporate Direction
           Health Professions Diagnostic Techniques
           Health Professions For Technical Assistance
           Health Professions Prevention
           Historical Sciences
           History of  Art
           Informatics
           International Relations and European Studies
           Landscape Architecture (Agriculture - Architecture)
           Languages and Civilizations of  the  Ancient and Modern
           Languages and Literatures of  Europe and America
           Logic, Philosophy and History of  Science (Literature and Philosophy - Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences)
           Management of  Sports and Physical Activities
           Mathematics
           Mechanical Engineering
           Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Medicine and Surgery - Pharmacy)
           Modern Philology
           Molecular Biotechnology
           Musicology and Musical Heritage
           Nursing and Midwifery
           Performing Arts
           Pharmacy
           Philology, Literature and History of  Antiquity
           Philosophical Sciences
           Physical Sciences and Astrophysics
           Planning and Design of  Urban and Regional (Agriculture - Architecture)
           Planning of  Tourism Systems (Economics - Literature and Philosophy)
           Psychology
           Rehabilitation Sciences Health Professions
           School Management and Teaching Clinic
           Science and Management of  Wildlife Resources and Environmental
           Science and Technology of  Forest Systems
           Science of  Adult Education, Lifelong Learning and Educational Sciences
           Science Policy and Decision Making Processes
           Sciences and Materials For the  Conservation and Restoration
           Sciences and Techniques of  Sport and Physical Activities Adapted Preventive And
           Sciences of  Nature and of  Man
           Sociology and Social Research
           Statistical Sciences
           Strategic Communication
           Telecommunications Engineering
           Theories of  Communication (Literature and Philosophy - Faculty of  Education)
           Tropical Rural Development
Doctoral Programs
           Agricultural Microbial Biotechnology
           Agro-Forestry Engineering
           And Clinical Pathology of  the  Musculoskeletal Tissue and Calcified
           Anesthesiology and Surgical Sciences
           Anglistics and Americanists
           Applied Biochemistry and Biology
           Applied Statistics
           Architectural and Urban Design
           Architectural Technology and Design
           Art History (Humanities Area)
           Art History (Merged with Other Phd in Technology)
           Astronomy
           Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy International Ph.D.
           Biomedical Sciences Developmental
           Biosystematics and Plant Ecology (Merged with Other Phd Technological Area)
           Biosystematics and Plant Ecology (Scientific Area)
           Biotech Crops For Tropical Products
           Biotechnology Endocrinology, Molecular and Regenerative
           Bonds and Contracts in Italy and in European Private Law
           Chemical Sciences
           Civil and Environmental Engineering
           Civilization of  the  Renaissance and Humanism
           Clinical and Experimental Medicine
           Clinical Pathophysiology and Aging
           Comparative Law
           Conservative Surgery and Repairing the  Head and Neck
           Design and Development of  Products and Industrial Processes (New Name Xxiv Was To Design and Construction Machinery)
           Detection and Representation of  Architecture and Environment
           Earth Sciences
           Economics and Management of  Enterprises and Local Systems (Egisl)
           Economics, Planning, Forestry and Wood Science
           Engineering and Automation
           Ethology, Animal Ecology and Anthropology (New Deonominazione For Consolidation with Sc Anthropology)
           Experimental and Clinical Oncology
           Florence-Germanic Bonn / Neuere Deutsche Literaturwissenschaft: Bonn-Florenz (International Ph.D.)
           Founding Myths of  Europe in the  Arts and Literature
           Genetic and Microbiological Sciences and Bioinformatics (New Name To Genetic Sciences Was Xxiv)
           Greek and Latin Philology
           Historical Studies For the  Modern Age and Contemporary
           History and Civilization of  the  Ancient World
           History and Tradition in Medieval and Renaissance Texts
           History of  Architecture and Urbanism
           History of  Economic Doctrines
           History of  Entertainment
           History of  International Relations
           Human Morphology and Morphogenesis
           Industrial Engineering and Reliability
           Information Technology and Applications
           Innovative Energy and Industrial Technology
           International Law and European Union
           Italian Studies (Phd International)
           Landscape Planning
           Languages and Cultures of  the  Mediterranean
           Linguistics
           Materials and Structures For Architecture
           Materials Science and Engineering
           Mathematics
           Mechanistic Systems and Structural Biology (Xxiv Cycle Up To Product: Structural Biology) Phd Int
           Medieval History
           Methodology of  Social Sciences
           Methods of  Educational Research: Theory and History
           Multimedia Computing and Telecommunications Engineering
           Neuroscience
           Non Destructive Testing
           Nonlinear Dynamics and Complex Systems
           Nursing
           Pastoral and Livestock Forage Systems For Sustainable Land Use and Quality of  Products
           Penalistiche Disciplines: Law and Criminal Procedure
           Pharmaceutical Sciences
           Pharmacology and Toxicology
           Philosophy
           Physics
           Physiological and Nutritional Sciences
           Politics and Economics of  Developing Countries
           Production of  Aquatic and Terrestrial Animals and Product Quality
           Programming and Control
           Psychology
           Public Law - Law and Urban Environment
           Quality of  Education: Knowledge of  the  Differences and the  Development of  Knowledge
           Rf, Microwave and Electromagnetics (International Ph.D.)
           Risk Mitigation of  Natural Hazards On Two To Structures and Infrastructures - Risk Reduction (International Ph.D.)
           Science For Conservation of  Cultural Heritage
           Sociology
           Soil Science and Climatology
           Systems Engineering Eletronici
           Telematics and Information Society
           Theory and History of  Law - Theory and History of  Human Rights - International Ph.D.
           Twentieth Century: Politics, Economics, Institutions
           Urban and Territorial Planning
           Wine Economy and Rural Development