University of Naples “Parthenope”

About University of Naples “Parthenope”

Parthenope began in 1919 as the Regio Istituto Superiore Navale, conceived as a higher-education center for studying the sea from scientific, economic and commercial perspectives. A royal decree formally established the Royal Naval Institute in 1920, and it subsequently developed university-level faculties in maritime economics and nautical science. Law, engineering and sport sciences were added in 1999, helping transform a specialist maritime institution into a multidisciplinary university while retaining a recognizable focus on marine, navigation and blue-economy subjects. Today it is a state university recognized by Italy’s Ministry of Universities and Research. Its 2026 activity includes first-cycle, second-cycle and single-cycle enrollment, a 2026/2027 academic calendar, and an active doctoral call. This confirms that it remains an independent operating institution rather than a department of another Naples university. The university uses a distributed-campus structure. Economics and law are centered at Palazzo Pacanowski, engineering and science at the Centro Direzionale, and sport and well-being activities use the Acton and Via Medina locations. Villa Doria d’Angri supports advanced education and cultural or scientific events. Some programs operate in Nola or Caivano, so prospective students should check the teaching location attached to their chosen degree rather than assuming all classes take place near the central administration on Via Acton.

Admission is program-specific. For 2026/2027, the university directs applicants to its course-access and selection page, where open-access procedures, self-assessment tests and competitive calls are separated by school and degree. Some first-cycle programs use CISIA TOLC tests to assess preparation and may assign additional learning obligations rather than using the test as a universal selective examination. Restricted-entry and professionally regulated programs can follow different rules. Master’s applicants are normally assessed against the curricular and preparation requirements published for the particular degree. International applicants must distinguish their citizenship, residence, prior qualification and visa position. Non-EU candidates living abroad who need a study visa must use the Universitaly pre-enrollment process. For several named business and engineering programs, the university also requires registration through its own non-EU student portal; completing only one required platform can result in exclusion. A positive university evaluation does not itself issue or guarantee a visa. For undergraduate or single-cycle entry with a foreign qualification, the university requests a final secondary credential normally following at least 12 years of schooling, with the required recognition documentation and translations. Language competence is checked according to the selected course. The international page still displays some 2025/2026 deadlines, so applicants for 2026/2027 should not reuse those dates. They should consult the live program page and official call before submitting, particularly where capacity limits or campus-specific selection applies.

The academic portfolio spans two broad groupings: economics and law, and sciences, engineering and health. The university’s 2026 course catalogue includes degrees in business administration, economics, international business, tourism, human resources, statistics, law, computer science, cybersecurity, civil and environmental engineering, biology, sport science, nautical and meteo-oceanographic sciences, and navigation technology. Its maritime origins remain particularly relevant to students considering sustainable blue economy, vessel command, navigation or marine-related study. Applicants should distinguish among three-year bachelor’s degrees, two-year master’s degrees and single-cycle degrees such as law and medicine. Doctoral study is also active: the university’s 2026 doctoral call confirms third-cycle provision. Program availability, admission method, language and campus can differ substantially, so the central catalogue should be treated as a starting point and the individual course regulations as the controlling source. Italian is the database-recorded primary language of instruction, but the official international catalogue identifies selected English-medium opportunities. These include Sustainable Blue Economy at bachelor’s level and master’s options such as Applied Computer Science, Fashion, Art and Food Management, Management Engineering, and Marketing and International Management. Other degrees may contain English curricula without being wholly English-taught. Students should therefore verify the language of every required module rather than relying on an English program title. The published 2026/2027 calendars show organized teaching and examination schedules for bachelor’s, master’s and single-cycle programs at the Naples and Nola sites.

Key Highlights

• Public state university recognized by Italy’s Ministry of Universities and Research
• Founded in 1919 with an original specialization in maritime studies
• Operating in 2026 with bachelor’s, master’s, single-cycle and doctoral activity
• Uses multiple teaching sites across Naples, with additional provision in Nola and Caivano

Student Life & Environment

Student experience is shaped by an urban, distributed university rather than a single residential campus. Facilities are spread among central and waterfront locations, the Monte di Dio area, the Centro Direzionale and Posillipo, with some students based in Nola or Caivano. This arrangement can place students close to different parts of Naples, but it also makes travel time between sites an important scheduling consideration. The university advertises library services supporting teaching and research across law, economics, engineering, science, technology and sport. Its facilities information also identifies self-service canteen provision, with income-related discounts. The university’s property records include a student residence on Via Galileo Ferraris, while regional student-support agency ADISURC administers competitive benefits such as scholarships and accommodation places. A university property or benefit listing does not guarantee a room, so applicants should consult the relevant annual call and prepare an independent housing plan. International and mobility support is available through dedicated internationalization and Erasmus services. Career-oriented activity is also integrated into student services: the Placement Office supports curricular and graduate internships, advertises jobs and placements, provides career guidance, and organizes employer presentations, workshops, recruiting events and career days. These are useful resources, but the university does not publish a guaranteed placement outcome for individual students.

Location & Surroundings

The university is based in Naples, with its administrative headquarters at Via Ammiraglio Ferdinando Acton 38 near the waterfront. Its principal academic buildings occupy several distinct parts of the city. Palazzo Pacanowski, close to Monte di Dio, houses the economics and law area; the Centro Direzionale near Napoli Centrale hosts engineering and science; Via Medina supports sport and well-being studies; and Villa Doria d’Angri in Posillipo is used for advanced education, conferences and cultural activity. This geography gives students access to a major southern Italian city rather than a self-contained campus district. The center offers extensive cultural, commercial and transport infrastructure, while the Centro Direzionale location is convenient for the main railway hub. However, the spread between waterfront, hill and business-district sites means that a housing choice convenient for one department may be less practical for another. The university also teaches outside central Naples. Its Nola site hosts specified programs in economics and management, cybersecurity, sport science and law, while the course catalogue identifies further sport-science provision in Caivano. Applicants should confirm the stated campus before arranging accommodation or estimating a commute.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Tuition is not represented by one reliable headline price. The university calculates contributions using factors that include household economic status, academic progress and years of enrollment. Students seeking an income-based assessment generally need an appropriate ISEEU declaration; international students or Italians residing abroad may use the applicable equivalent documentation. The official 2026/2027 contribution page confirms continued use of ISEEU-based contribution bands, but students should use the current regulation or simulator for their own amount. The international fee page currently provides detailed figures under the 2025/2026 regulation. Under that dated policy, all students paid a €200 reception-services charge, while qualifying non-EU students could use an income assessment or, depending on country category, pay fixed university contributions of €500 or €1,000 plus regional tax and stamp duty. Because these amounts are tied to 2025/2026, they should be treated as planning context rather than confirmed 2026/2027 charges. Tuition also excludes accommodation and books. ADISURC offers competitive right-to-study benefits, including scholarships and accommodation places, subject to its annual eligibility rules and deadlines. For career preparation, Parthenope’s Placement Office supports curricular and post-graduation internships, job-search guidance, CV and opportunity platforms, career days and employer presentations. These services can help students build contacts and experience, but no salary, employer or placement-rate outcome is guaranteed.