Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope”

About Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope”

Parthenope developed from the Regio Istituto Superiore Navale, created by royal decree on 30 May 1920 as a center for advanced study of the sea, maritime production and exchange. It subsequently became a special-status university institute, took the name Istituto Universitario Navale, and expanded beyond its original maritime economics and nautical-science focus. The institution adopted its present university identity after adding law, engineering and sport-science faculties around 1999. Italy’s Ministry of Universities and Research currently lists it among the country’s state universities. The university’s identity remains connected to maritime study, but its present scope is multidisciplinary. Its two broad academic groupings cover economics and law, and sciences, engineering and health. The official history page, last updated in October 2025, reported approximately 15,000 students, around 320 academic staff and 250 technical-administrative staff; these figures should be understood as the university’s own recent snapshot rather than fixed 2026 totals. Parthenope is distributed across multiple sites rather than organized as a single enclosed campus. Central Naples locations accommodate administration and economics, law and some sport-related activity, while engineering, science and technology facilities are concentrated at the Centro Direzionale. This structure can offer close contact with different parts of Naples, but students should confirm the location attached to their intended program before arranging housing or commuting.

Admissions are program-specific. For 2026/27, the university published separate procedures for bachelor’s and single-cycle programs within its two schools and for master’s study. Some undergraduate courses use open admission with an assessment of initial preparation, while others have locally limited places, chronological enrollment rules or a competitive selection. For example, the nautical-navigation program had a mandatory selection test, whereas other courses used knowledge checks that could lead to additional educational obligations. Applicants must therefore follow the notice for the exact course and campus rather than rely on a university-wide acceptance model. Admission to a two-year master’s program normally requires a suitable bachelor’s degree or comparable foreign qualification, followed by course-level review of curricular preparation and any other published requirements. Doctoral admission is handled through a separate competitive call; the principal 42nd-cycle 2026 call closed on 31 July 2026. International procedures depend on citizenship, residence and qualification. Non-EU applicants living abroad who require a visa must use Universitaly for pre-enrollment. For designated programs, the university also requires registration in its separate non-EU applicant portal; omission of either submission can cause exclusion. Foreign qualifications require the relevant supporting documents and assessment. Italian-taught programs generally require evidence of Italian proficiency or the university’s language test. The international enrollment page still displayed some 2025/26 dates in August 2026, so applicants should not reuse those deadlines for 2026/27 and should verify the current course notice and visa timetable.

For 2026/27, Parthenope’s undergraduate portfolio spans business and economics, international and tourism management, law, engineering, computing, biological and environmental fields, and sport sciences. The official international catalogue includes bachelor’s offerings such as Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Sustainable Blue Economy, Civil and Environmental Engineering for Risk Mitigation, Computer Engineering and Science for Cybersecurity, and Computer Science. The university also offers two-year master’s programs and a single-cycle law degree. Applicants should use the individual course page as the controlling source because curricula, language, campus and selection rules differ. Academic organization is divided principally between the School of Economics and Law and the School of Science, Engineering and Health. The latter brings together engineering, science and technology, and movement and wellbeing disciplines. Parthenope’s maritime heritage continues through nautical, environmental, sustainability and blue-economy study, while its wider portfolio supports pathways in business, data-oriented fields, public administration and health-related movement sciences. Doctoral study is an active part of the institution. The 42nd-cycle call published in 2026 included fields such as Energy Science and Engineering; Information and Communication Technology and Engineering; Economics, Management and Accounting; environmental risks; legal and socioeconomic institutions; linguistics and intercultural studies; sustainability; and sport sciences. Program availability may change by cycle, and the principal 42nd-cycle deadline was 31 July 2026. Students considering research degrees should consult the current doctoral call rather than infer availability from earlier cycles.

Key Highlights

• Public state university listed by Italy’s Ministry of Universities and Research
• Founded in 1920 as the Regio Istituto Superiore Navale
• Historic maritime specialization broadened to economics, law, engineering, science and sport
• Multi-site institution with facilities in central and eastern Naples

Student Life & Environment

Student services are spread across the university’s different teaching locations. The central library supports teaching and research, with its main collection at Via Acton and a subject section for engineering, science and technology at the Centro Direzionale. The university also advertises orientation and tutoring support intended to help students choose programs, assess their preparation and address gaps before or during study. Food service is available at several university sites. As of April 2026, the university described bar, cafeteria and refreshment facilities operating on weekdays, with subsidized meals available through an agreement with ADISURC, Campania’s regional student-support agency. ADISURC is also the relevant body for means-tested scholarships, accommodation support and other right-to-study services. Students should apply through the agency’s current call rather than assume that university admission automatically provides housing or financial aid. Career support includes internship activation, individual guidance, employer events and access to job and placement opportunities in Italy and abroad. Parthenope also supports international mobility and operates a dual-career pathway for qualifying student-athletes. Because study takes place across several campuses, everyday experience depends considerably on the program: students may spend most of their time in the historic center, at Palazzo Pacanowski, in the Centro Direzionale or at an outlying teaching site.

Location & Surroundings

The university is based in Naples, but its facilities occupy several distinct urban locations. The headquarters at Via Ammiraglio Ferdinando Acton 38 includes the historic Palazzina Spagnola and lies in the central area near Molo Beverello, Monte di Dio and Via Medina. Palazzo Pacanowski, near the Nunziatella military school, houses the School of Economics and Law and its associated departments. Villa Doria d’Angri accommodates university activity and the naval museum. Engineering, science and technology teaching is centered farther east at the Centro Direzionale, in a purpose-built complex containing classrooms, laboratories and departmental offices. Some programs or cohorts also operate in locations including Nola, so “Naples” in the database should not be read as a guarantee that every class meets in the city center. This distributed arrangement gives students access to historic waterfront areas as well as Naples’s modern business district. It also makes program-level travel planning important. Before choosing accommodation, applicants should verify the teaching address, timetable and whether activities move between sites; the official locations page is more useful for that decision than the university’s general postal address alone.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Parthenope uses an income-related contribution system rather than one universal tuition figure. Under the official 2026/27 rules, students seeking a reduced annual comprehensive contribution must obtain a university-purpose ISEEU assessment. The amount owed depends on the applicable income band and the student’s circumstances; the university provides a fee simulator. Students without an appropriate assessment may be charged under the maximum-contribution rules, so international households should check how foreign income and assets must be documented before enrollment. A separate regional right-to-study tax applies. For 2026/27, the university listed three amounts: €130 for the lowest band and specified developing-country students, €151 for the middle band and students whose household resides abroad, and €173 for the highest band or students without ISEEU documentation at payment. These figures are additional to university contributions and other administrative charges. No single tuition estimate should therefore be used for every domestic or international student. Scholarships, subsidized meals and housing-related assistance are administered principally through ADISURC and require separate applications under the agency’s current rules. Admission does not guarantee accommodation. For career preparation, Parthenope’s placement service supports curricular and postgraduate internships, employer presentations, recruiting events, vacancy searches and individual guidance. The official sources reviewed did not provide a current institution-wide graduate salary or employment rate, so prospective students should assess career fit through course-specific outcomes, internship arrangements and professional requirements.